9.2.2 Is unstable (lots of crashes etc) only have 9.1.0 install disc

Hi, MalcoUK -

Welcome to Apple's Discussions.

The installer for an OS is prohibited from installing on top of a newer version, for good reasons. The way around that is to do a Clean Install of OS 9, then update it as needed via download updates. Note that a Clean Install removes nothing.
Article #58176 - Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9: Performing a Clean Installation

In your case, some time and inconvenience can be saved by acquiring a retail OS 9.2.1 Install CD, installing that via Clean Install, then applying the OS 9.2.2 download update.

There is no retail OS 9.2.2 Install CD - all OS 9.2.2 Install CDs are model-specific.

In case you need the download updaters -
Article #120030 - Mac OS 9.2.1 - Download and Info
Article #75186 - Mac OS 9.2.2 - Download and Info

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Although you have OSX on the drive, you should have no issues with regard to it when you do a Clean Install of OS 9.

Hi, MalcoUK -

Copying the System Folder from a valid backup copy of the one that was on that machine should work fine - unlike OSX, a Finder-copied (drag and drop copy) of an OS 9 System Folder should work fine.

• You should probably rename the existing System Folder to something else, so there is no name conflict. To ensure that the existing one is de-activated, pulling the Finder file and the System file out into their own holding folders (each in a separate folder) would be the thing to do.

• Make sure the copied System Folder is blessed. It should have the two-tone Mac OS logo/glyph superimposed on it, and should be selectable in Startup Disk control panel. If it is not blessed after being copied, drag the files Finder and System out of the System Folder; close the System Folder; drop those two files back into the closed System Folder.

To add to Don's suggestions, if you want to save some time when doing a clean install:

Use Clean Install Assistant which is a free utilitiy. This utilitiy makes clean installs faster & easier.

Having upgraded a friend's G4 Sawtooth from OS 9.0 to OS 9.2.2 a couple of week's ago and using Clean Install Assistant, let me provide this caution. Clean Install Assistant apparently has some problem with system folder files for MS Office 98 for Mac.

I've previously used the clean install assistant on Conflict Catcher for all of my personal OS install work, but my friend's computer didn't have CC and I chose not to load a pirate copy onto his unit. So, I used Clean Install Assistant.

Well, when it was over and we thought we were done, my friend started encountering all sorts of problems using MS Word to finish an on-going project. It took a while, but I finally noted missing files and folders in his Extensions folder that support MS Office. Fortunately, we still had the old system folder available and dragged out the need files and folders.

Apparently, Clean Install Assistant didn't recognize these files and folders as third party and didn't pull them aside. Of course, OS 9.1 through 9.2.2 didn't put these missing items back because they weren't Appple items. Just a lesson learned here.

Thanks for the heads up regarding "MS Office 98 for Mac".

MS Office 98 for Mac has some serious bug, as I recall, which requires the download from the MS website of an updater file to apply to take care of the problem. One should perhaps check the MS website for the correct details.

That wasn't the problem I encountered. The Office 98 we were dealing with already had all (there are about 8 of them) of the updates implemented.

That was not the problem in the situation I noted. Office had already been update with all (I think there are about 8) of the posted updates before the the clean install was implemented.