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How to install Mac OS 7.5.3 on Classic?

Hi. I want install Mac OS 7.5.3 from floppies on Macintosh Classic. How can i do? I have all 16 floppies, but classic won't boot with it (hard drive is formatted to clean). If i boot to ROM system 6 and load "Disk 1" then i receive info: This software can start from system 7 (not 6). But classic won't boot from floppy "Disk 1" or "Disk Utilities".


If use "Disk 1", then classic just eject disk on booting. If I use "Disk Utilities", classic load it, but i receive error (bomb) illegal instruction.

Posted on Feb 14, 2015 1:55 AM

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Posted on Feb 14, 2015 6:59 AM

Hello,


The System 7.5.3 that earlier was downloadable from Apple had something like 17 to 20 files (perhaps even 16), depending upon the language version. In that case it was one self-mounting image file (.smi) and a number of parts, all as floppy-sized segments, together constituting a single large disk image containing the System 7.5.3 installer. That was not a conventional set of system floppies (and it did not include a bootable floppy). The intention was merely to transfer/copy all files to a hard disk, and then mount the image. A valid system had to be in place already on the hard disk, or a separate boot disk could be used.


Is your set of floppies different? Is "Disk Utilities" a separate floppy (from system software prior to 7.5.3)?


Anyway, the Macintosh Classic (http://support.apple.com/kb/sp198) has a 68000 processor, it can only handle up to 4 MB of RAM and has (normally) a relatively small hard disk. This does not make the machine the best candidate for System 7.5.3. System 7.0.1 or 7.1 would be more suitable.


Jan

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Feb 14, 2015 6:59 AM in response to XboXC

Hello,


The System 7.5.3 that earlier was downloadable from Apple had something like 17 to 20 files (perhaps even 16), depending upon the language version. In that case it was one self-mounting image file (.smi) and a number of parts, all as floppy-sized segments, together constituting a single large disk image containing the System 7.5.3 installer. That was not a conventional set of system floppies (and it did not include a bootable floppy). The intention was merely to transfer/copy all files to a hard disk, and then mount the image. A valid system had to be in place already on the hard disk, or a separate boot disk could be used.


Is your set of floppies different? Is "Disk Utilities" a separate floppy (from system software prior to 7.5.3)?


Anyway, the Macintosh Classic (http://support.apple.com/kb/sp198) has a 68000 processor, it can only handle up to 4 MB of RAM and has (normally) a relatively small hard disk. This does not make the machine the best candidate for System 7.5.3. System 7.0.1 or 7.1 would be more suitable.


Jan

Feb 14, 2015 7:45 AM in response to Jan Hedlund

Addendum


If it is the same kind of System 7.5.3 files that I described above, System 7.0.1 or higher would be required to mount the self-mounting image. All files (MacBinary decoded by StuffIt Expander first) had to be placed in a common folder on the hard disk. One would then double-click on the first file (the .smi) in order to mount the image, The System 7.5.3 installer would be found inside the mounted image.


A Network Access Disk 7.5 floppy (also earlier downloadable from Apple) was typically used whenever a boot floppy was needed.


If you wish to continue with System 7.5.3: Does your Macintosh Classic have the full amount of RAM (4 MB)? The size of the internal hard disk? Do you have access to an external hard drive (such as a Zip 100)? Do you have access to another older (pre-1998) Macintosh computer that can be used to create/modify floppies, et cetera?

Feb 14, 2015 8:35 AM in response to Jan Hedlund

Yes, this mac has full 4MB RAM and new (old) disk SCSI from Quadra - 250MB. I have Quadra 650 too with floppy drive. If I load "Disk 1" to Quadra, then mac is boot normally, but Classic don't.

Today, Classic load "DISK 1" sucessfully, but i receive other error - this disk cannot use on this computer. So - i have a new question. Can I create any boot floppy for classic? OS 7.0, 7.1, 7.5?

Feb 14, 2015 9:11 AM in response to XboXC

If "Disk 1" in fact is bootable, it cannot be a disk from one of the previously downloadable complete System 7.5.3 versions.


Is "Disk 1" really System 7.5.3? If yes, could it possibly be part of a set of floppies created from (a system CD for) a computer that was supplied with System 7.5.3? Or is "Disk 1" a bootable floppy from another (earlier) system software package (together with "Disk Utilities")?


Unfortunately, the older software downloads list (that contained system software, drivers and various utilities) does not appear to be available at the Apple support site any more (and information about the even older asu.info.apple.com seems to limited to some snapshots via an Internet archive).


If you already have a disk image of the Network Access Disk 7.5, you could use Disk Copy 4.2 (the Make A Copy button) or Disk Copy 6.3.3 (the Make a Floppy command under the Utilities menu) to create a bootable floppy on your Quadra 650.

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1262


Jan

Feb 14, 2015 2:25 PM in response to XboXC

I am not familiar with a recovery CD with System 7.5.3 floppy disk images (for a newer computer?). A disk utility floppy for a newer Mac may also not be appropriate.


If you want to install System 7.5.3 on a Macintosh Classic, it should be a complete generic version. The North-American English version of System 7.5.3 (earlier downloadable from Apple) consisted of 19 files. As I indicated above, a separate boot floppy (such as the Network Access Disk 7.5) would be needed.


