Performa 550 - Clean Install of 7.6?

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Level 1

9 points

Performa 550 - Clean Install of 7.6?

Hi All,

I've got a Performa 550 I've been babying for a long while and I think I'd like to get it as updated as I can. It's running 7.1P6 and I'd like to get it up to 7.6.1.

If I understand correctly, I need to update first to 7.6, then to 7.6.1, right? So what I'm trying to find (I think) is a CD image of 7.6, and then another image of 7.6.1. If that's what I actually need, that is.

Some things to know about this Mac... it has no form of Internet access at the moment. I want to get a Sonnet or something for it at some point, but one thing at a time. Any thoughts on how I should go about all this?

Macintosh Performa 550-OTHER, Mac OS 8.6 or Earlier, 12MB RAM, 160MB HDD, 33MHz 68030

Posted on Jul 19, 2015 12:26 PM

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Answer 1

Jan Hedlund

Level 7

24,337 points

Jul 19, 2015 1:35 PM in response to rob.m

Hi,

System 7.6 was never a free download from Apple (contrary to System 7.5.3), so you would have to purchase an original (retail) system CD. The 7.6.1 update (required 7.6) was available for download.

However, looking at the specifications for your computer, I would not recommend to upgrade to 7.6 and update to 7.6.1, unless it is absolutely necessary for program compatibility reasons. System 7.1 is a fast and good choice in a case like this.

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Answer 2

Jeff

Level 6

12,334 points

Jul 19, 2015 11:19 PM in response to rob.m

I have an LC III, which has a very similar motherboard as the Performa 550. The 550 has a slightly faster 68030 processor - 33 MHz compared to 25 MHz in the LC III. The LC III has 4 MBs of onboard RAM and a single memory slot that can accommodate up to a 32 MB 72-pin SIMM, so mine was maxed out at 36 MBs and I installed OS 7.6.1. It wasn't a powerhouse, but - at the time - seemed more modern than OS 7.1. The 550 also has a 72-pin SIMM slot, so if you're interested in moving up to 7.6/7.6.1, I'd recommend installing a 32 MB card in it. You should look for the retail/universal installer disk for OS 7.6 OR 7.6.1. Many years ago, I bought a bundle of (8) OS 7.6.1 retail installer CDs, so they were manufactured by Apple for a short while, just before OS 8 made its debut. Check ebay and you might find one listed. Otherwise, an OS 7.6 installation can be updated with the OS 7.6.1 Update, which (if I recall correctly) fits on several floppy disks.

Beyond these two upgrades and possibly a larger capacity hard drive, I wouldn't recommend investing any more $$ in a Performa 550 in 2015. It might hold your interest initially, but the retro feel of the snail's pace processing speed gets old after a short time.

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