Imac G3 trayloading Grape Cd won't recognize disks.

Hmmm... That tray-loader iMac is one of the first computers (ever) to have USB ports, and they are the older 1.1 type, not 2.0. It's possible your much newer USB flash drive draws too much power (or is not compatible in some other way).

Do you have an external USB hard drive, that is the type that has its on power supply (not a "pocket" that is powered by the USB port), and can be erased?

I forgot to mention TWO things, if you format a drive in Mac OS X for use with Mac OS 9. First, when you select (for erasing) something like that flash drive (or an external drive) in the Disk Utility sidebar, you should select the DRIVE in the sidebar, NOT the volume that is indented under the drive. By selecting the drive, the Erase tab will re-partition the drive (as one partition), in addition to re-formatting the volume. If you had selected just the volume in the sidebar, the Erase tab does not re-partition, so in this case, the old Windows partitioning scheme may have remained (and that could be bad for Mac OS 9 trying to access it).

Second, on the Erase tab, there is a checkbox for Install Mac OS 9 Disk Driver. That must be checked for the drive to be readable under Mac OS 9.

That's normal. When you use Extensions Manager in Mac OS 9 and disable an extension (uncheck it), Extensions Manager moves it to the "disabled" folder. The iMac ignores that folder during startup, so it's like the disabled extension was not there, even through it's still in the System Folder, ready to be "un-disabled" using Extensions Manager.

Back in one of the earlier replies, I thought the Apple CD/DVD Driver file would be in your Mac OS 9 System Folder's Extensions (disabled) folder.

FYI - If you disable a Control Panel, you'll also see a folder called Control Panels (disabled).

Oh, I just checked with my Lion system, with a flash drive connected. Disk Utility no has the option to install the Mac OS 9 Disk Driver. So whatever drive you use to make this transfer, it will need to be formatted on the Mac OS 9 machine. But unfortunately, you said that flash drive causes the iMac to lock up when inserted.

So if it works better formatted for Windows, you might as well put it back that way right now. I don't think it will work for this task. You'll need another flash drive that is old enough to work with the old iMac, or a self-power external hard drive that can be erase (reformatted), using the iMac.

Does the old iMac have Internet access at this point in its resurrection? Maybe you can email it (that one driver file) to yourself.

I don't think setting up direct networking between those two Macs will work either, because your new Mac runs Lion.

This is bad... There's a 14-year technology gap blocking the transfer of one measly file...!

You may want to consult with the "real" Mac OS 9 geniuses, over in the forum category for the "Classic" Mac OS

https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os/classic_mac_os

I'm going to reply to your original post, to get the indentation over to the left side... 🙂

Wiat!!! it doesnt lock if i turn it off and plug on and then i turn on

but i have no idea were the other mac os 9 disk dirver...explain lol

That's a fortunate discovery... and this flash drive has an ON/OFF switch (odd)?

When you use the disk utility in Mac OS 9, Drive Setup, there is no need to choose to install the Mac OS 9 Disk Driver, because, well, it's Mac OS 9 (installed by default).

The equivalent of Disk Utility (for formatting a drive) is called Drive Setup. It should be in the Utilities folder. The command to format a drive is Initialize.

There is no option to install or not install the Mac OS 9 Disk Driver. It is always installed, because you are running Mac OS 9. No one running Mac OS 9 would choose NOT to install it. (So you don't need to worry about it.)

Mac OS X doesn't care if the Mac OS 9 driver is installed or not. Mac OS X will be able to access the drive, as long as the format is HFS+, which is also called Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

If you have any other USB devices connected to the iMac (other than the keyboard and mouse), you should disconnect them to give that flash drive max power. If you happen to have a self-powered USB hub, it may help to connect that to the iMac and then connect that flash drive to the hub. "Self-powered" means it has its own power supply. It it's a recent hub, it may provide more power for that flash drive than is available on the iMac's USB port.