G3 iMac firmware upgrade dilema

Yes, you will need to install OS 8 or 9 first. You can't apply firmware updates by booting from CD (see http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60385). Since you already seem to have the installer discs, why not just install the OS and then apply your update afterwards?

PS. OS 8 should install without a firmware update since this was the original OS for the iMacs

kingjr3 said:

OS 8 should install without a firmware update since this was the original OS for the iMacs

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just to clarify a little bit, OS 8.1 was the OS for the rev A iMAcs. Trying to install OS 8 won't work. Trying to install 8.1 on any other iMac won't work either. You can't install an OS that's eralier than what the machine shipped with. Rev B iMacs came with 8.5, rev C's did as well. I believe rev D's came with 8.6.

If you have a slot loader, chances are it shipped with OS 9 (a small group of the first one's shipped witha hybrid version of 8.6), so nothing earlier than that can be installed.

You indicate you ahve 8.6, so I'd use that install if its a tray loading iMac. I'm not positive but I believe OS 9 required the firmware update to install on a tray loader. If you ahve a slot loader, use the latest version of OS 9 you have.

So, if you have a tray loader, you need to install the OS, then copy the firmware update to the drive, boot to the hard disk. then install the update (firmware update 1.2 for tray loaders, 4.1.9 for slot loaders). If you have the original system disks, there's no problem. If not, you may run into issues if you don't have the correct OS version.

5300cs said:

Thanks for your help, guys.

See the problem is, when I go to install the OS, it stops me and says I have to update the firmware. I can't install the OS until I update the firmware, but I can't update the firmware without an OS! AAUGGHH!! (Didn't Opus used to say that?)

I have Mac OS 8.1, but not on a bootable CD, which makes things worse.

What would resetting all firmware do? Would it make things any worse?

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what kind of iMac do you have exactly. It makes a difference. There is absolutely no way around this without getting an OS installed there first, and the only way to do that is to get the right version, whcih is dependent on which iMac you have.

5300cs said:

I found an old copy of OS 8.5J lying around and tossed it in.

Problem fixed

Thanks for everyones help!!

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glad you got it working. That was the perfect OS for what you needed. Anything later was requiring the firmware update.

5300cs said:

OT: Anything under 10,000 is a horrendous score on Pole Position. Even not making qualifying you can still get at least 10,000 points

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in case you're wondering, its a joke from the movie "the goonies" I suppose more people were aware of how bad a score that was in pole position back when the movie was made. Its still funny today, but perhaps some of the humor is lost since there's no frame of reference to understand just how incompentent mouth is saying chunk is.