User profile for user: Buffalo Rider
Buffalo Rider Author
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Cannot install OS 9.2.1 on OS 10.2.8 . . . suggestions?

I cannot install OS 9.2.1 from CD on some iMacs running OS 10.2.8.

Background:
I have 5 iMacs (333mHz to 400mHz) and 1 blue/white on which I have installed OS 10.2.8 -- I powered up (holding C key) with OS 10.2.3 CD, did a disk erase before installing, did the OS 10.2.3 installation, then upgraded from 10.2.3 to 10.2.8 by downloading the upgrades from the Apple website and installing them.
On 2 of the iMacs (one 333mHz and one 400mHz) and on the Blue-White I was able to install OS 9.2.1 from CD after the OS 10.2.8 installation was complete. I installed OS 9.2.1 by powering up the computer from an OS 9.2.1 CD (power on and hold the C key) then ran the installation software on the CD. On each of these computers, the hard drive has an OS 9 System Folder. When I powered up from the OS 9.2.1 CD, the hard drive and the CD appeared on the desktop as icons.
On 3 of the iMacs (one 333mHz and two 400mHz) I cannot install OS 9.2.1. Each of these three lacks an OS 9 System Folder on the hard drive (checked while running under OS 10.2.8). When I go into 'System Preferences' and click the OS Classic icon and bring up the OS Classic window, I get the message: "there is no volume with a system folder that supports starting Classic". When I power these iMacs up from the OS 9.2.1 CD (power on and hold the C key), the hard drive icon is missing from the desktop. I only see the CD icon. When I try to install by clicking on the install icon (of the CD window), I get the message "A valid destination volume can't be found. To continue the installation process, mount a valid volume for software installation." The help text in OS 10.2.8 does not explain how to mount a volume, or I could not find it.

I looked through articles on the Apple support pages. I have looked through the Apple Forum. I have not found an answer to this issue. My confusion over this is compounded by inaccurate statements or general statements in the Apple support pages that do not explain which environments under which they apply.

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks, Scott.

iMacs and eMacs, Mac OS X (10.2.x), Installing OS 9.2.1 on OS 10.2.8

Posted on Jan 19, 2007 10:34 AM

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15 replies
User profile for user: eww
eww
User level: Level 9
53,052 points

Jan 19, 2007 11:31 AM in response to Buffalo Rider

HI, BR. The Macs on which you can't install did not have OS 9 disk drivers installed on them when they were reformatted and OS X was installed. Consequently, OS 9 (including the OS 9 on the OS 9.2.1 installer CD, which is running the computer during your attemtpted installations) can't detect the hard drives in those Macs.

You'll need to reformat those three hard drives using OS X's Disk Utility, being sure to select the option to install OS 9 drivers on them. (Note that this will erase the drives completely.) Then reinstall OS X and install OS 9.2.1 on them.
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User profile for user: Buffalo Rider
Buffalo Rider Author
User level: Level 1
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Jan 29, 2007 10:15 AM in response to eww

Thanks eww ... your suggestion worked. I was able to complete the process, and the OS 9 drivers did indeed get installed so that when I installed OS 10.2.x I could subsequently install OS 9.2.x (OS Classic).

This then permitted me to install Appleworks 6. So thanks.

Another question before I mark this question as answered. On 1 of the 3 iMacs I get an error screen. Do you know how to fix this? Should I open a new question for this? Here is what happened.

1. I powered up with an OS X CD and pressed the C key.
2. I then used then enabled the OS 9 drivers.
3. I then installed OS 10.2.x from CD.
4. When the first of the two OS 10.2.x CDs finished, the iMac restarted. It powered down OK (apparently).
5. On the power up, I get a blank white screen with a circle in the middle with a diagonal line in the circle. A sort of prohibit sign.

Therefore, I cannot insert the 2nd of the OS 10.2.x CDs and finish the installation. I cannot install OS 9.2.1 from CD.

If I put disk 1 of OS 10.2.x in the CD tray, and power up with the C key pressed, I can get up to the Installer screen. I tried reinstalling ... same result.

Any ideas how to fix this? (should I open this under a new question?)

Thanks, BuffaloRider
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User profile for user: Buffalo Rider
Buffalo Rider Author
User level: Level 1
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Jan 29, 2007 10:39 AM in response to eww

Never mnd my earlier msg from today (jan 29). On the one iMac that would not complete the install, I got it to work.

I think the problem was this:
-- it is a tray load machine.
-- when it powers down after the 1st CD, then during the
subsequent power up (as soon as power up starts), the
CD tray needs to be manually opened, and the CD
inserted before the iMac tries to read the CD.

I did this and it worked.
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User profile for user: htims
htims
User level: Level 1
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Feb 9, 2007 9:41 AM in response to eww

I have a similar problem, and am wondering if I can retain OSX disk partition and just re-format, install OS9 drivers on my OS9 partition.

My current status is that I have a G5 with a 200gb disk partitioned into 2 parts, one for OSX and one for OS9. I have OSX 10.4.7 installed/operating. When I put OS9 disk in the drive and hold down C while rebooting, it is ignored and the machine boots up in OSX.

Can I use the disk utility and reformat just the OS9 partition and install OS9 driver or must it be on the OSX partition as well? The OS9 partition is blank..and "system preferences" under OSX does not show/recognize any alternative startup disks other than a network-related drive which is n/a to my setup.

G5 Mac OS X (10.4.7)
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User profile for user: eww
eww
User level: Level 9
53,052 points

Feb 9, 2007 10:43 AM in response to htims

Hi, MacZSmithbob, and welcome to Apple Discussions. Your problem is actually entirely different from the subject of this thread.

