Installing Tiger on iMac Mid 2007 after newer OS installs

[George Colgrove]

I got an iMac Mid 2007 all standard with 2Gb Ram, the 500 Gb HDD and 2600 Graphics. The OS was Snow Leopard (latest).

I upgraded the RAM to 6Gb from a kit from Amazon and the replaced the HDD to a 1 Tb SSD (Sandisk SATA 3.1).

I was able to install the original Tiger macOS X 10.4.10 and played with the system. I then installed every macOS X version up to El Capitan. Everything worked well.

Now I cannot install Tiger without it freezing. Same issue with macOS 10.5 (Leopard). The later macOS X versions seem to run properly.

Could this be due to firmware updates (included with certain OS upgrade) that are now preventing the older OS's from running properly?

If so, is there a way to downgrade the firmware back to factory-installed level?

 

[Taz Mangus]

There is a way to downgrade the firmware. It would require using an EFI programmer. You might be able to find a repair facility that has one and could reprogram the EFI chip on your logic board. The other ways, replace the logic board with one that had OS X 10.4 installed on or replace the EFI chip on your logic board. Unfortunately, the end user can’t downgrade the firmware through OS install.

 

[pippox0]

Try to use virtualbox o parallel desktop.
You can install Tiger without messing with firmare ....

 

[Maserati7200]

I actually want to do something similar. I have a 2007 iMac 24" 2.4 Ghz that has a 1 TB hard drive with a Snow Leopard partition and a El Capitan partition.

It shipped with Tiger and I have the original install discs. We put leopard on it pretty much as soon as it came out in 2007.

Are you telling me that one of these releases altered the firmware to where installing Tiger on a new partition is impossible without downgrading the firmware? And by extension I can't run it with Tiger, Snow Leopard, and an El Capitan partitions at the same time? If so, which operating system 'breaks' it's compatibility with Tiger? It's had every compatible release on it since Tiger except Yosemite (went straight from Mavericks to El Capitan)

 

[George Colgrove]

I actually want to do something similar. I have a 2007 iMac 24" 2.4 Ghz that has a 1 TB hard drive with a Snow Leopard partition and a El Capitan partition.

It shipped with Tiger and I have the original install discs. We put leopard on it pretty much as soon as it came out in 2007.

Are you telling me that one of these releases altered the firmware to where installing Tiger on a new partition is impossible without downgrading the firmware? And by extension I can't run it with Tiger, Snow Leopard, and an El Capitan partitions at the same time? If so, which operating system 'breaks' it's compatibility with Tiger? It's had every compatible release on it since Tiger except Yosemite (went straight from Mavericks to El Capitan)

I got the machine with Snow Leopard. I was able to install Tiger successfully and was able to use the machine. I then upgraded through each Mac OS X version from Tiger to El Capitan. Each worked fine. Then I wanted to go back to Tiger to compare each version with more detail, and found that Tiger wasn't working. Leopard and Snow Leopard didn't work either.
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Try to use virtualbox o parallel desktop.
You can install Tiger without messing with firmare ....

I was able to get Tiger to install in a VirtualBox machine.

 

[Maserati7200]

I got the machine with Snow Leopard. I was able to install Tiger successfully and was able to use the machine. I then upgraded through each Mac OS X version from Tiger to El Capitan. Each worked fine. Then I wanted to go back to Tiger to compare each version with more detail, and found that Tiger wasn't working. Leopard and Snow Leopard didn't work either.

Hmm interesting. My Mid 2007 iMac (7,1) 24" 2.4 GHz has two partitions, El Capitan and Snow Leopard, and both boot without problems. It should be worth noting that I didn't directly install Snow Leopard onto the partition. Rather, I split up my HDD, which was running Mavericks at the time, and cloned an external volume running Snow Leopard (my MBP) onto the new partition. I upgraded the Mavericks partition to El Capitan at a later date.

When you attempted your 2nd Tiger install, you wiped the HDD clean and started anew, right? Or did you attempt to just put the Tiger install DVD in while running a later OS?

Either way, I think we may be able to get Tiger on our machines if we clone it from another volume that already has a fully updated tiger intel installed, and put it on an internal partition, bypassing the install process.

Let me know, I'm interested to hear back

 

[George Colgrove]

Hmm interesting. My Mid 2007 iMac (7,1) 24" 2.4 GHz has two partitions, El Capitan and Snow Leopard, and both boot without problems. It should be worth noting that I didn't directly install Snow Leopard onto the partition. Rather, I split up my HDD, which was running Mavericks at the time, and cloned an external volume running Snow Leopard (my MBP) onto the new partition. I upgraded the Mavericks partition to El Capitan at a later date.

