USB Mass Storage Support Installation Problem

Hi, clueless -

Also, is the OSX Jaguar a bad idea with only 4GB RAM?

That's not possible. RAM = memory, the RAM modules in the machine. An iMac 233MHz machine has a max capacity of 256MB of RAM if it si a Rev. A model, 512MB if it is a Rev. B model.

Perhaps you are referring to the size of the hard drive. If so, the terms 'memory' and 'RAM' do not apply to a hard drive, even though the units of measure (MB and GB) seem to be the same.

If that is the case, a 4GB hard drive with only 1.3GB available would not be suitable for any OSX version. OSX, even OSX 10.2 Jaguar, will need just about all of that free space just to install. Experience has shown that it is best to leave at least 15% free space on a drive. In addition, OSX needs more free space for use as swap space, defragmenting space, etc.

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Re the issue with USB Mass Storage - try dragging the download onto the icon ofr Apple's Disk Copy utility, which should have been included with the re-install of the software.

It could be, too, that Stuffit Expander is intruding. To address that - double-click Stuffit Expander, and open its Preferences (under the File menu). Select "Disk Images" from the list on the left, then turn off (uncheck) "Mount Disk Images". Quit Stuffit Expander.

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If you plan to update the machine to OS 9 again, specifically OS 9.1 or later, do not bother installing that software - it is not usable in OS 9.1 or later (those OS versions include later versions of the same software), and can actually bollix things up if present.

When you install OS 9, since you will need to use a retail OS 9 Install CD in some version, it would be best to do so via a Clean Install. This will prevent the possibility of any OS 8.6 components intruding on OS 9. Note that a Clean Install of OS 9 will not remove anything.
Article #58176 - Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9: Performing a Clean Installation

if you have another MAC available -right there--then go to a computer store--buy an 'Ethernet Crossover cable'-connect the 2 MACs via ethernet...read the 'help files' on how to set up FILE SHARING--and simply drag the contents from one hard drive to the other---forget the USB transfer method (very time consuming) then reinstall the Operating System on the iMac...hope this helps...good luck

Hi, clueless -

Once I shuttle these contents to other iMac, clean install 9.0, and re-shuttle the contents back, do they de-frag themselves?

Yes, provided there is sufficient contiguous (unfragmented) space on the drive in which Finder can place them.

Note that a Clean Install using a retail OS 9 Install CD does not remove anything.; it installs a brand new, 'clean' System Folder, renames the old one to Previous System Folder, installs a set of standard OS 9 utilities if none are already present, and not much else. Therefore, it may not be nnecessary to transfer the applications and files to another machine before doing a Ckean Install.

However, if you plan on erasing the drive before installing OS 9, then yes, you would need to copy the apps and files elsewhere so they are not lost. As tman1969 has suggested, using an ethernet connection to tranfer the files is a good, fast way to do that.
Article #43015 - How to Connect Two Computers With Ethernet
Article #106658 - How to Create a Small Ethernet Network

If I partition the OS 9 separately on the hard drive, and find I can leave 600MB free would I still be ill-advised to replace OS 9 with OSX Jaguar? (I realize I'd have to re-shuttle files off hard drive to leave at least 3GB free to replace OS 9 with OSX.)

It would be tight, but possible.

Things to consider -

• If you actually replace OS 9 with OSX, meaning you no longer have OS 9 on the machine, then you will also need to replace your applications with OSX-native ones. OS 9 programs will not run in OSX, though many will be usable in Classic, which is a full install of OS 9 used as a program under OSX to provide an environment in which OS 9 programs can be run.

• Your iMac apparently has 160MB RAM. The requirements for Jaguar specify a minimum of 128MB of RAM, so you do meet that requirement. In practice, the more RAM you have when using OSX the better it will run, especially if you will be using Classic.

• It is possible to replace the hard drive in that machine with a larger one. Whether it is cost effective to do so is a separate issue. If you do elect to do that, note that your iMac model is one of the ones subject to the 8GB limit for installing OS's.
Article #25249 - Gray or White Screen After Hard Drive Upgrade
Article #106235 - OSX: Disk Appears "Grayed Out" in Installer

The condensed version of those two articles - all OS's must be located inside the first 8GB of the hard drive. To ensure that this happens, a drive 8GB or larger must be partitioned such that the first partition is a bit less than 8GB - say, about 7.7GB. The remainder of the drive can be used for applications and/or file storage and/or swap disk space.

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You have a good machine - the fact that you are still using it makes that evident.

However, it is an old one now, and older machines, particularly iMacs, are limited in how far they can be stretched into the future. For example, your model is not supported by Apple for OSX 10.4 (Tiger).

If you have another machine, particularly if it is a newer one, you might consider tasking each separately - using newer OS's on the newer machine, and staying with OS 9 on the older iMac. Just because there are newer OS's out with newer features does not mean an older machine running an older OS is any less usable nor less productive - the older machine can still do those tasks it has been doing.

FWIW, although my G4's are quite suitable for any version of OSX, I remain in OS 9.1 over 99% of the time - it does everything I need to do.

For FileSharing you may look at the Carlson document
For Ethernet Cabling Crossover Cable Needed
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