g3 B&W firmware, OS9 installation help

[matthewfuture]

Hello.....I have read a similar forum......Need help with a G3 B&W and OS 9, by Drift3r, but the my main problem was not addressed.
I have a B&W G3 that I got used. It had OSX installed, but no classic support installed, and NO system cds of any kind were provided with the machine.
I decided that I ONLY wanted OS9 installed, considering that I didn't have an OSX system cd, and that none of the programs I had supported os 10. I attempted to install os9 once i got the full cd by initializing the drive (if figured that'd be enough). When the firmware update for the G3 pops up, and I try to attempt a shutdown for the update, it says that I am running from a locked volume and to restart. I understand that I AM running a locked volume when I boot from the cd, but even after copying all the files to the hard drive, I still get the same message.
My big questions are: Is the hard drive not formatted, do I need to format it first? And, is the hard drive volume locked, and how do I unlock it. There is no sign of any OS on the comp, and it boots up with the question folder without a startup cd.
I am much more familiar with PC's, and all I really want to do is completely reformat the drive and install OS9. Are there any apps similar to fdisk or format that i can use? Thanks for any response.

 

[GraphicUmp]

Boot from the OS 9 cd.

Open the "Utilities" folder. Double-click on "Drive Setup" - if it's a folder (can't remember), then double-click on the application inside called "Drive Setup." Choose the hard drive, click initialize. When it's done, quit Drive Setup. Close the Utilities folder.

Double-click "Install" and install OS 9 onto the hard drive - don't copy any files over.

Under the Apple on the upper left, choose "control panels". Double-click on "Startup Drive" and select your hard drive, then click restart.

Once it reboots, copy the firmware update utility onto the hard drive.

Now run the firmware update utility from the hard drive. You will have to reboot while holding down the programmer's button on the front of the tower - it's the right-hand little button under the power button. You'll need a ball-point pen or a straightened paper-clip to do it. When you get a long tone, you can release the button. That unlocks the firmware so you can update it. Now the firmware updater will run.

When it's done, reboot again.

 

[matthewfuture]

Thanks for the response GraphicUmp ... I have initialized the drive again, setting the type to Mac OS standard, but I am not able to install. The system tells me that I need to update the firmware before I install the OS.
I checked the firmware update version, it is 1.1, which i think is the most recent version.
I am still stuck! Would it make any difference if I initialized the drive with another format- I figured that the Mac OS extended would not be applicable, since I didn't have a regular format in the first place.
Do you have any other ideas? I know that just copying the CD files to the hd wouldn't do the trick, but I'm just trying to get creative here.....

 

[GraphicUmp]

Actually, Mac OS Extended, or HFS+, is the format you want. It saves huge amounts of space by letting files be much much smaller.

You don't happen to have OS 8.5 hanging about, do you? If so, you could install min system 8.5, install the firmware update, then do a clean install of OS 9.

 

[matthewfuture]

Thanks again....Well, I suppose I was misled by my PC-mindset regarding the extended partition!
I don't happen to have a copy of 8.5, but ill check with someone at work. I wonder why the system is putting me in this predicament? That is to say, why OS9 needs a firmware update for the B&W G3. I know that the system was probably designed to take advantage of OSX, but didn't they think about people who just want the speed of OS9!?!?!?!? And I don't suppose that resetting the PRAM would make any diff, right?

I appreciate it!

 

[matthewfuture]

BTW- I do have a borrowd iMac restore CD, but I think that it has OS9 on it. I tried that too, but had same firmware prob. Do you happen to know if there is an earlier iMac version that came preloaded with 8.5? If not, perhaps I can dig up a beige G3 cd, maybe an 8500 or such. But, think I'd run into compatibility issues?

 

[GraphicUmp]

The firmware update needs to be applied before OS X was installed. This system was designed to run 8.5, not X. But X runs well.

An earlier iMac restore cd should be fine, as long as it has 8.6 or earlier (tray-loading, not slot-loading).