Do I need a crossover cable??

However, when I connected the two machines with a patch cable and tried to import the emails using both Migration Assistant and "Import", the Macbook reported that it couldn't find the old computer.

That version of the Migration Assistant can't import data from a computer running an OS version older than Mac OS X 10.4, and no version of it will import data from a Mac OS 9 system.

I thought that crossover cables were no longer necessary for mac to mac connections, but maybe that's only if both machines are newer models?

It's if either machine is a newer model. Click here for more information.

(43865)

New Mac computers do not need a crossover cable. It does an autodetect.

mhc_99 wrote:
Are you saying that NO version of Migration Assistant can import from an OS 9 machine at all??

That is correct. You shouldn't expect to be able to import settings and whatnot from a system that is that old onto a modern machine. You can only copy things manually.

The two machines in question belong to a friend of mine, but I have a G4 Powerbook running OS 10.4.11 (and I still have Classic). Could I use my Powerbook to import the emails into a Mail account on my machine and then bring those emails from my machine to the Macbook??

I don't see how that would help.

What you need to do is manually copy whatever mailbox files Outlook creates onto the MacBook, then use Mail's *Import Mailboxes* command (found in the File menu) to import them.

You don't really need Migration Assitant. It simply makes transfering your data and applications easier.
No sense in transfering the apps since you cannot run OS 9.
The data you can simply copy from the old compuer to the new.

when I connected the two machines via ethernet, the Macbook couldn't find the old iMac.

Did you turn on *File Sharing* on the old iMac?

According to the link that Niel provided, I DO need a crossover cable,

No.
You need a crossover cable only if BOTH Macs are in the lower list in that link.
The MacBook has auto-mdx as stated in that link and it does not require a crossover cable, regardless of any computer you connect it to.

mhc_99 wrote:
Are you saying that NO version of Migration Assistant can import from an OS 9 machine at all??

I don't think Migration Assistant works with anything before 10.4.

With OS 9 being 10 years gone, there's no chance.

The Migration Assitant application was introduced in 10.4. It works only with 10.4 and 10.5.
It can be usd to migrate data from computers with 10.1 or greater and a FW port.

Also make sure that you have enabled the use of TCP/IP when turning on FIle Sharing - OSX uses TCP/IP, not the older AppleTalk protocol originally used in the earlier OSes.

If I can't get the emails over via ethernet, I'm thinking I could just copy the Outlook/Entourage mailboxes manually to the USB drive and then import into Mail from the USB?

Correct.

(43912)

red_menace wrote:
Also make sure that you have enabled the use of TCP/IP when turning on FIle Sharing - OSX uses TCP/IP, not the older AppleTalk protocol originally used in the earlier OSes.

Just in case it isn't totally clear (or like me, you need a refresher course on using OS 9!), you must enable File Sharing over TCP/IP +on the Mac running OS 9+ & on that Mac make Appletalk active; otherwise you won't be able to connect the two.

Step by step:

1. On the OS 9 Mac, open the Appletalk Control Panel, click the "Options..." button, & select the "Active" radio button. (Alternately, choose a pre-saved configuration from the File > Configurations... menu that has Appletalk active.)

2. Close or quit the AppleTalk Control panel. Wait a while for AppleTalk to finish starting up.

3. On the same Mac, open the File Sharing Control Panel, go to the Start/Stop tab, in the File Sharing section, check the "Enable File Sharing clients to connect over TCP/IP" checkbox, & click the "Start" button if needed to start file sharing.

4. Note the IP Address & URL shown in the Start/Stop tab (like "afp:10.0.2.102" or whatever) for later use. (If this isn't shown, you may need to close & reopen the control panel.)

5. In the Users & Groups tab, make sure there is a user or group listed at least allowed to connect to the computer. (For personal use, it generally simplifies things if the owner User & password for this computer is the same as the name & password of an admin user account on the OS X computer.)

6. Note the user or group name & password for later use. You can now close the File Sharing Control Panel.

This completes the setup for the OS 9 computer. You should be able to connect & share files from this computer with others, including any on a local network like ones created by wireless access points, routers, etc.

Important: If you connect to a Mac running OS X from the one running OS 9, be aware that you may see many OS X files & folders that are normally hidden (because OS 9 doesn't know they should be hidden) & *you can do serious damage* to the OS X system by manipulating them from the OS 9 Mac. For this reason, I recommend that you do all importing or copying from an OS X computer rather than from the OS 9 one.

To connect to the OS 9 computer from one running Leopard:

1. In the Finder's "Go" menu, select "Connect to Server..."

2. In the Server Address blank, enter the URL noted in step 4 above (afp://something)

3. If you plan on doing this more than once, you may want to add the address to the Favorite Servers list with the plus button.

4. As needed, enter the user name & password noted in step 6 above. If desired, click the box to save this info to Keychain.

5. Click the connect button, choose the disk(s) or folders the OS 9 computer allows you access to, & click the "OK" button.

6. That's it! All the shared items should now appear in Finder and/or Sidebar & be easily accessible.

Note that because the OS 9 computer does not run Bonjour, the OS 9 computer's shares do not automatically appear in the Finder's Sidebar, which is why you have to use the "Go" menu to find them.