No official download site for these old files appears to exist any more. You and others may want to write to Apple (http://www.apple.com/contact/feedback.html) and ask them to again make the older software downloads list (http://www.info.apple.com/support/oldersoftwarelist.html) available.


Jan

Feb 14, 2015 4:33 PM in response to Jan Hedlund

According to Mactracker, there was a CD distribution for 7.5.*, too:


OVERVIEW


Introduced September 1994

System Requirements 68000, 68020, 68030, 68040 or PowerPC processor, 4 MB (68k) 8 MB (PPC) of RAM, and 21 MB of hard disk space

Distribution 1.44 MB floppy disks, CD-ROM

Order Number --

Versions 7.5, 7.5 Update 1.0 (7.5.1), 7.5.2, 7.5 Update 2.0 (7.5.3), 7.5.5


It's not clear when the CD became available. When you get to 19 (or 16) floppies, however, it's clearly time for a change in media format!


I've been wondering about something as this discussion has evolved . . .


For many people, "Classic" covers a lot of ground and refers more to the shape of the case than to the guts of the machine. Thus, we have the confusion of several so-called "Classic" models: the original 128K Mac, the 512K and 512Ke Mac, the Mac Plus, the Mac SE and SE FDHD, and finally what Apple designated the "Mac Classic" and then the "Mac Classic II." Only the SE FDHD model and beyond had 1.4M floppy drives. The earlier models had 800K or, on that first 128K model and the 512K model, a 400K floppy drive.


System 7.5.3 disks are likely 1.4M floppies. These 1.4M disks can be read by an SE FDHD and both Apple-designated "Mac Classic" models but not by other, lower-density (400K/800K) floppy drive Macs--without additional hardware and drivers.


So, just wondering, which "Classic" does XboXC have?

Feb 15, 2015 3:26 AM in response to mns579

I have a "full version" images of 7.5.3 from recovery CD. It's not only for one type computer / series, but for all 68k macintoshes.


My mac is Classic from 1990 (Model Identifier - 17) with Floppy 1.4MB drive (I tested it and it can read HD floppies) and this mac have full 4MB RAM (with RAM expander card). Originally my mac had a 40MB disk, but i replace it for new from Quadra - 250MB. Original disk have a OS 7.5 (just 7.5) and it's working fine, but disk is broken (bad sectors and broken files). I don't have external CD drive for Classic and i can transfer files to classic with floppies only. I'm looking for normal boot disk with 7.5.3 installer.


User uploaded file

This is error from "Disk 1" 7.5.3 (this disk include "Install" file.

Feb 15, 2015 10:13 AM in response to XboXC

We can only guess why the bootable floppy in question is not allowed to carry on with an installation. Obviously, it does not work, which seems to indicate that this very software package for some reason is not intended or suitable for the computer.


Otherwise, System 7.5.3 (for example, the full US version with the nineteen floppy-sized file segments that earlier was on Apple's older software downloads list) should be OK for a Macintosh Classic with 4 MB of RAM and a 250 MB hard disk (providing that a working System 7.0.1 or higher is available in order to handle the large self-mounting image).

http://support.apple.com/kb/TA47341

http://support.apple.com/kb/TA36684


If you had access to the Network Access Disk 7.5 floppy, it could be used as a plain boot disk for the Macintosh Classic. It would also be possible to connect the Macintosh Classic to the Quadra 650 via LocalTalk for file sharing/transfers. A simplified way of doing this could be through a normal MiniDIN-8M to MiniDIN-8M printer cable between the printer ports.


Alternatively, one could copy the System Folder of a Network Access floppy to an empty hard disk, thus creating a temporary system that would free the floppy drive for subsequent transfers.


Jan

Feb 15, 2015 10:41 AM in response to Jan Hedlund

Today I make a few tests and i think, the biggest problem is in my floppy drive.

Now (in these moment) drive can't load any disk. I don't have cable, but i can mount drive back to quadra with new disk and run it. Then on Quadra just copy files from system disk to 250MB or replace original drive from classic to drive from quadra.

Feb 15, 2015 12:02 PM in response to XboXC

If possible, it may not be a bad idea to reformat (Mac OS Standard = plain HFS) the hard drive first, using an appropriate SCSI formatting utility.


Generally speaking, if one would move a hard drive to a second computer and carry out an installation on that computer, one should choose a custom install for all Macintosh computers (if available). If an easy install is used, and the hard drive then is moved back to the first computer, all necessary files may not be there.


Jan

Sep 7, 2016 11:55 AM in response to XboXC

Apple no longer offers System 7.5.5 updater or System 7.5.3 upgrade. They are posted here, legally or not:

http://igsi.tripod.com/mac/index753.htm

The computer must have System 7.0.1 or higher installed to use the disk image. You can get System 7.0.1 at the bottom of that same page.


All the 19 files must be in the same folder to work properly. Start the update by clicking on "System 7.5.3 01of19.smi.bin" and after the files are installed, it will move on to the second, etc.

Your Macintosh Classic is fully "suitable" to run System 7.5.5.


A "Macintosh Classic" is NOT the same as a Macintosh 128K.

How to install Mac OS 7.5.3 on Classic?

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