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Mac 128 boot disc and other software needed.

M

macmacmarty

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 15, 2008
3
0
Hi, I am acquiring from the original owner a Mac 128K however he does not have the software. As you may know or recall, this unit is useless without a 3.5in floppy type boot disc with the system etc. If anyone can help me with either a copy of these floppys or some type of disc image that I can put onto floppys it would be great. I would like to get the system boot disc, and any applications that may be around, the classic ones were of course MacWrite, MacDraw, etc.
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

This is quite a find for me as this machine is what got me started using computers, back in college they had them in the library for anyone to use.
I have a small collection in addition to my modern machines, I have a Powerbook 100 and 170, and a G3 Pismo. Believe it or not this 128 would be the first desktop machine I actually own myself. Of course I've used lots of them at work etc. etc.
:)
 
Booting the mac from the ROM without a disk is possible. Just hold
Command-Option-X-O on startup.
 
OS 1-3 locating help needed to run an old Mac 128K

So it turns out from extensive searching that it is not any where near so easy as I expected to find the software to operate my original Mac 128K unit. It seems that Apple has actually suppressed distribution of this old software for whatever reason. I just want to run this machine for fun and nostalgia, nothing more. If anyone has any old system discs, or knows of any, or has any backup discs I can copy, or anything like that, it would be really helpful if you could get in touch. It seems that if you want OS 6-9 that is more or less not a problem, but before that it gets pretty difficult.
Thanks!:)
 
Check your PM!:cool:

I would put it on a HD floppy from an internet capable floppy machine, put it on your powerbook. Then use the powerbook to format an 800k floppy to a 400K floppy. Do not use an HD floppy in the 128K!! Image the disk with system 1 and boot your treasure.

800K floppies aren't too hard to find, but I haven't been able to buy them from a store in 10 years. If you have any 15 year old AOL disks, those should work. Happy Hunting!
 
nooo i had one but i was stupid and wrote over it when i was in grade 5 and needed a floppy but it was with my 512k i hate myself for that i have a 512k but doesnt have mouse
 
macmacmarty said:
Hi, I am acquiring from the original owner a Mac 128K however he does not have the software. As you may know or recall, this unit is useless without a 3.5in floppy type boot disc with the system etc. If anyone can help me with either a copy of these floppys or some type of disc image that I can put onto floppys it would be great. I would like to get the system boot disc, and any applications that may be around, the classic ones were of course MacWrite, MacDraw, etc.
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
:)
Click to expand...

Maybe a little bit late because it is already October and you asked half a year ago, but do you still need the Systemdisk and MacPaint, MacWrite? I am a collector of Macintoshs and I can give you copies of the Finder version 1 or 1.1 (1984). What about MacPaint and MacWrite or the Guided Tour Of Macintosh?
If you are interested tell me what you need and I can give you the programs and the operating system to get your Macintosh running. Final question: Is it an original 128k or does it have the lter motherboard with 128/ 512k? Do you know?
Thank you.
 
petersmac said:
Maybe a little bit late because it is already October and you asked half a year ago, but do you still need the Systemdisk and MacPaint, MacWrite? I am a collector of Macintoshs and I can give you copies of the Finder version 1 or 1.1 (1984). What about MacPaint and MacWrite or the Guided Tour Of Macintosh?
If you are interested tell me what you need and I can give you the programs and the operating system to get your Macintosh running. Final question: Is it an original 128k or does it have the lter motherboard with 128/ 512k? Do you know?
Thank you.
Click to expand...

I recently found an old Mac in my father-in-laws basement. It is a 128 M001. I'm interested in getting the programs you mentioned.
 
petersmac said:
Maybe a little bit late because it is already October and you asked half a year ago, but do you still need the Systemdisk and MacPaint, MacWrite? I am a collector of Macintoshs and I can give you copies of the Finder version 1 or 1.1 (1984). What about MacPaint and MacWrite or the Guided Tour Of Macintosh?
If you are interested tell me what you need and I can give you the programs and the operating system to get your Macintosh running. Final question: Is it an original 128k or does it have the lter motherboard with 128/ 512k? Do you know?
Thank you.
Click to expand...

HI, thanks, I'm interested. I have the sys disks now although they are copies rather than the original disks with the printed labels. I had to pay for these, too bad I didn't hear from you sooner. So I am mostly interested in the ones with printed labels, however, I am also interested in MacPaint and MacWrite. But copies could be good too because maybe the ones I bought are no good, or already corrupted (cosmic rays) due to my delays.
I think it's an orig. 128K but I don't know enough to tell subtle differences. I still need to open up this machine and make the floppy drive function, which I have yet to do. I am actually hoping to open the machine and find inside the famous imprint of signatures in the mold, no doubt you know about this.
Please email me directly at martyray@cruzio.com because I do not check this site very often.
 
Mac 128 System Disk

I have a 128K MacIntosh one of the very first built. The Systemdisk which I have is corrupted, old age I guess, it will not start up the system. I would appreciate any help in finding a disk that will work. I have other disks for this Mac but can not tell if they are useable. Thank you for your help.
 
Mac 128 boot disc and other software needed.

Not sure of the practicalities of getting it onto a 400K floppy as I don't have access to any sort of floppy, but you can get Systems 1-6 from here:

http://rolli.ch/MacPlus/

The these files are a *.dsk format, but I think you can change the extension to dmg on a mac to open it like a normal disk image file.

I'd recomend Systems 2 or 3 as 1 will require an MFS floppy and 4 is not supported by the 128.