No G5 can start up in OS 9, so holding down the "c" key while starting up with an OS 9 installer disc in your optical drive will always result in the computer starting up in OS X as usual.

Because OS 9 isn't bootable on your Mac, you don't need OS 9 drivers installed on the partition where you want to install OS 9. What you do need is the disc that was originally shipped with the G5 which contains a Classic installer. The disc sets shipped with Macs vary widely, and I don't know how many discs came with yours or what each of them contains. But one of those discs has the ability to install an OS 9 which will give you Classic operation in OS X. It won't be bootable under any circumstances, but you'll be able to run your old OS 9-based applications in Classic mode once you've run that installer.

One or both of these articles may give you further clues:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300396
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301408
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User profile for user: htims
htims
User level: Level 1
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Feb 13, 2007 9:03 PM in response to eww

Wow, I think you just told me something I didn't know. If I understand correctly, it is not possible to run OS9 on a G5. I am limited to running in the OS9 emulated "classic" mode. Somehow or another, that just went completely over my head up until now. I had a older G4 and it would run either OS9 as a bootable load or in the "classic mode" under OSX.

I did find on my G5 restore disks, an icon named "classic support" and it appears it will restore the OS9 classic environment or somehow configure the machine to recognize the OS9 system folder. But it also says it will restore all OSX applications...does that mean its gonna over write the applications that came with 10.4 Tiger which is current operating system?

G5 Mac OS X (10.4.7)
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User profile for user: htims
htims
User level: Level 1
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Feb 15, 2007 10:04 AM in response to Don Archibald

Don, OSX version 10.3.2 came with my G5, so I would assume that the second of the Kbase articles you referenced would apply. My disks are of the "restore" variety and the first one contains an icon entitled "classic support" which looks like a box being unwrapped. It appears, from reading the data embedded with the software, that this software will re-install whatever part of OS9 that I need to operate in the classic mode while leaving OSX alone.....so far, so good, but at the same time, it also wants to re-install ALL of the OSX applications that came with 10.3.2, iTunes, iPhoto, etc. I see no provision to select a subset of the classic support software....it's all or none.

In my current situation, having installed more recent releases of itunes, iphoto, iwhatever applications as a part of the 10.4.7 "erase and install" operation which I did (ignorance on my part, I did not realize that 10.4.7 did not include the OS9 system folder), would this write- over the current applications that were installed with 10.4.7, or would the software see that a later version was resident and skip the writeover?

If it's gonna write-over, can I recover?

Thanks
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User profile for user: Don Archibald
Don Archibald
User level: Level 10
101,665 points

Feb 15, 2007 1:53 PM in response to htims

Hi, MacZSmithbob -

As far as I know, for all machines which can use Classic there is a way to install/re-install Classic without disturbing (writing over) any of the existing OSX and programs.

...OSX version 10.3.2 came with my G5...

Perhaps either of these Apple KBase articles may be more directly helpful, then -
Article #107383 - Mac OS X 10.2, 10.3: How to perform Mac OS 9 Clean Installation with Restore CDs
Article #151871 - Mac OS X 10.3: Installing Classic

Note that a Clean Install (or Clean Installation) of OS 9/Classic does not write over or remove anything.
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User profile for user: jamier
jamier
User level: Level 1
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Feb 18, 2007 10:35 AM in response to Buffalo Rider

I just bought a dual 800 g4 on ebay. It came with tiger and all the original system disks. The old owner removed os9 from the machine, and added a new drive and installed tiger on the new drive. I tried to install os9 from the system software disk to the old 30 gig drive, but I got a message saying the configuration is not supported... I did reformat the drive with os9 drivers... so I am a little stumped.

Is it possible to install os9 on a separate drive after tiger is installed?

HELP
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User profile for user: Don Archibald
Don Archibald
User level: Level 10
101,665 points

Feb 18, 2007 10:59 AM in response to jamier

Hi, jamier -

Is it possible to install os9 on a separate drive after tiger is installed?

Yes.

A G4 800MHz DP model is one of the original QuickSilver models. Those came with a separate bootable OS 9.2 Install CD; and can also use a retail OS 9.2.1 Install CD.

There is a problem that can appear when installing OS 9 on a volume that has OSX on it. The installer can be confused by a folder in OSX, believing it to be a System Folder, but one of unknown version.

The solution for that - while booted to the OS 9 Install CD, open the folder named System (that's OSX); open the folder named Library; open the folder named CoreServices. Locate the file named Finder and the file named System - move both to the desktop, and place each in a separate folder (do not place both in the same folder - they have to be kept separate).

Then run the OS 9 installer - there should be no protest. Once the installation is done, and while still booted to the OS 9 Install CD, move those two files back to where they had been, loose in the CoreServices folder (move the files, not the folders they had been placed into).

***

If OSX is not on the volume you wish to install OS 9 onto, then there may be a different cause for the problem.

Make sure the two hard drives are jumpered as Master and Slave, not as Cable Select. Which is Master and which is Slave makes little difference, except when using Firewire Target Disk Mode - in that mode, if the QS is used as the Target machine, only the hard drive set as Master will appear on the other machine's desktop.

If there have been any added PCI cards or new external devices, try disconnecting those.

If the old drive was not formatted as Mac OS Extended, it should be. And, if journaling was set to 'on' for that drive, try turning it off.
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Cannot install OS 9.2.1 on OS 10.2.8 . . . suggestions?

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