When you attempted your 2nd Tiger install, you wiped the HDD clean and started anew, right? Or did you attempt to just put the Tiger install DVD in while running a later OS?

Either way, I think we may be able to get Tiger on our machines if we clone it from another volume that already has a fully updated tiger intel installed, and put it on an internal partition, bypassing the install process.

Let me know, I'm interested to hear back

I had installed all versions of Mac OS X from Tiger to El Capitan. I was able to run Tiger successfully at the start. The machine had Snow Leopard when I got it. After installing El Capitan, which ran well, I am no longer able to run Tiger, even though the install ran flawlessly. I am thinking it is because of the newer iMac firmware.

 

[timidpimpin]

You'd actually be better off asking this in the PowerPC forum, even though this is Intel related. They really know early Intel and how to run Tiger Intel, or really any Mac OS X Intel version before Snow Leopard.

PowerPC Macs

Power Mac, PowerBook, iMac Gx, iBook, etc...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[kasatka]

I had installed all versions of Mac OS X from Tiger to El Capitan. I was able to run Tiger successfully at the start. The machine had Snow Leopard when I got it. After installing El Capitan, which ran well, I am no longer able to run Tiger, even though the install ran flawlessly. I am thinking it is because of the newer iMac firmware.

Hey George!
Did you manage to install OS X Tiger at the end or figure out exactly hat firmware is disallows older OS versions?

 

[joevt]

I have an iMac7,1 iMac (20-inch, Mid 2007). It has Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and El Capitan 10.11.6. I think El Capitan was updated from Yosemite 10.10.5. I installed Tiger no problem using the disk images at https://archive.org/details/MacOSX10.4.10-iMac-2Z691-6104-A_2Z691-6113-A. The disk images were restored using Disk Utility to two partitions ("Mac OS X Install Disc 1", "Mac OS X Install Disc 2") on an external FireWire drive. I booted the Install Disc 1 from the FireWire drive and installed Tiger to a third partition on the same FireWire drive.

I booted from the new Tiger installation (10.4.10) and used Software Update a few times (restart after each) to get up to 10.4.11.

Here is some info from System Information.app (or system_profiler command) from El Capitan:

Hardware:

    Hardware Overview:

      Model Name: iMac
      Model Identifier: iMac7,1
      Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
      Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
      Number of Processors: 1
      Total Number of Cores: 2
      L2 Cache: 4 MB
      Memory: 6 GB
      Bus Speed: 800 MHz
      Boot ROM Version: IM71.007A.B03
      SMC Version (system): 1.20f4


Graphics/Displays:

    ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro:

      Chipset Model: ATI,RadeonHD2600
      Type: GPU
      Bus: PCIe
      PCIe Lane Width: x16
      VRAM (Total): 256 MB
      Vendor: ATI (0x1002)
      Device ID: 0x9583
      Revision ID: 0x0000
      ROM Revision: 113-B2250F-219
      EFI Driver Version: 01.00.219
      Displays:
        iMac:
          Display Type: LCD
          Resolution: 1680 x 1050
          Pixel Depth: 32-Bit Color (ARGB8888)
          Main Display: Yes
          Mirror: Off
          Online: Yes
          Built-In: Yes

I have a couple Macmini1,1. One of them won't boot Tiger or Leopard from the internal drive because of disk problems. So I installed Leopard to the external FireWire drive using the Macmini1,1. I'll use ddrescue on Ubuntu to read around the disk errors (connect the Macmini1,1 using FireWire target disk mode to a PC - I think there's a utility to convert block numbers to an HFS file so I'll know what files were damaged if any).

The Tiger I installed from iMac7,1 won't boot on Macmini1,1 (probably because of a graphics issue?) - I'll have to see what the differences are from the Tiger that is on the working Macmini1,1.

 

[kasatka]

Thank you, joevt!
so, it seems you didn't have the issue OP had.


I am looking to buy a 24" 2007 iMac to use with my old film scanner. I almost pulled the trigger when I discovered this post, and now I am concerned to end up with a device that won't fit my needs. It is almost impossible (obviously) to find an iMac with OS X Tiger for sale. Well, at least now I have 2 data points haha.

I see that yours have latest Boot Rom, same as the one I want to buy. Thats encouraging.

 

[George Colgrove]

Hey George!
Did you manage to install OS X Tiger at the end or figure out exactly hat firmware is disallows older OS versions?

