Running OS 9 application in OS 10.4

Hello James, and a warm welcome to the forums! 🙂

Depends which iMac you have, Intel Macs cannot run Classic.

At the Apple Icon at top left>About this Mac.

Then click on More Info>Hardware and report this upto but not including the Serial#...

Hardware Overview:

Machine Name: Power Mac G5 Quad
Machine Model: PowerMac11,2
CPU Type: PowerPC G5 (1.1)
Number Of CPUs: 4
CPU Speed: 2.5 GHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 1 MB
Memory: 10 GB
Bus Speed: 1.25 GHz
Boot ROM Version: 5.2.7f1

james00c , welcome to Apple Discussions.

If your iMac is capable of running in classic mode, OS 9.x is installed alongside OS X, not over OS X. You don't need to purchase an OS 9 installer. Copy the System Folder from another Mac that has OS 9.1 (or better with 9.2.1 or 9.2.2) installed. A USB thumb dive works great for this. Transfer the folder to your Mac. It won't interfere with your OS X system which is in a folder titled System.

 Cheers, Tom 😉

Copy the System Folder from another Mac that has OS 9.1 (or better with 9.2.1 or 9.2.2) installed.

This only works if the other Mac is identical in model and vintage. You need the original system restore discs for an iMac G5. No other version of 9 will work with it. Contact the original owner for those discs.

Your model of 700MHz Mac G4 can dual-boot OS 9 & OS X.
Some later versions of eMac and G4s could not do so.

(The info you provide says eMac. Is it one of those?)

You should be able to do what Texas MacMan says in
regard to a copy of your OS9 system of 9.1 or better
and that can be installed by drag/drop. The computer's
hard disk drive would have to have had OS 9 Drivers
installed along with that OS X (an option when installing)
in order to boot in OS9.1 in a machine capable of that.
Without OS 9 Drivers, the OS 9 system would only be
seen as Classic and would only run as such under OS X.

I have used an OS 9.2.2 installer from a computer not
able to dual boot, and the Pacifist utility that runs under
OS X to extract and install a (later proven) bootable OS9
system from a machine-specific restore install second disc
which shipped with my iBook G4 mid-2005 computer, this
system, never installed in the iBook, worked as a dual-boot
OS 9.2.2 and performed most tasks as it should, when put
into a dual-boot iMac G4 800MHz 17" USB1.1 computer.

So, if you have the discs or a running system, you could do
this task in one of two or three ways. The original disc set
would have had the correct Installer. But you can overcome
some of the problems by using an OS9 system already in
an installed state, as mentioned; or use Pacifist to extract
an OS 9 system and install it from a computer-specific disc
set (the second disc in a two disc set, usually has OS9 or
Classic) and that extraction utility can work; I've done it &
more than a few times since OS X arrived and the utility or
other means was available to do this.

There can be a few problems, mostly in OS 9 Drivers needing
to be present on the hard disk drive. In an older Mac running
OS 9 first, that would not be a problem; they'd be there already.

You could try an OS 9 installation (one of the methods) to an
external hard disk drive and put drivers on there, first, if you
can get a source of the drivers. OS X installers up to Tiger 10.4
have the OS9 Driver install option, on the installer setup. You
may need to get another source for this, since the OS 9 from an
install-restore disc extracted via Pacifist does not have the Driver.
But the OS 9 system would still work as Classic under OS X w/o it.

+Ideally, for the full experience of a true bootable OS 9.2.2 system,+
+the complete installer (be it original for specific Mac or a retail disc+
+somehow installed in a computer or on an external) would be best+
+since it would have all the correct extensions & control panels, plus+
+the utilities and drivers; options not usually found in a less detailed+
+OS 9 system supplied to run OS 9 apps under Classic in OS X.+

Depending on the source for a classic or bootable OS 9 system,
the efforts involved may vary considerably. The USB flash thumb-
drive is a good idea, in that USB 1.1 can be used to move OS 9
about; the files are small and copy over fairly fast.

