MacOS 9 vs. 9.2 (latest 9)

Hi, synergy2000 -

Later versions of OS 9 tend to be more stable than earlier ones. In addition, the versions of the utilities Drive Setup and Disk First Aid which come with OS 9.1 and later are better.

If you will need to use the OS 9 as Classic under OSX, it must be at least version OS 9.1. OSX 10.4 needs OS 9.2.1 or later for use as Classic.

Also, some (few) programs will run in OS 9.2.x but not in earlier OS 9 versions.

You can download updaters for OS 9 for free from Apple -
Article #60791 - Mac OS 9.0.4 - Download and Info
Article #75103 - Mac OS 9.1 - Download and Info
Article #120030 - Mac OS 9.2.1 - Download and Info
Article #75186 - Mac OS 9.2.2 - Download and Info

Be sure to download the language version that matches the language version of the installed OS 9.

Note that these downloads are updaters only; they are not full-install versions. They will install only on top of certain previous OS 9 versions.

Although the updates for OS 9.0.4 and OS 9.1 will install on top of any previous OS 9 version, the ones for OS 9.2.x will install only on top of the next previous version. That is, the one for OS 9.2.1 will install only on top of OS 9.1, and the one for OS 9.2.2 will install only on top of OS 9.2.1.

So, if you're starting from OS 9.0 and want to end up at OS 9.2.1 you would need to install the updater for OS 9.1 and then the one for OS 9.2.1.

***

If the machine is older than a G3, it may be limited to a max of OS 9.1. This Apple Kbase article lists such things -
Article #HT1835 - Mac OS 8, 9: Compatibility With Macs

Hi, synergy2000 -

Re your Power Computing clone, these articles contain info that may be of importance -

http://support.apple.com/kb/TA20330
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2299

Re obtaining an OS 9 Install CD, Apple no longer sells disks for OS's as old as OS 9. You would need to acquire one from places like Hardcore Mac or from Ebay or an Apple User Group.

Be sure to get a retail disk, not a model-specific one. All retail OS 9 Install CDs have a white label with a large gold 0 on it, and do not state a model name on the label.

The PM9500 originally came with System 7.x installed, so the OS 9 CD did not come with the Mac. There is no free download of OS 9.x. You have to buy.

Q#2 - Yes, but the CD needs to be in a format that a Mac can read.

 Cheers, Tom 😉

+All retail OS 9 Install CDs have a white label with a large gold 0 on it, and do not state a model name on the label.+

More likely a large gold 9...right, Don?

What a rush, catching the master!!!

Thanks, Ralph!

I type with the finger closest to the key I want, rather than formal hand-position style (I do pretty wekk using a net of four fingers and one thumb). But, sometimes I miss... and don't catch it on a quick proofread.

Need to be careful, nearly everything from around that era, up to the end of 1997, can't run anything later than OS9.1.

Ask around in the forums at the Macintosh Garden, plenty of pre-Mac OSX Mac owners there, some also have clones and may be able to help.

You can install OS 9 on a dozen drives attached to your Mac. There is no confusion -- the Boot drive is the one specified in:
Control Panels > Startup Disk

You can try running the Installer (once your drives are formatted) running from the built-in SCSI Bus. If it does not like it, it will yell at you. You generally have to boot from the System/Install CD (hold down the C key at startup).