Problem with Mac OS 9.2.2 install on dual 1GHz G4 MDD

[Mac SE20]

Hello. I bought a G4 dual 1GHz MDD tower (2002) about a year ago with the intention of making it (almost) strictly an OS 9 (bootable) machine. I had not anticipated the frustration it is to make this happen on these MDD models. As an Apple and Mac guy almost my whole computing life, I feel a bit dumbstruck at what has been historically an easy process is incredibly frustrating.

Anyways on to the problem...

My System:  Apple Mac G4 Tower, Dual 1GHz, 2GB Ram, 80GB IBM Hard Drive.

My goal: A) Have the entire hard drive running OS 9.2.2 from boot (no classic, no OS X)

B) Have two partitions on 1 hard drive, one for OS X tiger the other for (bootable) Mac OS 9.2.2


In my frustration after trying to install OS 9.2.2 on this system with the OS 9.2.2 DMG's specific for this machine and having no luck, I wound up buying the original software restore CD's (4) for this machine. Unfortunately I still am unable to successfully install OS 9.2.2 on this machine. I can't even get classic to work from OS X tiger.

I have checked the "install Mac OS 9 drivers when formatting the HD.

I have made sure to partition the HD with the second (Mac OS 9.2.2 destination) partition marked as HFS journaled.

When I run the first CD and start the installer package after it is done running its installation it asks to insert another CD by showing the graphic design of what the top of the CD looks like, but that seems to be the CD that is already in the drive, so not sure what to do there.

I can only think that possibly I need to reformat the drive as completely HFS Journaled, instead of the Mac OS X partition as HFS journaled extended and the Mac OS 9.2.2 partition as HFS journaled?

The HD started as formatted as HFS journaled extended then was partitioned for two the different file formats.

I have no idea what else I should be or should not be doing to get this right.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I know the directions on how to do this install are already on this site.

[GaryN]

I can only think that possibly I need to reformat the drive as completely HFS Journaled, instead of the Mac OS X partition as HFS journaled extended and the Mac OS 9.2.2 partition as HFS journaled?

This is true. If you have original Tiger discs or DVD, use those / it to format and partition the drive, install Tiger, then install 9 on the other partition.

My goal: A) Have the entire hard drive running OS 9.2.2 from boot (no classic, no OS X)
B) Have two partitions on 1 hard drive, one for OS X tiger the other for (bootable) Mac OS 9.2.2

These are two different, contrary statements. Personally, I would go with B

In my frustration after trying to install OS 9.2.2 on this system with the OS 9.2.2 DMG's specific for this machine and having no luck, I wound up buying the original software restore CD's (4) for this machine. Unfortunately I still am unable to successfully install OS 9.2.2 on this machine. I can't even get classic to work from OS X tiger.

Odds are that you don't have the correct CDs. and… that's the hard way because it's nearly impossible to tell what they are by looking at the labels.
If you got the 9.2.2 disc image from our files here, it should work: http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,2109.0.html

[Mac SE20]

Hi GaryN. Thanks for replying to my message. 

I should have introduced myself to this website as I am new. I stumbled upon this website after doing a few google searches trying to find a solution to the MDD booting into OS 9 with no classic. I have been using Macs since the day my father brought home an original Mac (128) back in 1984. He worked in the computer industry and I was a very lucky recipient of experiencing computers from an early age back then.

Anyhow. Ever since these top of the line G4 towers came out I had always wanted one. 

But to reply to you about my issue.

As I posted, I originally downloaded and burned to a cd, the disk image of the four (4) G4 MDD restore cd's that are linked from this site. I got as far as the installer asking me to insert a cd with a specific graphic design. I don't know if that is normal.

At that point I figured, what the heck, and saw a decent/low price for the exact same original cd's with the (from what I understand) correct PN/Media numbers.

I will list them here to see if I have them right:

691-4078-A (CD)
2Z691-4103-A (CD)
2Z691-3548-A (CD)
2Z691-3600-A (CD)

These four cd's are the disk images I used, and are the ones I bought on ebay a few days ago. I think they are correct. What do you think?

Also I should have clarified I am looking to either A) have one bootable OS 9.2.2 hard drive with no partition or B) have 2 partitions with bootable OS X and bootable OS 9.2.2

Hey thanks for respeponding.

[Mac SE20]

I forgot to add that I will try reformatting the entire hard drive as HFS journaled. I did format the drive as HFS journal extended and then created two partitions one with HFS journaled extended for OS X tiger and the other HFS Journaled for OS 9.2.2.

[Mac SE20]

Hey GaryN

I believe I must have the wrong CD's and wrong disk images.

I am lost. Can you point me in the right direction?

My G4 MDD is a Dual 1 GHZ with 2GB of Ram (year 2002 model) firewire 400 model.

[Mac SE20]

I have made progress!

I now have a bootable OS 9.2.2 partition running!

As a last resort, and maybe this is what I was supposed to do in the first pace... I used the universal G3/G4 Install - ISO CD Image linked from this site. This is great! I then manually copied the OS 9 system files right on to the empty partition. I then went to startup disk and lo and behold was able to select that same partition, restarted and viola, it booted inot 9.2.2.

There is one strange problem. While everything seems to work fine. The top bar menu is nonexistent. It simply is not there. I am still able to use shortcut commands like "open Apple-N" to create a new folder on the desktop, but the menu bar itself is just not there.

Does anyone know what I need to do to fix the menu bar? Has anyone seen this before?

AGGGHHH! Almost there!!!

[devils_advisor]

Problem could be that you have 2 monitors but only one hooked up.
option apple p r when turning on until it chimed a second time and report back. I assume your startup/main monitor is falsely selected.

[Mac SE20]

Thanks devils_advisor for the help!

I found a fix for the menu bar!!!

Instead of manually copying system files off of the OS 9.2.2 Universal Install disk image like I did to get where I am right now, I wound up just installing the Mac OS 9.2.2 Universal Install - ISO CD  Image with the normal procedure of clicking on the restore icon app. I installed right over the OS X partition I was using. That solved the problem for some reason. installing the Mac OS 9.2.2 Universal Install - ISO CD, by manually copying the files onto an empty partition somehow led to the top menu bar missing, would be my guess.

The reason I manually copied the OS 9.2.2 system files onto the empty partition like that was I was having trouble getting the disk utility to let me restore the drive with the Mac OS 9.2.2 Universal Install - ISO CD  Image.

Afterwards, I then reinstalled the Mac OS 9.2.2 Universal Install - ISO CD  Image again to the original destination with the missing top menu bar by properly running the install app and the top menu bar was there.

So after two plus days of tinkering and some frustration, and purchasing G4 OS 9 install CD's I don't need, I finally have my bootable OS 9 G4 MDD!!! YES!!!!

Hey Thanks for this great OS 9 website!!!

Thanks for the help GaryN and devils_advisor!

Now about that noisy G4 MDD fan...

Thanks again!