I have a Power PC G4 MDD running OS10.4.11. I would like to start up using System 9, which is already installed on one of its hard drives. How do start up on System 9?
G4 Power PC MDD-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.4.11)
If your computer's capable of booting Mac OS 9, open the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences and select it, or restart with the Option key held down, click on the button for it, and press the one with the straight arrow.
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Thank you for writing. My System Preferences Startup Disk only gives me one (non-network) option for startup. When I tried to reboot with the option key held down, again I was only given one option - OS10.4.11.
My finder windows look, I think, like I have System 9.2.2 on PowerMacG4-1, and System 9.0 on PowerMacG4-4. I'm not sure where System 10.4.11 lives, unless it is the 9.2.2 folder that has been updated.
can you choose one of these System Folders in the Classic option of System Preferences? Can you start Classic?
Did you ever boot from those drives in the past? Please clarify if this was something that worked on this machine before and that it stopped working after some change to the machine, or is this a new drive that has never been used to boot Mac OS 9 on this particular machine.
Mac OS 9 must be on a partitioned Volume <200GB to boot.
Later model G4 MDDs with FW800 ports can not boot OS 9.
The only MDD Macs that could boot into Mac OS 9 are the ones without Firewire 800. Look in back of your machine:
Those with Firewire 800 can at least use Classic when booting into 10.4.11 or earlier.
System 9.0 is unusable on any MDD Mac.
The only version of Mac OS 9 that can be installed on a MDD Mac is one that was pre bundled with it. No retail release works with the MDD Mac.
The MDD PowerMac G4s were the first desktop Pro Macs that were pre bundled with a Mac OS 9 installer on the restore discs. There is no Mac OS 9 labelled disc that will work on it.
If you are missing those original discs, you may want to see if an Apple user group has someone who still has them for that model.
Mac OS: Versions, builds included with PowerPC Macs (since 1998)
My G4 has OS 10.4.11 bundled with OS 0.2.2. I can open Adobe Pagemaker, which runs on OS 9.2.2. However, in order to add additional fonts to the Pagemaker folder I have to be able to boot in OS 9.2.2 which I cannot. The Adobe type Manager works only when OS 9.2.2 is booted. Can you help.
Right, but you have not answered if you know your Mac is one that categorically can or can not boot Mac OS 9. In 2003, Apple discontinued Mac OS 9 booting, but continued to allow the use of Classic for many Macs. The process progressed as follows:
For the iMac, the iMac G4 800 Mhz with built-in Superdrive could boot Mac OS 9, the iMac G4 800 Mhz with Combo drive could not, and neither could any 1 Ghz or higher model.
For the eMac, the M8950LL/A could boot Mac OS 9, all other 1 Ghz and higher models (800 Mhz is less) could not.
For the iBook, the G3 could boot Mac OS 9, but the G4 could not.
For the Powerbook G4, the models with rear USB ports could boot Mac OS 9, but the ones with side USB ports could not.
For the PowerMac G4, as mentioned above, the ones with Firewire 400 only, could boot Mac OS 9, but the ones with Firewire 800 could not.
This article states which Macs came pre-bundled with Mac OS 9.2 or older (9.2.2 is newer), and could use the Mac OS 9.2.1 retail to install Mac OS 9:
Mac OS: Versions, builds included with PowerPC Macs (since 1998) - Apple Support
(Note the G3/250 Mhz Powerbook known as Kanga could not install Mac OS X or 9.2 or later, and the pre-G3 Macs couldn't either.
and the G3/333 Mhz & 400 Mhz USB only non-Firewire Powerbook had difficulty installing Mac OS X on certain CPUs, and many required a special firmware to run 10.2 or later).
All others required their prebundled installed Mac OS 9 installer disc, or installer application on their prebundled discs to install Mac OS 9.
Lastly, if you did not install Mac OS 9 drivers on a system with Mac OS X installed, you'll miss on its ability to boot Mac OS 9 if it has it. That requires erasing the drive or partition in question. Mac OS X booting will only work on Firewire, and internal drives on PowerMac models. The driver installation is covered in this article:
Mac OS X: About the "Install Mac OS 9 Drivers" Option in Disk Utility
If you have a Mac that can't boot Mac OS 9, unfortunately you'll have to mention with Illustrator's Pagemaker plugins to manage what Pagemaker can't in Classic, or get an older Mac that can boot Mac OS 9.
A quick lookup of your serial number through EveryMac's website will answer the question as to OS 9 compatibility for native boot.
start up from OS9
