Question about installing OSX & OS 9.2

[timnosenzo]

I currently have a 550Mhz PBook that is capable of booting OS 9. I have 10.3.6 installed on it now. Would it be possible for me to backup my OSX install to my FW HDD (using something like SilverKeeper), wipe the HD clean, install OS 9.2 using the install CD, then just copy my OSX install on to the HDD (and have it be usable)?

I want to install OS 9.2 but I didn't do it before installing OSX, so now when I try to boot from the OS 9.2 CD (that came with the PBook) it tells me it can't install on the HD.

Thanks for any help/tips!

-Tim

 

[MisterMe]

I currently have a 550Mhz PBook that is capable of booting OS 9. I have 10.3.6 installed on it now. Would it be possible for me to backup my OSX install to my FW HDD (using something like SilverKeeper), wipe the HD clean, install OS 9.2 using the install CD, then just copy my OSX install on to the HDD (and have it be usable)?

I want to install OS 9.2 but I didn't do it before installing OSX, so now when I try to boot from the OS 9.2 CD (that came with the PBook) it tells me it can't install on the HD.

Thanks for any help/tips!

-Tim

In order to boot MacOS 9.2, you need MacOS 9 drivers installed on your hard disk. That can be done with a standard distribution MacOS 9.2.1 CD. Your proposed installation procedure does not install MacOS 9 drivers. Since I am not familiar with your specific model, I don't know about the MacOS 9.2.1 CD that shipped with your computer. Neither do I know what you did to change your computer.

Since you want to do a clean install, my suggestion is to back up your data. Use your System Restore disk to return your computer to factory condition. Then you should update MacOS 9.2.1 to MacOS 9.2.2. Install MacOS X 10.3 over your factory-condition installation of MacOS X 10.x. Update it to MacOS X 10.3.6. Restore all of your files.

 

[timnosenzo]

I actually do have the OS 9 drivers installed currently, but when I boot from the OS 9 CD to install it, it says I have to do a clean install. Personally I would rather just be able to install OS 9 on my HD without changing my OSX install at all, but I don't think there is a way for me to do that.

So my thought is, install OS 9 clean (because I apparently have to) at which time I assume the OS 9 setup process installs the necessary drivers to boot into OS 9. THen to save myself the trouble of doing an all new OSX install, I could just copy over my backed up copy of OSX.

Does this seem like wishful thinking?

Thanks!

Tim

 

[pncc]

I actually do have the OS 9 drivers installed currently, but when I boot from the OS 9 CD to install it, it says I have to do a clean install. Personally I would rather just be able to install OS 9 on my HD without changing my OSX install at all, but I don't think there is a way for me to do that.

So my thought is, install OS 9 clean (because I apparently have to) at which time I assume the OS 9 setup process installs the necessary drivers to boot into OS 9. THen to save myself the trouble of doing an all new OSX install, I could just copy over my backed up copy of OSX.

Does this seem like wishful thinking?

Thanks!

Tim

Not wishful at all, but do it this way.

-Boot the OS 9 CD with the FireWire drive attached.
-Run Disk Utility and format that with OS 9 drivers, then run Install and install OS 9.2.1 on that. When done, boot to verify bootability.
-Now boot from internal drive under OS X and drag/drop OS 9 system folder to internal drive. Use startup util pref pane to select OS 9 system on internal drive and reboot. It should boot from internal drive. You will NOT be able to switch OS at bootup because both OSs are on the same partition.

I prefer having OS 9 on a separate partition.
To do this, get a copy of Carbon Copy Cloner at versiontracker.com and clone your internal drive to the FW drive to back it up (simple copying doesn't work because there are hidden invisible files in the OS X OS). Reboot from the FireWire drive to test.
-Boot from your OS 9.2 CD, run Disk utility and reformat your drive into two partitions. Give OS 9 ?2GB or so. Be sure OS 9 drivers are on this partition (I don't think they are needed on the OS X partition to be viewed under OS 9, but it doesn't hurt to put them there). Install OS 9 on the OS 9 partition. Reboot into 9 to test.
-Reboot from the OS X Firewire drive and run CCC to restore your OS X drive back to the OS X partition. Reboot into OS X on the internal drive to test.
->> NOW you can easily switch from OS 9 and OS X at boot by hoilding the ooption key down and selecting the partition. You can also use the OS 9 OS as Classic under OS X.

 

[timnosenzo]

Thanks for the reply pncc. Option number two sounds like a good approach, but allow me to ask a stupid question. How do I boot my Mac from the CCC images on my FW HD?

Thanks!

Tim