I am brand new to Mac and I have an ancient iMac, 333/32 with and additional 128 MB of Ram and an upgraded hard drive. The trouble is ever since I removed the hard drive that came with it (a useless 4.3 gigger), It will only boot with the OS9 CD in the drive, yet I see all the files on the drive since the install. Why is my hard drive not bootable and why is my iMac now booting to CD by default? HELP! (I ind myself so lost when I am a PC guru LOL)
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Fresh OS9 Install won't boot.
- Thread starter markjs
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Was the harddrive partitioned from OS-9? If not, you might not have installed the OS-9 drivers. There's an option in OS-X Disk Utility to install them when you partition the drive.
If you just copied the System Folder to the new drive (rather than new install), you might need to "bless it". Usually just opening, then closing the folder will do it. (edit: missed title "Fresh install", so it's this is probably not the problem)
It might not be booting to the CD by default, it's just not finding any other valid System Folder to boot to. When you are booted to the CD, run the Startup Disk Control Panel to change the default boot drive.
If it is set to CD as default, and you do have a valid bootable HD, you can select the boot volume by holding down the Option key on startup. It will then present you with a button for each bootable volume it finds.
Hope some of this info helps.
If you just copied the System Folder to the new drive (rather than new install), you might need to "bless it". Usually just opening, then closing the folder will do it. (edit: missed title "Fresh install", so it's this is probably not the problem)
It might not be booting to the CD by default, it's just not finding any other valid System Folder to boot to. When you are booted to the CD, run the Startup Disk Control Panel to change the default boot drive.
If it is set to CD as default, and you do have a valid bootable HD, you can select the boot volume by holding down the Option key on startup. It will then present you with a button for each bootable volume it finds.
Hope some of this info helps.
I just remembered, you have to partition the old iMacs 233- 333mhz with an 8gb partition and then another partition for the rest of your larger hard drive. Then you put the OS on the 8gb for start up. It does not recognize more than 8gbs (try 7.3 for safety) in start up partition. But I don't know how to do this, I just know someone did this on a 233mhz iMac G3 who had a 80gb hard drive.
Still no good but I feel that we're on the right track, This machine came with a 4.3gb drive so I am using that size for the first partititon and crossing my fingers, the thing is I am trying ultimately to get OSX on here but the firmware needs updated so it must be because of the drive issue.
Here's the Official word on the partition size component:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25249
Notice the requirement that the OS has to be in the *first* partition.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25249
Notice the requirement that the OS has to be in the *first* partition.
You may run into install issues - I once installed OS X on a G3 266 and it would hang halfway through no matter what. There are a number of bizarre solutions to getting (part way) around that, including removing all non-original RAM, but the easiest solution is to put the hard drive into a more modern machine, install the OS, and then put it back in your old machine.
Well then still no dice....I did the partition at 7.3 and still it won't boot to the hard drive, I am totally stumped and not liking my initial mac experience so far....
Well, I would hardly let a wrangling with a neith 10 year old computer sour you too much.
Perhaps I missed it, but what are you trying to do?
Install OS X or OS 9?
How large is the drive that you put in?
How is the drive jumpered?
What are you formatting it with, and what are you formatting it as?
When you boot from the install CD, there should be a program called Disk Utility, or Apple Disk Utility or something similar to that (OS 9 is soooo long ago)... Try running that on the disk and see what happens.
If the install CD boot gives you access to the Startup Disk control panel, be sure the startup disk is set to the drive partition with the OS on it.
Have you tried starting the machine with extensions turned off? Take out the CD, and hold the shift key down during the boot to do that.
If the install CD boot gives you access to the Startup Disk control panel, be sure the startup disk is set to the drive partition with the OS on it.
Have you tried starting the machine with extensions turned off? Take out the CD, and hold the shift key down during the boot to do that.
It was the drive jumper, but now that I got the drive to boot on the fresh os install the damn thing STILL needs some file and unfortunatelt I spilt milk on the CD Rom while it was taken apart and now I have to wait for it to dry for a reinstall (because it's a 13.6 gig drive and I didnt partittion it right and I think that's why it needs that file or some ****) Thanks guys!
yes! It says "finder" cannot start because it's missing that file! I am lost on a mac!
OK... Just for the record, OS9 was abandoned by Apple in 2001. It has little in common with OS X.
Is it a retail version of the OS9 installer CD that you have?
Is it a retail version of the OS9 installer CD that you have?
Question-- is this the OS9 disk that came with THIS machine, or is it a random OS9 installer disk?
Random disk......You mean the OS is machine specific? I'd never thought of that being a windoze guy! That has to be the problem!
I should have knowing how proprietary Apple has been over the years....
Can anything be done given that quirk?
Actually this iMac is old enough that the retail OS9 would be a universal installer for it. It sounds like you're trying to use a machine specific disc (gray) to try to install OS9 on the iMac.
Note: Even if you discs say iMac, it might be another revision of it.
Note: Even if you discs say iMac, it might be another revision of it.
Yeah, that's probably the problem right there.
I really think you should just buy a copy of OS X. Panther would probably be a good fit for this machine. I think you'll find OS X much better to use, since it is a modern OS and honestly, I think it's a lot easier to use than the older versions of the Mac OS.
I'd also max out the RAM if you can. I believe these will hold 512MB, if I'm not mistaken.
Above the poster does say that is trying to get OS X onto it but his mac nedds a firmware update that can only be done from OS 9.