Mac OS ROM 2.3.1

[Philgood]

Hi there.

I have the exact same machine. iMac G3 400Mhz with Firewire running 8.6. It came with that version of the OS installed. I could upload the Restore disc but it's german....
So i can confirm at least that you can get it working.

[MacTron]

Just curious: What's the Mac Os ROM version number of your 8.6 System, please?

You can attach the Mac Os ROM only. Even if it is in German, it shouldn't be a problem, as ROM files, usually contains a very few text.

[supernova777]

personally i think there is more difference then JUST The rom file of these versions...
its best to have the full original disk.. to be sure

phil is the disc orange?

[wsidebottom]

the same thing was theorized about the sawtooth with the 2.5.1 rom and for me, it did not make a difference.. it still worked fine.

http://www.everymac.com/systems/by_capability/minimum-macos-supported.html
there is some 400 that work and some 400 that dont

please confirm your exact model
u can use your serial number on the back of the mac to do this

these work
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_dv_400.html
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_se_dv_400.html

these dont:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_dv_400_indigo.html
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_400_indigo.html

I am guessing this is the reason why it wont work...
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_400_indigo.html
Even still, i don't see any technical reason why it should not work, given the specs are near identical except the older one has an ATI Rage Pro vs ATI Rage 128 VR 2D/3D
But this is Apple none the less.

What about re-flashing the rom with the older version? any thoughts?

here are two install + restore discs.. (found on this page: http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/mac-os-85-851-update)
u only need one of them
did u try one of these discs yet?

http://macintoshgarden.org/sites/macintoshgarden.org/files/apps/iMac86Instv1.1.ZIP
http://macintoshgarden.org/sites/macintoshgarden.org/files/apps/iMac86Restv1.1.ZIP

once u have the proper disc it will just work..
i think these images are the discs i just linked:

I actually did try them to no avail.

Hi there.

I have the exact same machine. iMac G3 400Mhz with Firewire running 8.6. It came with that version of the OS installed. I could upload the Restore disc but it's german....
So i can confirm at least that you can get it working.

Ok Phil, that sounds good.  my german is no good, but i think i will be able to work it out, or see if it works, but given the fact it is too new it probably wont work anyway.

Thanks all for help so far.  I probably should have looked harder too start with, though i am still thinking it should work or can be forced to work, somehow.

[supernova777]

the german disc he has is the same as the one ive posted above.. only in german
this can be checked by the cd version + cd product code thats why i shared the image above
clearly showing this.. only on the german  the first character will be a D = deutsch

[supernova777]

I am guessing this is the reason why it wont work...
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_400_indigo.html
Even still, i don't see any technical reason why it should not work, given the specs are near identical except the older one has an ATI Rage Pro vs ATI Rage 128 VR 2D/3D
But this is Apple none the less.

yup - the rule stands - u cant easily run a lower mac os then the one that came installed on your mac when it was new..
so after all that work.. it turned out wsidebottom had a mac that was from 2001 and shipped with mac os 9.1 installed which he confused with an earlier model that shipped with 8.6
which is why he had problems trying to install 8.6 or 9.0.4

the only few exceptions i know of to that rule is our fw800-fw400 mac os 9 firmware hack..
and the 2007-2008 imacs being able to run tiger instead of leopard..
and the 2011 macbook pros being able to be rolled back to snow leopard 10.6.8

other then that i think most macs cant run previous os!!!

[DieHard]

I remember killing a whole week trying to get Mac OS 8.6 to run on a Quicksilver for a specific client.. swapping MB boards, trying different ROMs, etc.  In the end, nothing worked... the "The Rule" as you mention it, Chris, was a hard lesson to learn. 

Apple always had a nasty habit of moving forward with ROM versions, It would have been nice to have had a "legacy" G4 ROM version for newer hardware, that would work with at least OS 8, but  guess that would have been too much work.

Thank God, guys like iMic, said "No thank you" and didn't give up when Apple said... "It's our way or the hiway"

[MacTron]

I remember killing a whole week trying to get Mac OS 8.6 to run on a Quicksilver for a specific client.. swapping MB boards, trying different ROMs, etc.  In the end, nothing worked...

Yes,I have tried the same . That was on the really bad Mac Os 9.04 era ...
With Mac Os 9.2 there isn't any 8.6 need, but some 8.6 control panel or extension.

the "The Rule" as you mention it, Chris, was a hard lesson to learn. 

Yes, that's it.
The new ROMs usually contains drivers for new components in the new motherboards. But, we can boot a MDD with the Mac Os ROM v 8.8.1 even though it was created earlier than this machine. But this ROM don't have drivers for the ATA 100 on the MDD so, it only can boot from the ATA 66 or ATA 33 device.
Each ROM version have a "hard coded" the minimal System version that can be launch.
But Apple have forced ROM and System versions, sometimes, only to promote newer products, without real technical justification.

Apple always had a nasty habit of moving forward with ROM versions, It would have been nice to have had a "legacy" G4 ROM version for newer hardware, that would work with at least OS 8, but  guess that would have been too much work.

Thank God, guys like iMic, said "No thank you" and didn't give up when Apple said... "It's our way or the hiway"

If we transfer the new drivers from the newest ROMs and System files, and we follow iMic procedures probably we can boot any G4 with Mac Os 8.6 and Sawtooth 8.6 ROM.

[supernova777]

i agree that it is possible to make it work, if the right person who understands how to edit the files was to do it.. but it may be a bit out of the "easily doable" spectrum... so much that it will never happen.