You will also need a mac/PC that is capable of writing to a 400K floppy. Not sure if any standard PC floppy can do 400K, so you may need to find a Mac with a floppy drive. You may also need to try to find a 2D (rather than an HD floppy) as these will be more reliable.

See the section at the botton of this LEM page for how to create the floppy:

http://lowendmac.com/compact/original-macintosh-128k.html

:apple:
 
Help!

I know that this post has not been updated in a few years but I am in the same situation with my recently acquired mac plus... Can anyone out there help me out with some system software (1 through 6) possibly and or some application type software? I am willing to pay if needed.

Can any of the OS 8 or OS9 machines (with floppy drives) make boot discs for these old classic machines? I heard that doing so with osx can be done but not without doing some work in the terminal.

Thank you all in advance!!
 
kag49601 said:
Can any of the OS 8 or OS9 machines (with floppy drives) make boot discs for these old classic machines?
Click to expand...

Yes they can. PCs and USB floppy drives can't read/write to 800KB disks, so it's nice to have an older Mac that can do it. Having that Mac connected to the internet is ideal - then you just need to download the relevant software and begin imaging floppies for the Plus.
 
I have a 128k without bundled software too...

I have a Macintosh 128k I bought off of Craigslist in 2010, and have spent the last two years getting it tricked out. I now desire software. My serial number is F4410PMM0001, and it was the 803rd Macintosh 128k made during the 41st week of 1984 in Fremont, California USA.

I don't have sufficient access privileges to access private messages, or I would have just sent shu82 a private message instead of dragging up an obsolete forum. I just know that I would like Guided Tour of Macintosh and Guided Tour of MacWrite and MacPaint disk images that match. I am not trying to violate forum rules, just trying to get help with a 128k that I can provide all sorts of pictures of if needed.

I am not trying to offend anyone, or violate anything. I just don't know where else to turn.
 
Me too!

Quicksilver2001 said:
I have a Macintosh 128k I bought off of Craigslist in 2010, and have spent the last two years getting it tricked out. I now desire software. My serial number is F4410PMM0001, and it was the 803rd Macintosh 128k made during the 41st week of 1984 in Fremont, California USA.

I don't have sufficient access privileges to access private messages, or I would have just sent shu82 a private message instead of dragging up an obsolete forum. I just know that I would like Guided Tour of Macintosh and Guided Tour of MacWrite and MacPaint disk images that match. I am not trying to violate forum rules, just trying to get help with a 128k that I can provide all sorts of pictures of if needed.

I am not trying to offend anyone, or violate anything. I just don't know where else to turn.
Click to expand...

I have just found my dad's original 128k and could kick myself as threw the disks out end of last year :mad: Did you get any joy with finding disks? I'm finding it really hard but would love to get it going, I've a 10year old dying to have a shot of this 'antique' my how things have changed as this was state of the art when I was 18!!
Hope you got some joy and maybe can give me a help.

John (Edinburgh, Scotland, UK)
 
jonathon2412 said:
Me too!



I have just found my dad's original 128k and could kick myself as threw the disks out end of last year :mad: Did you get any joy with finding disks? I'm finding it really hard but would love to get it going, I've a 10year old dying to have a shot of this 'antique' my how things have changed as this was state of the art when I was 18!!
Hope you got some joy and maybe can give me a help.

John (Edinburgh, Scotland, UK)
Click to expand...
This is a late entry too. Am downsizing and found original MacWrite/MacPaint, System Disk, System Tools and 2 new pastelGuided Tour disks.
Sorry it posted before I was done. No Guided Tour disk, but yes, new unused pastel colored disks. Was first in Maine to buy from a dealer in 1984, we called it the Hummer.
 
Remember the 128K uses 400k disks not 800k disks. One sided. 800k will work but generally have faults when used that way.
 
First MaineMac said:
This is a late entry too. Am downsizing and found original MacWrite/MacPaint, System Disk, System Tools and 2 new pastelGuided Tour disks.
Sorry it posted before I was done. No Guided Tour disk, but yes, new unused pastel colored disks. Was first in Maine to buy from a dealer in 1984, we called it the Hummer.
Click to expand...
[doublepost=1481742697][/doublepost]I don't suppose you still have these disks? I still have my 128k but have had no joy finding the old software :) Hope you still have it but no worries if you haven't :)
 
Not sure if anyone mentioned it but macintoshgarden.org has pretty much all the vintage Macintosh abandonware you could ever need/want. The hardest part will be to find a way to put it on a media it can use. A Mac plus only has a 800k floppy drive. Honestly your best bet is to get a floppy EMU. A little pricey but a invaluable gem for old Macintoshs. It will emulate an old 800k floppy drive and allow you to boot the Macintosh. Buy the one with the Micro SD card it will have all software you need plus some games. Also it makes getting files off the internet and onto a vintage Macintosh much easier. I own one it works flawlessly and couldn't do without it now.

https://www.bigmessowires.com/floppy-emu/

Here's another spot with Mac 6.0.8:

http://www.gryphel.com/c/sw/system/sys60/index.html
[doublepost=1496456583][/doublepost]Oops didn't realize this was such an old thread.
 
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Not only is it an old thread, but macintoshgarden is pretty much useless when the only old Mac you have only has a 400k or 800k drive - since you have no way to get software on to those disks. And anything "System 5" or newer is also useless on an original Macintosh / 128k, as it can't run System 5.

The Floppy EMU is an EXCELLENT option, though. And you can even order it with an SD card preloaded with disk images. (And it can emulate a 400k, 800k, or 1.4M drive on Mac, a 140k 5.25" drive or 800k or 1.4M drive on Apple II, or even a "SmartPort" format Apple II hard drive or HD20 format Mac hard drive!)
 
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