Upgrade Mac OS 8.6 to OS 9.0

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Upgrade Mac OS 8.6 to OS 9.0

I am trying to install Mac OS 8.6 to OS 9.0 but the system send me a message first I need to update the firmware, I Investigate on Internet and de I found the firmware ver 1.1 , when I try to install it I received other message about I need to unlocked the volumen for writting on it. I don't know who can I unlock the volumen. Is possible to upgrade my mac is it only has 64MB on RAM and 6G on hard drive?

blue and white G3 Mac OS 8.6 or Earlier This is my first contact with Mac

blue and white G3, Mac OS 8.6 or Earlier

Posted on May 31, 2007 11:20 AM

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Answer 1

May 31, 2007 12:12 PM in response to marcymex

Hi, marcymex -

The message that you must 'unlock the volume' indicates that the machine is probably booted to a CD. The contents of a CD can not be altered - that is, the CD can not be written to. The OS treats this condition as if the volume is locked, which in effect it is - but it can not be unlocked.

In order to install a firmware update, the machine must be booted to an OS on the hard drive, and the installer for the firmware update must also be on and run from the hard drive.

This means you will need to boot the machine to the OS 8.6 on the hard drive in order to install the firmware update.

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Suggestion - once you have the firmware updated and are ready to install OS 9, it would be a good idea to install it via a Clean Install. Note that doing this will remove nothing - instead, it will install a brand new, 'clean' OS 9 System Folder, rename the old one to Previous System Folder, install a new set of standard utilities, and little else.
Article #58176 - Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9: Performing a Clean Installation

By doing a Clean Install of OS 9 you will eliminate the possibility of old OS 8.x files being accidentally left behind; their presence can interfere with OS 9's ability to work.

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Answer 2

marcymex Author

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Jun 6, 2007 1:54 PM in response to marcymex

Hi,

I Tried to update firmware booting from OS on the hard drive but, also I put firmware' installer on it but, when I put double click appears the instructions to run the firmware, I did the instructions but, when it finished appear "computer firmware was not updated". I don't know if the firmware 1.1 for G3 is the correct? Also I think the problem could be the poor RAM (64MB) What dou you think about it?

Thanks for your help

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Answer 3

Jun 6, 2007 3:06 PM in response to marcymex

Hi, marcymex -

If you had the wrong firmware updater, the installer would inform you of that as soon as you tried to run it. It did not do that, so you do have the correct version.

Try disconnecting all external devices and connections except monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Then select the Mac OS Base set of extensions in Extensions Manager (there's a pulldown menu in Extensions Manager's window labelled "Selected Set" from which you can make that selection), restart, and try the installing the firmware update again.

If it updates successfully, you can then select your normal set of extensions in Extensions Manager and restart to make that set active once again.

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64MB of RAM is a bit low, but that should not interfere with installing the firmware update. However, you might consider adding another 128MB module - OS 9 will use a bit more RAM than OS 8.6 does, and having more RAM available will help particularly when running more than one program at a time. Your machine is capable of using up to 1.0GB of RAM - four 256MB modules.

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