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iMac G3 Bondi OS9 PPC clean for give away

How do I clean all my files and leave OS9 intact? Thanks.

Posted on Dec 11, 2020 9:03 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 11, 2020 6:33 PM

Hi,


That is going to take time. You would have to manually move all personal files and not needed/wanted applications and other files to the Trash (and empty the Trash). In the System Folder, one could in principle delete all preferences files. The free space on the hard disk after this must then be overwritten. There are special utilities for this (if not available, one can duplicate an unimportant file in a separate folder, over and over again, until the hard disk is full, and then move the files/folder to the Trash and empty the Trash).


However, the correct way of doing this is to erase and re-install using the original system CD (Mac OS 8.1 or 8.5 for a Bondi Blue iMac G3), or an appropriate retail Mac OS 9 CD. The next user will need a system CD.

7 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 11, 2020 6:33 PM in response to Marbert

Hi,


That is going to take time. You would have to manually move all personal files and not needed/wanted applications and other files to the Trash (and empty the Trash). In the System Folder, one could in principle delete all preferences files. The free space on the hard disk after this must then be overwritten. There are special utilities for this (if not available, one can duplicate an unimportant file in a separate folder, over and over again, until the hard disk is full, and then move the files/folder to the Trash and empty the Trash).


However, the correct way of doing this is to erase and re-install using the original system CD (Mac OS 8.1 or 8.5 for a Bondi Blue iMac G3), or an appropriate retail Mac OS 9 CD. The next user will need a system CD.

Dec 12, 2020 1:18 AM in response to Jan Hedlund

Hi Jan,

Thanks very much for your answer. The latter is my best option because I have the OS9 Classic install disc. After backup my private files I clean with disc-utility the files and system and hand over the still beatifull Bondi to my friend with the install-disc. As a photographer he will use it more often than I do.

Regards,

Hubert.

Dec 13, 2020 1:56 AM in response to Jan Hedlund

Hi Jan,

Many thanks for your help. It might be you could advice me in another problem cleaning my Bondi Blue. Years ago I used a DTP app Ragtime-Solo on my Bondi OS9, producing many files in .rtd. They can't be used in upgraded OS systems unless you buy Ragtime latest upgrade at a high price. In fact I can't give away my Bondi because I use these old files now and then.

To solve that problem I had the following idea. My iMac 21.5 inch (Built in 2010 Processor: 3.06 Ghz Intel Core i3 64-bit) desktop has much free space. When I divide the HD and create a section for OS9 Classic. I then can install Ragtime-Solo as well as all my .rtd files from my Bondi. I still have the original install-disc. Do you think this could work and solve my problem?

Thanks, Hubert.

Dec 13, 2020 8:54 AM in response to Marbert

Hi Hubert,


Unfortunately, this is not going to work. The 2010 iMac is neither capable of booting into Mac OS 9 nor using the Classic environment under Mac OS X. Booting from Mac OS 9 is only possible up to some PowerPC G4 Mac models. For the Classic environment, nothing higher than a PowerPC Mac and Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger can be used. So, it is probably better to keep the Bondi Blue iMac.

Dec 13, 2020 4:04 PM in response to Jan Hedlund

Hi Jan,

I don't give up. What about my next machine which is still in operation albeit not on the internet. I use it for all the bookkeeping with iCash-app. Could I use a part of the HD for the Ragtime-Solo app?

Details: eMac, Power Mac 4, (Power PC G4 (3.3), 1 Ghz, Mem: 1 GB, Serialnumber: VM***NLV)


I would love to give my friend the Bondi because I'm sure it will have a better life with him and now and then I can toggle on it as ever before.


Thanks for your time given to a somewhat madman on Apple computers. Not in operation but in the original box is a Macintosh ll with a Stylewriter printer. See attachment.

Regards, Hubert.


[Personal Information Edited by Moderator]



Dec 13, 2020 4:59 PM in response to Marbert

Hello again,


Would that be this machine?

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/emac/specs/emac_1.0.html#macspecs3

If so, have a look at the details about Mac OS 9 support. If at all possible to boot into Mac OS 9 (apparently, only one configuration), it seems to have been 9.2.2, since that was one of the pre-installed operating system versions.

You may want to verify the exact model via https://everymac.com/ultimate-mac-lookup/. By the way, please do not post a serial number in a Support Communities message.


Sorry, I do not know anything about Ragtime requirements, so you will have to check whether it would work with the computer in question and its operating system.


No Macintosh II here, but a number of other old Macs and printers. These machines can still be surprisingly useful for word processing, et cetera.


iMac G3 Bondi OS9 PPC clean for give away

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