So, however it works out...
Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

In OS9 the system folder is called "System Folder", in OSX the system folder is called "System", easy to confuse.

So, just copy an OS9 "System Folder" to your Hard Drive, that will not replace the folder called "System".

Copying over the System Folder from another Mac won't work, unless it is another eMac 700 Mhz.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2191?viewlocale=en_US

All eMac 700 Mhz came prebundled with a 9.2.2 installer disc labeled eMac. That's the installer you need to use to install 9 on your eMac. Any older version of 9 will not work on it.

Message was edited by: a brody

Is that true for using Classic, or just to be able to boot OS9 native ?

Both.

That said, I've seen people "break the rule", but which ones break it, and which ones don't is not very well documented. For instance an iBook G3 that came with 9 CD could not be used Classic or otherwise on a PowerMac G4 that supported that same version of 9. I've noted that http://www.macsales.com/ which generally is a good company to work with has sold system specific discs for years as "universal" discs, but I can't say how "universal" it is, without seeing some diagram of what they've tested.

The actual use of the "installer" is partially where the problem exists
in at least some of the possible computers where the resulting OS9
system could be used, otherwise. Since the Installer won't run in an
other Mac (the discs won't work) but if the OS9.1 or later (9.2.2) is
available to the computer without using the machine-specific install
mechanism, the field of use is a bit wider.

Some years ago, I was given some installer discs from an early eMac
G4, including Panther 10.3, and was able to run those discs in an iBook
G3 white (05-2001 model 500MHz) and they worked for both X and 9.
That is an example of the Installers being capable. I've done it without
the software installer included in the machine-specific installer w/ others.

But I do know what you mean; with only 14 new-world Macs owned out
of 140 Macs total, the dual-boot and X-only boot models present novel
differences; and in some ways, I preferred the antique SCSI Mac as a
rock-solid platform of the day. And I mean along with the software.

The assorted OS 9 parts an actual installer would include for a specific
Mac are sometimes all the difference between a hobbled or dysfunctional
boot version (as applicable) or one that works adequately. This is due to
the changes in hardware the resulting version was supposed to support.
A version OS 9.2.2 with 9.5.0 classic (in get info, says version) will work
in several later models; perhaps not in a dual processor G5 if it came from
a late or earlier model iBook G4. There are those limits; even if they "work."

{And from my experience, a working OS9 bootable 9.2.2 version 9.5.0 system
can be installed into a dual boot iMac G4 700/800 using Pacifist, from iBook
G4 (mid-2005) classic installer. This is a bootable OS9.2.2 system in some PPC
Macs &/or a Classic system in non-boot situations. Thus, likely also early eMac.}

And it's so much fun to mess up, start over and learn (again.)
Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

Furthermore, the eMac switches to March 24th, 2001 each time it is turned on. This is even though I have adjusted the date & time and have saved and locked the changes. Any tips on how to resolve this minor problem?

Likely needs a new PRAM Battery...

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/BAA36VPRAM/

After all the above, I have just copied the 9.2.x "System Folder" from several Macs to an eMac 800, eMac 1.0 GHx, eMac 1.42, and no problem as far as Classic use.

The one link says...

If you are not sure what you need: Please email your specs or serial number as well as what operating system you are using and I will insure you purchase the proper software and do not waste your money

I'd take them up on it.

I don't tink this disc wil work as it says iMac...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-OS-9-2-2-CD-691-3638-A-New-Disk-only-/380199317126?cmd =ViewItem&pt=LHDefaultDomain0&hash=item5885a52e86

Though using Pacifist...

http://www.charlessoft.com/

You might get it to work.

After all the above, I have just copied the 9.2.x "System Folder" from several Macs to an eMac 800, eMac 1.0 GHx, eMac 1.42, and no problem as far as Classic use.

I wish I could say that I was that lucky. I've tried the copy routine. In fact, I've tried booting an external Firewire hard drive that had been on an iMac G4 on a PowerMac G4 that supported it, and it didn't work. So I don't know where the magic lies.