Q: where can I find the System Mac 9 that would be in the (original release) factory shipped iMac's prior to 2010? I'm missing key system data and cannot update to iPhoto app past 6.0.6; any advice will be helpful, thank you.

Where can I find the System Mac 9 that would be in the (original release) factory shipped iMac's prior to 2010?

What are you refering to here? Mac OS 9 came out around 2001 ( or about ).  Mac OS 9 last run  in an emulation mode in 10.4.11 -- Tiger.  Mac OS 9 ran on PPC machines that were last produced before 2004 or so.

I think your conclusion you need Mac OS 9 is incorrect.

I'm missing key system data and cannot update to iPhoto app past 6.0.6; any advice will be helpful, thank you.

iPhoto '11, Mac OS X (10.6.8), need to upgrade system to 10.8

We need to verify some information.  Are you really running 10.6.8?  What hardware?

Here is how to find out what version of Mac OS you are running:

Click on the blue apple in the upper left hand of the screen.

click on this icon

Click on the first line, "About This Mac"

Most of these are numbers & that's what we want.

What version & Processor do you have?