iMac G3 And Mac OS 8.6

[MAC MAN JW]

Hi, i have a imac g3 DV 400mhz blue it has mac os 8.6 and freezes when it gets to the desktop but not in safe boot? without safe boot it will go to the desktop and freez but the mouse moves but that is all. i think it is a bad Extension i only put the basic and it still freezs?but not in safe boot i do not have the os discs any more and forgot how to use mac os 8.6 it has ben a long time. it says it was not turned off right when starting up and cheeks for errors but it can not it sayes and gives a error and then gos to the desktop and freezes. please help
(The cd drive does not work as well)

 

[ecschwarz]

Hi, i have a imac g3 DV 400mhz blue it has mac os 8.6 and freezes when it gets to the desktop but not in safe boot? without safe boot it will go to the desktop and freez but the mouse moves but that is all. i think it is a bad Extension i only put the basic and it still freezs?but not in safe boot i do not have the os discs any more and forgot how to use mac os 8.6 it has ben a long time. it says it was not turned off right when starting up and cheeks for errors but it can not it sayes and gives a error and then gos to the desktop and freezes. please help
(The cd drive does not work as well)

That could be a number of things - I'd try to make sure you had no extra Control Panels or Startup Items - those can cause problems and also don't load when you boot up with Extensions Off (Shift key). Also, try rebuilding the desktop by pressing Option + Command while the Finder is loading. If I were you, I'd try to track down Mac OS 9 and put that on there...it's a bit more resource-hungry, but adds a lot of capabilities and gives you support for Carbon applications.

If you can look up the specs, you may even be able to run a version of OS X - I know I had an Indigo iMac DV 400MHz that was running Panther (10.3) pretty reliably, although a bit sluggish compared to my iBook G3 600MHz at the time.

 

[MAC MAN JW]

That could be a number of things - I'd try to make sure you had no extra Control Panels or Startup Items - those can cause problems and also don't load when you boot up with Extensions Off (Shift key). Also, try rebuilding the desktop by pressing Option + Command while the Finder is loading. If I were you, I'd try to track down Mac OS 9 and put that on there...it's a bit more resource-hungry, but adds a lot of capabilities and gives you support for Carbon applications.

If you can look up the specs, you may even be able to run a version of OS X - I know I had an Indigo iMac DV 400MHz that was running Panther (10.3) pretty reliably, although a bit sluggish compared to my iBook G3 600MHz at the time.

Ok i will try that thanks can you boot mac os 8.6 in firewire target disc mode because the disc drive is not working and i have a mac os 9 cd (from my imac g3 500mhz indigo) do you think they will work even that they are for a model up? i got the imac for $1 so if the cd do not work it is not mouch of a loss. i also read someware you can put a os 9 system folder on a usb flash and copy it to a the hard drive that you want os 9 on and it will be bootable? i just forgot everything about os 8 and os 9 because i have ben useing os x for the past 8 years i do not even know how change my desktop backround any more in pre osx. i do have os x 10.4 on cds i got from apple i think back in 2005 (The retail version) i wood like to put that in there but #1 i need to update the firmware for os x in os 9 #2 i need to put it in over firewire target disc mode eather from my powermac g5 dual 1.8 with leopard or my g3 B&W 450mhz tower with tiger? what do you think will work best?(Need to use there cd drive to install) the imac can run tirger it has 400mhz g3 and 768mb ram. Thank you for your help

 

[ecschwarz]

Ok i will try that thanks can you boot mac os 8.6 in firewire target disc mode because the disc drive is not working and i have a mac os 9 cd (from my imac g3 500mhz indigo) do you think they will work even that they are for a model up? i got the imac for $1 so if the cd do not work it is not mouch of a loss. i also read someware you can put a os 9 system folder on a usb flash and copy it to a the hard drive that you want os 9 on and it will be bootable? i just forgot everything about os 8 and os 9 because i have ben useing os x for the past 8 years i do not even know how change my desktop backround any more in pre osx. i do have os x 10.4 on cds i got from apple i think back in 2005 (The retail version) i wood like to put that in there but #1 i need to update the firmware for os x in os 9 #2 i need to put it in over firewire target disc mode eather from my powermac g5 dual 1.8 with leopard or my g3 B&W 450mhz tower with tiger? what do you think will work best?(Need to use there cd drive to install) the imac can run tirger it has 400mhz g3 and 768mb ram. Thank you for your help

Target Disk Mode should work…I know the even older Macs had a sort of Target Disk Mode with SCSI, so I think it would (hold down 'T' while booting). Aside from that, you should be able to just install things on it...that other OS 9 CD should work, especially if they're similar models.

You are correct in that you can copy System Folders via drag and drop, but just make sure that the folder is bootable (it has the little Finder/Mac face icon) before you restart your computer. Yes, multiple System Folders can live on one hard drive, just pick which one via the Startup Disk Control Panel (I think that's what it's called).

As for Tiger, it should work, and it shouldn't matter what you install it on, but the G3 might be a better option.

 

[MAC MAN JW]

update well somewhat: i have not had time to start on it yet (i know it has ben 3+ months) it is a green imac g3 DV not blue i got a retail os 9 disc off ebay so now i know the disc will work. i will start working on it next month when it is super cold outside and i will be inside all day. right now it is in my room bubble wraped in a box i bought for it (i treat my imac g3s like kings). i will post a update when i start fixing it next month or in december