Trying to install OS9 onto my iMac G4 - 800Mhz - 17".

If the OS 9 Drivers were not installed at the time the first OS was put into the
computer's hard disk drive, the OS 9 install won't work directly as a boot OS.
But it should work as a Classic system within OS X only, from the System
Preference panel; from there, when present and available, OS X can find &
use an OS 9 system and OS9 Apps as Classic, even without OS9 Drivers.

So, the only way to install OS9 Drivers would be to reformat the hard drive
and erase content, and then before fully installing any OS X, from the X
installer (or a booted OS9 Installer) there's a chance to install the Driver.

Your retail Tiger 10.4.x installer disc, when used to set up the computer for
a new installation from scratch, can be used to install OS 9 Drivers. But to
do this at such a late date, involves wiping the hard drive to do it. So, a full
backup (clone) is recommended, then after you erase the computer's drive
using the disk utility in the Tiger install disc, you can choose to have it put
those drivers in the computer's HDD; and if you have a working knowledge
of clones and re-cloning a system back from an externally enclosed HDD
into the Mac, after the format and OS9 Drivers, you would not have to do
the Tiger install over again. Just re-clone it back; then later, try the OS 9
install from a retail install disc. The System Profiler in Tiger should be able
to tell you if there are OS 9 Drivers present. In a dual-boot capable PPC Mac
they have to be, for the OS 9 system to boot the computer independent of
a more passive non-boot Classic status found in later Macs that can't boot 9.

Not knowing more about your computer's configuration or history in regard
to OS versions, installations, or details that probably would make a difference,
I'm sure something simple is missing from the picture.

Of course, an OS installer older than the computer's build/release date won't
work; nor would an installer made for another computer model series.

Maybe you could post the retail info from the label of the OS 9.2.1 install disc
so maybe if there is a problem, someone else more detail oriented may see it?

I was able to install OS 9.2.2 into a properly prepared iMac G4 17" 800MHz
USB1.1 computer with superdrive, airport, 1024MB RAM, 80GB HDD, etc;
after installing OS X 10.4.11. I was sure to install the OS 9 Drivers when an
option in the Tiger installer presented itself, so they'd be there later. And I
used a second-disc installer for OS9 from an iBook G4 1.33GHz 12" model
and Pacifist, to do it. This dual-boots in the iMac G4 800MHz 17" and also
will work as Classic. However, a system originally intended for Classic 9
under OS X in a non-dual boot PPC Mac usually has less than ideal sets
of correct extensions and control panels; so it is not ideal for pure OS 9 use.

The use of Pacifist (an OS X app, works in demo mode) allows one to by-pass
the installer section of the OS9 second disc; so there is no prompt that the disc
won't work in the computer, since the Installer in that disc is never used in this.

That is probably as clear as mud; but what can I say?
Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

PS: The OS 9.2.1 version even in Retail install disc, would not be new
enough to be used in the iMac G4 800MHz 17" USB1.1 computer;
since the original software set specifications say it shipped with 9.2.2.

I had thought to add the above to my earlier post, but was timed-out.

You could still use the older 9.2.1 system, perhaps installed to an
external hard disk drive, and you would not need to boot the Mac from
the install disc to do that; nor would you need to add drivers to your imac
if you did not install OS 9.2.x into the computer.

{An OS 9.2.1 system could be drag-drop installed from another install
location, and then maybe updated to 9.2.2; but an older installer disc
won't work in a computer newer than it.} + Pacifist worked for me 4x.

Some areas of the Mac experience, as time goes on, looks more like an
ancient mariner's map... on the edges where there is a grey area, the
words, "there be dragons here" could easily appear, there, too.

• here be dragons - on old maps:
http://www.maphist.nl/extra/herebedragons.html

Good luck, however that turns out! 🙂

Hey Garry,

trying to install OS9 onto my iMac G4 - 800Mhz - 17"

I just went through this trying to set up a client w/ a dual booter for his grandaughter. I wanted to set it up w/ 9.2.2 and 10.4.11. I already had a clone of the 9.2.2 install but I couldn't make it work in the iMac G4 800 15" that I was trying to set him up with. The 10.4.11 install worked fine.
I was scratching my head until I realized that there were two versions of this machine. One in 2002 and the next in 2003.
The 2002 (from Low End Mac):
"introduced 2002.01.07..(800 MHz, SuperDrive..requires Mac OS 9.2.2 or later, OS X 10.1.2.."
and the 2003:
"introduced 2003.02.04 ..requires Mac OS X 10.2 through 10.5.x.."
So the one I was trying to set up was a later model that required 10.2.

Also I have tried the system restore disks that came with the iMac but I think this can only be used if I am running OS X 10.2

So according to Mac Tracker the original OS on this machine was 9.2.2 and "Later Mac OS: Mac OS X 10.2(6C115)"
So K makes a good point that the original installer on this machine was 9.2.2 so 9.2.1 wouldn't work. However you seem to imply that the original disk for your machine installed 10.2 so it might not boot into OS 9 at all.
It should however go into "Classic" mode.
Richard

I have just used this method to put OS 9 on my imac G4 without a rebuild. It will start in both versions of OS now OSX and 9.2 but may need drivers adding as I suspect it is not detecting my hardware correctly (network card).

When I get some time I will see if I can update the 9.2 OS to work with my network card.

here are the instructions I used

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10331436-263.html

Message was edited by: just4funUK