OS 9 Classic question

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e_d_guapo

Registered
I recently bought an old iMac G3 (333mhz, 160 MB RAM) for my 3.5 year old daughter to play some kids' games and just get her used to using computers, a mouse, etc. This Mac has a clean install of OS 10.3 and no OS 9 to run the Mac in Classic mode. Seems like most of the Pre-K software I looked at today requires the Classic environment in order to run. The game that I got her, for instance, will run on systems 8.6 - 10.2 (I assumed that 10.3 would work as well...wrong). It looks for some system to run Classic when I try to launch it.

I have an iMac 800mhz G4 that runs 10.2.8 so I thought I'd just install that system from that disc since it contains system 9.1 as well. The G3 wouldn't recognize the disc and I assume it's because it is a DVD.

What's my best course of action here?
 
Yes, if the disk is a DVD, then that old iMac would not be able to read it. A flat panel iMac G4 usually did not come with restore disks on DVD, are you sure it's a DVD? It will say on the label. There should be one disk titled Software, or Other Software. You could try to insert that one, which should install a loader, that will open to give you some choices for several installs, one should be Classic. Or one of the disks should be an OS 9 installer.
OR, try to find an OS 9 installer CD... Any should work with this old iMac.
 
It's definitely a DVD. It is the Software Install and Restore disc that came with my flat panel G4. I think that's the only software disc that came with this Mac (it's the only one I can find anyway). When I pop that DVD into my G4 it does have an icon for Install Applications and Classic Support. That icon has an arrow in it that gives it the same look as a Shortcut in Windows. Not sure why it has that look but I guess it's irrelevant.

So if I get an old 9.1 Install disc I can just load that system onto the old iMac and I'm set? Will there be some sort of system Preference to set so that the Mac normally boots up in 10.3 with the 9.1 being used strictly for the Classic environment?
 
If you have Classic on your iMac G4, you could just copy that to a CD, and then just copy onto the old iMac hard drive. You'll find you can then setup Classic from the 10.3 on that machine. Getting OS 9 on a system running OS X is not a complicated install, all you need is that System Folder.
You want the System Folder, and not the folder named simply System, and that's all you need to copy.
 
Gotcha. Burn the System Folder to CD and install on the old iMac. I thought about that but wasn't sure if I needed to bring over more than just the System Folder.

Well, that sounds elementary. I figured it was a pretty simple process but didn't know exactly how to go about it.

Thanks a bunch for the help. I'll be back tugging on your pantleg again if this somehow doesn't work out!
 
i got a 9.1 installation disc. i put the disc in and started up while holding the C key. when i try to use the installer i'm told "a valid destination volume can not be found". i have no options here as my hard drive does not seem to be available.

WTF? :(
 
This one is an easy fix, but not a happy one. You are likely missing the OS 9 drivers on the hard drive, not needed for OS X, but you cannot boot to OS 9 or install OS 9 if the OS 9 drivers are missing. You can't simply add the drivers. You must reformat (completely erase) the drive, either with the OS 9 Drive Setup software, or with the OS X Disk Utility when booted to the OS X installer CD. There's no way around this, if you want to be able to boot with OS 9. Then everything gets reinstalled...
 
Well, shoot (struggling to keep language clean here!). Ok, I'll have to get an OS 10 install disc (mine is on DVD as I mentioned earlier in the thread) as I'd like the Mac to have OS 10 and also be able to use Classic.

Thanks for your replies. I'll be back over the next couple of days if I can't get this to work!
 
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