Error Type 102 after installing Mac OS 9.2

Was...

1. The CD a "home made" CD using the OS 9.2 update files downloaded from Apple.

2. A universal/retail install CD?

3. A CD from another model Mac? (This won't work.)

 Cheers, Tom

You need to install incremental updates to get to OS 9.2. See http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75288

Cheers, Tom

Apple KBase Article #9806 translates Error 102 as -

102 dsOldSystem System is too old for this ROM

Since your iMac slot loader originally came with OS 8.6, it's hard to see how any OS 9 version would be 'too old'.

However, that error message may be a result of an incompatible OS 9 version being installed.

Since your imac originally came with OS 8.6, you should use only retail OS 9 Install CDs (white label, gold 9). Those with gray labels and a model name on the label are model-specific, and may not have files compatible with your machine. You can't trust the ability of the CD to boot the Mac - the OS installer does not use files from the System Folder on the CD.

Suggest you get hold of a retail OS 9 install CD. Specifically, if you want to end up at OS 9.2.1 or OS 9.2.2, get a retail OS 9.2.1 Install CD.

Hi, Frank8723 -

What is the processor (machine) speed of your iMac?

How much RAM is in it?

How large is the hard drive, and how much free space is on it?

Hi, Frank8723 -

Your iMac (Slot Loading) model is rated by Apple as suitable for either Panther or Tiger.

However, it is at the low end of acceptable models for Tiger; and your machine speed is probably a bit low to get the best out of Tiger.

More to the point, Tiger requires 256MB RAM as a bare-bones minimum; a more realistic minimum is twice that, 512MB. Since your machine has but 192MB RAM right now, Tiger will not install on it at all. You can increase the RAM in the machine - it can hold up to 1.0GB of RAM.

Panther requires a minimum of 128MB RAM to install; again, twice that is a more realistic minimum.

Recommendation - Panther (OSX 10.3) is probably a better choice than Tiger (OSX 10.4) for your machine.

In either case, plan on having about 8GB of free space on the drive before installing OSX (in addition to install space, OSX runs best when it has about 5GB or more free space left over).

Important - be sure you have updated the firmware in your machine before even trying to boot it to OSX, including OSX on an install CD. You can obtain any needed firmware update from either of these Apple KBase articles -
Article #58174 - iMac: When to Install Available Updaters
Article #86117 - Firmware Updates

Be sure that you acquire a retail package for OSX, and not a model-specific one.