Emac and OS 9

Hi, corrytonapple -

Re the 700MHz eMac, unfortunately that machine can not use any retail OS 9 Instal CDs. Although it is OS 9 bootable, it uses a model-specific version of OS 9.2.2; this version is installable only from the original disk set that shipped with it when it was new. You may be able to get a replacement original disk set from Apple's Customer Support; they sometimes have disk sets available for older machines. This disk set would also include insall disks for OSX 10.1.x.
http://www.apple.com/support/contact/phone_contacts.html

Another possible source would be EBay (careful - be sure that you get the specific disks for your model) or a local Apple Users Group (many large cities and universities have them) -
http://www.apple.com/usergroups/

That model can also use a retail disk set for OSX 10.2, 10.3, or 10.4.

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A white 600MHz iMac would be an iMac (Summer 2001) model, Snow in color. That model can use a retail (white label) OS 9.2.1 Install CD; it can not use any earlier retail OS 9 disk. You may be able to get such on EBay (again, be sure you get what you need) or via a local users group.

That machine model can use any OSX retail disk set for OSX 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, or 10.4.

Older retail disk sets for older versions of OSX as well as retail disks for OS 9 can also be obtained at places like HardcoreMac (their prices seem high, but they do ship what you order) -
http://hardcoremac.stores.yahoo.net/

Hi, corrytonapple -

Yes, that appears to be the correct disk set.

Your 700MHz eMac originally shipped with OSX 10.1.4; later eMac models came with OSX 10.2.x or 10.3.x. Since that disk set includes OSX 10.1.4, it would appear to be the correct set.

Hi, corrytonapple -

I have no idea whether that disk will work on your iMac - there is insufficient information made available at that site. Although that page states -

"Compatible w ALL Apple G3 or G4 Systems including PowerMacs, PowerBooks, iMacs & iBooks"

- we know that is false. Among other things, a PowerMac G4 QuickSilver (2002) and later model G4s (the MDD models) use a model-specific version of OS 9.2.2 available for install only from their original disk sets (which boot to OSX), and can not use any stand-alone OS 9 install CD of any version. Folk have been burned by such broad statements in the past.

Serendipity may intrude and that disk may work on your machine; or, it may not. If the potential of saving $130 by spending $30 seems like a reasonable risk, go ahead.

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As far as the "Application disk" goes, there's no way to tell what's on it without a contents list provided by the seller. However, based on similar items from elsewhere, it is probably a disk full of freeware and shareware stuff, mostly utilities and OS-enhancers: some won't work in later OS 9 versions; a lot you'll have no use for; and perhaps a few items you'll find interesting or even useful.

I got into having lots of that kind of software around for a time. After a while I noticed I never actually used much of it - the programs I use regularly are adequate for my needs, and the OS-enhancers, although sometimes providing usable or even nifty features, actually slowed the OS down by loading it up. So I got rid of most of it.

Hi, corrytonapple -

Both the iMac and eMac discussed can be set up in Firewire Target Disk Mode with another Mac, provided the other Mac qualifies as a Host machine model.
Article #HT1661 - Firewire Target Disk Mode

Hi, corrytonapple -

...would zapping the PRAM work so by default it boots to OS 9?

It may. Zapping the PRAM will remove any presets in PRAM, returning it to its default status. This removes any preset choice for boot volume and OS. Whether it will then choose OS 9 as the boot OS may depend upon which is found first on the drive.

Unfortunately, although there is a keyboard command (Command X) to instruct the machine to look for and boot to OSX, there is no keyboard command to instruct it to boot to OS 9.

But how do I change the OS so it boots to OS 9.

In FwTDM you can not instruct the OS on a Target machine, or the machine itself, to boot using a specific OS on its drive. Remember that the result of using FwTDM is to have the Target machines main drive appear on the desktop of the Host machine as if that drive were an external firewire drive. As such, none of the prefs settings on the Target machine are addressable, nor is its PRAM affectable.

However, one way to force a machine to not use one of two OS's available to it is to neuter the one not desired, i.e., make it non-usable. With OS 9 that's easy to do, provided you have access to the drive - just move the file Finder out of the System Folder and into its own separate holding folder; this renders that System Folder not recognizable as a System Folder. I'm not sure how to achieve the same effect with OSX, but it should be not difficult (many folk have accidentally done it).

Hi, corrytonapple -

Is it possible to look inside the system folder via FwTDM for damage?

Yes, sort of. You can check the hard drive for damage, using Disk First Aid or another utility (such as DiskWarrior, which would be a better choice for this) from the Host machine. This process may be able to identify what files are damaged, if any - depends on the type of damage.

...could I make a copy of OS 9 from the broken machine and burn that onto a disc?

Yes. OS 9 can be copied directly and still remain usable - no need to use a cloning utility. However, burning this to a CD will not make the CD bootable. In order to create a bootable CD using OS 9, you would need to use Toast, which has a special routine just for that.

Hi, corrytonapple -

Is there a terminal code I could use?

The only thing available before an OS has loaded that could be construed as a 'terminal' type function is Open Firmware, which is engaged by holding down the Command-Option-O-F keys siultaneously from when the startup chimes sound. Open Firmware is a hardware-based command/instruction mode, which permits some settings to be made - hardware reset of NVRAM, for instance. However, I do not know of an Open Firmware command that allows the selection of a particular OS when more than one is available on a drive.

There's some info about Open Firmware commands in this Apple KBase article -
http://support.apple.com/kb/TA44318

Caution - tinkering with Open Firmware commands is a good way to thoroughly bollix a machine. Since Open Firmware is a hardware-based system, undoing a mistake can be extremely difficult.

Is there anything I can use as a bootable disk?

An appropriate CD, OS 9 or OSX.

An external firewire hard drive. Since the machine is capable of being a Target machine in a FwTDM config, it is also capable of firewire booting. However, the hard drive would need to have an OS on it valid for that machine.
Article #HT2699 - FireWire Booting

Are there no keyboard shortcuts that block OSX?

Only the one Niel mentioned originally, Command-Option-Shift-Delete. That one is a hardware instruction to the Mac to ignore the OS designated in PRAM and to boot to the next OS it finds.

Is the keyboard in use with that machine the one that originally came with it when it was new? If it is a 3rd-party (non-Apple) keyboard, some of those are not compliant with the Mac startup command key set.