Fixing Os 9.1 On Powermac 9600

[adkmom]

I was given an older Powermac 9600. I'm a PC user but have been interested in trying a Mac. Previously, I was given a 7500 & managed to load X-Post-Facto & then my OSX to it successfully (amazingly & with some guidance).

I received this system running OS 9.1 but there were no extensions loaded except for the MaxPowr one for the upgraded/add-in (G4/450). This tower has 6 (system), 8, & 34GB hard drives.

I could not get my OS 9.1 to boot to try to replace what was missing. My original Apple disc had developed a crack on the inner edge, so I had copied it some time ago. I had never booted to the copy, but could browse it from the desktop, at the time.

I also have the 9.2.1 CD which came w/the OSX discs (for educators). I browsed that CD & thought, perhaps, I could drag over some of those extensions to try to get my USB & ethernet going. Bad idea, on my part- & I could kick myself now for trying it.

I thought that if OS 9.1 couldn't use them, it just would go on as before. What has happened is that now, when I try to start up, I get to the desktop- almost- but it stops with the error "finder could not start because system library could not be found: unicode converter"- restart with your CD.

9.2.1 won't boot because it isn't for this model. My 9.1 copy won't boot. My 7.5.3 will boot- but can't show me the files on my 9.1 drive because it can't read the file system. I thought I could just pull out what I had dragged if I could get to them?

I still have the 7500 but it took me forever to get that to run (& it only runs in OSX now). Termination issues were a nightmare. I thought of trying to slave the 9600 hard drive to the 7500 to fix it- but really am lost/out of my realm.

I also have no idea how to disassemble the 9600 tower & shudder at the thought of that!

Help!!!?

Sincerely,

Tracy Fortune

 

[arrowone]

Hello; Sounds like you have a bit of a problem. The best way out of this is beg or borrow or buy a Os 9 install disk.Next go online with your pc and download a copy of max power's installer for your upgrade and burn it to a cd. Boot up from the OS9 disk,open disk utilities and run verify and repair on your system disk.If the utility shows that it found problems and did the repairs then do a normal restart.If it works, your in the clear,if not boot from the cd again and do a clean install of OS9.Your cpu upgrade should have a default mode that will let it function without the extentsion.When you reboot from the install,copy the maxpower installer over and follow their instructions and you should be ok.Upgrading to OS9.1 is easy, the updates should still be available from apple via download.Software update on OS9 should do this for you.To go to 9.2 you will need the patch installer from OS9forever.com.Had a similar situation a few years ago with my 8600 and these are the same steps I used to fix it.Hoppe it will work for you!
arrowone