I found my original CD’s and got Tiger installed. The issue is with internet connection. When I have the internet connected it freezes up. I upgraded the airport card. I got a usb WiFi dongle and can get minimal internet connection. While disconnected the OS works perfectly.

 

[kasatka]

I found my original CD’s and got Tiger installed. The issue is with internet connection. When I have the internet connected it freezes up. I upgraded the airport card. I got a usb WiFi dongle and can get minimal internet connection. While disconnected the OS works perfectly.

Cool.

Just to confirm, there is no issue with installing Tiger after a much newer OS like Mojave or Catalina was installed, right? (except for the wifi issues you have)

 

[George Colgrove]

Cool.

Just to confirm, there is no issue with installing Tiger after a much newer OS like Mojave or Catalina was installed, right? (except for the wifi issues you have)

I can use Tiger without issues as long as I’m not connected to the internet. Considering my iMac has an upgraded Airport that gives me Bluetooth 4.0 and “ac” internet speed, the configuration isn’t factory.

The install went perfectly so long as I didn’t connect to the internet.

I do have my suspicions that there are firmware issues, but for what I need Tiger for, it’s working. If you have all original hardware, I’m suspecting you’ll be OK.

To be certain, do not connect to the internet until after your finished installing the OS.

 

[kasatka]

Great!
Thank you!

I do not plan to use it with the internet at all. This machine is going to be used with my film scanner, that's it.

 

[joevt]

My iMac from https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...after-newer-os-installs.2253794/post-29764045 has original Ethernet and Wi-Fi. Networking over Ethernet seems to work fine in Tiger (I used it to get all the updates from Apple for Tiger). I didn't test wireless.

This info is from El Capitan:

Ethernet Cards:

    Marvell Yukon Gigabit Adapter 88E8055 Singleport Copper SA:

      Name: ethernet
      Type: Ethernet Controller
      Bus: PCI
      Vendor ID: 0x11ab
      Device ID: 0x436a
      Subsystem Vendor ID: 0x11ab
      Subsystem ID: 0x00ba
      Revision ID: 0x0013
      Link Width: x1
      BSD name: en0
      Kext name: AppleYukon2.kext
      Location: /System/Library/Extensions/IONetworkingFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns/AppleYukon2.kext
      Version: 4.0.0

Wi-Fi:

      Software Versions:
          CoreWLAN: 11.0 (1101.20)
          CoreWLANKit: 11.0 (1101.20)
          Menu Extra: 11.0 (1121.34.2)
          System Information: 12.0 (1100.2)
          IO80211 Family: 11.1 (1110.26)
          Diagnostics: 5.1 (510.88)
          AirPort Utility: 6.3.6 (636.5)
      Interfaces:
        en1:
          Card Type: AirPort Extreme  (0x14E4, 0x88)
          Firmware Version: Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (5.10.131.39.16)
          Locale: FCC
          Country Code: X0
          Supported PHY Modes: 802.11 a/b/g/n
          Supported Channels: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 149, 153, 157, 161, 165
          Wake On Wireless: Supported
          Status: Off

 

[Amethyst1]

The Tiger I installed from iMac7,1 won't boot on Macmini1,1 (probably because of a graphics issue?) - I'll have to see what the differences are from the Tiger that is on the working Macmini1,1.

I’ve run into this as well — I think it’s to do with the updated frameworks that come along with the drivers for the 2600 (maybe the 8600M as well?).

 

[inyxer]

Not sure why everyone in this thread is complicating this process.. It's pretty simple. For an iMac 20" Mid-2007, download the 10.4.10 restore DVD DMG files. There are two DMG files, Disc 1.dmg and Disc 2.dmg. Mount both of these DMG files, Open Disk Utility, right click each of the mounted images and select "Create image from "Mac OS X Install Disc 1/2", change the format to "DVD/CD master", and you'll have a new ISO created called "Mac OS X Install Disc 1/2.cdr", change .cdr to .iso, simply by renaming the file. Now use the following command to create a bootable USB with your newly created ISO.

sudo dd if=/Users/admin/Desktop/Mac OS X Install Disc 1.iso of=/dev/rdiskXsY bs=1m

Obviously, in the above code you need to use your own file path to the iso and run "diskutil list" to determine your installation volume (disk2s4 as an example). You'll need to create two USBs, one for each install disc (1/2), as Disc 1 will ask for Disc 2 after you've installed it.

Now insert your Disc 1 bootable USB, boot from USB using option/alt while booting, and install it