Links for Mac OS 9 Downloads are faulty!

I reported this to Apple over a month ago, but it hasn't been fixed yet.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3350153?answerId=16460445022#16460445022

 Cheers, Tom 😉

I also relied on the links to Mac OS 9 upgrades. I'm trying to update system 9 on a "Clamshell" but none of the links work. This is very disappointing.

Here is the way I get files off the web that no longer exist.

I pulled up the English version of the site you provided:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1387

Since that doesn't load, I used the Internet Archive:

http://web.archive.org/web/20100917074207/http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1387

When this page loads, select the OS update you want.

For this example, I chose OS 9.2.2 with the North American 21.3MB 9.2.2 update.

http://web.archive.org/web/20101204032737/http://docs.info.apple.com/article.htm l?artnum=75186

On this page:

http://web.archive.org/web/20101204032737/http://docs.info.apple.com/article.htm l?artnum=75186

the first update available is North American English, 9.2.2, 21.3MB.

Simply right-click (hold ctrl then click the mouse button), and "copy link" ("copy link" is how it appears in my 10.4.11, your operating system or browser choice may vary):

http://web.archive.org/web/20101204032737/http://download.info.apple.com/Apple_S upport_Area/Apple_Software_Updates/English-North_American/Macintosh/System/Mac_O S_9.2.2_Update/Single-File/Mac_OS_9.2.2_Update.smi.bin

Paste the link in a new tab of your browser, and delete the entire beginning of the address all they way up to and including the final forward slash /.

If you did this correctly this will leave you with the file name:

Mac_OS_9.2.2_Update.smi.bin

Do a web search for "ftp Mac_OS_9.2.2_Update.smi.bin" and you'll find a download site somewhere!

http://ftp.iinet.net.au/pub/apple/US/Macintosh/System/Mac_OS_9.2.2_Update/

Here are all of the OS 9 updates:

http://ftp.iinet.net.au/pub/apple/US/Macintosh/System/

sdfox, may I copy your post as a user tip?

Sure, I don't have a problem with it.

Seeing as I did spend a little time on it, I would appreciate being credited in the user tip. Thanks.

sdfox7,

It has been approved by the moderators. If you wish to comment on how I should change it, feel free to:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2751

The problem with that Australian link is that it contains updates for the British, Australian, and International versions of the files. Try and install them on a North American English version of OS 9, and you'll get an error.

Portland State University has an archive of the OS 9 updates for North American users:

ftp://ftp.oit.pdx.edu/help/macos/

I have to say, it's an absolute shame that users have to go to these lengths. Apple should at the very least fix the download links. One of them... the 9.0.X update... still works. How hard would it be to provide working links for the other updates? Come on, Apple Support. Fix this.

I have to say, it's an absolute shame that users have to go to these lengths. Apple should at the very least fix the download links. One of them... the 9.0.X update... still works. How hard would it be to provide working links for the other updates? Come on, Apple Support. Fix this.

It could be worse. Apple usually doesn't like its software beng stored on third party sites -- at least they seem to get things like iTunes taken off oldapps.com pretty readily. I'm mildly surprised the moderators passd a tip with third party download links for system software.

Don't know why the links for iTunes were removed, but it's possible that Apple had a fallout with OldApps, or they somehow violated Apple's terms of service.

Regarding OS 9 update downloads, since the moderators accepted my 'tip', it's likely that the links are 'involuntarily' broken; i.e. are the servers near the Fukushima plant in Japan? Maybe the server is temporarily offline.

Considering the rising popularity of Apple products and growing interest from the general public, I think it would be in Apple's best interest to make it as easy as possible for people to download the software needed to use their products, even if it meant using an outdated operating system or software. Someone walking around with Apple products is free advertisement for the company. I know people that would be impressed by a machine running OS 9 just for the fact that it is a Mac.

Anyway, any old versions of iTunes that are still on the Apple are easily downloadable by going here: http://support.apple.com/downloads/#iTunes

For example, if you wanted iTunes 9.2.1 for OS X 10.4, you would type it in the Downloads search box, which would lead you here: http://support.apple.com/downloads/#itunes%209.2.1 and click on the first result.

Anyway, any old versions of iTunes that are still on the Apple are easily downloadable by going here: http://support.apple.com/downloads/#iTunes

Well, not quite. 🙂 There's http://appldnld.apple.com.edgesuite.net/content.info.apple.com/iTunes7/Mac/061-3 899.20071105.Vg7Tg/iTunes7.5.dmg but there's no listing for iTunes 7.5 on Apple's page -- I had to get that link off the web even though the file itself is on one of Apple's servers.

Apple has a very, very limited set of iTunes versions available. There isn't, for example, any version of iTunes on Apple's site that will run under OS9. In fact I don't think any of them will run under anything much earlier than Tiger. Basically once a computer or OS version stops being supported it really and truly stops being supported. I get the impression that some of those things are still there because they are so beneath the radar that nobody bothers to delete them much less fix broken links.

Yes, you are correct, I should have said recent versions are easily accessible by going to the Downloads page.

Hey, many old downloads are still available on the web: here's Windows 95 Service Pack 1 from 1996: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=24945 (it was released in 1996 so I don't know why the article says October 1999) and you can get the old Windows NT service packs off Microsoft's FTP here: ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes/usa/ (although NT 4.0 SP4 and later are notably absent, you can Google for them on a different website.)

Oddly enough you can still download OS6 and a host of other truly vintage things from Apple but not OS9 updaters.

You can find a list of resources for older (Classic Mac OS) downloads here: http://x704.net/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5623

Links are working here:

http://ftp.iinet.net.au/pub/apple/US/Macintosh/System/