Making a 9.2.2. work on a g4

[coranismk]

Greetings,

I am fairly uncertain if this is the correct place to talk about my lil macos 9.2.2 story so I am sorry in advance.

So, I am working in a traditional print shop. There are plenty of old machines. My boss is the sweetest person on earth. However, he is running into a problem.
To this day, he is still using an emac G4 with quarkexpress 4.1 to work on designs and print them. The system running is ofc 9.2.2.
He is still using modern mac machines to work on new things but the majority of his designs and where he is most comfortable is his trusty G4 box.
I do have a degree in IT so one day he asked me to find a way to make a 9.2.2 clone to make sure he has a safe space for all his works in case something bad happens.
Upon searching the warehouse, I found another G4 emac. More specifically, the G4 that he is using is the 700 one while the one i found is the 1Ghz one (I checked and it's a model that supports 9.2.2.)
I tried to boot it up but it refuses to do so. if I put in an Apple Hardware Test, it runs the cd fine.
I tried several restore disks but I am certain they are not this model's default disks. My boss has said so that he has lost the original disks somewhere and I couldn't find them anywhere.
I even tried making burn USBs and used iso images found on the internet but yet, nothing runs.
Tried tinkering with this for over a month to no avail and eventually gave up, I have never worked with mac computers so my knowledge was extremely limited. Forgot about it and moved on.

A few days ago, my boss reminded me again that maybe we could try finding an original disk of this specific system on ebay and use that but I find it very risky and started looking up for an alternative. I was thinking about emulation. Even use that old G4 Powerbook somehow (that one must have a battery issue because it shuts down after a while even with the charger on but maybe i can try replacing the battery?)
Upon searching around, I found out this place so thought of asking here since I am sure you people must be more knowledgeable on those things.
I would really appreciate any help, I am no mac expert, I just want to make my boss happy because I understand it's hard to learn something new when you are used to something that works fine.

Thank you.

[FBz]

Hello…

To begin - how large is the current HD within the eMac currently in use?

You might consider acquisition of a large enough, external Firewire 400 drive to backup (or clone) all of the files and programs to such a drive for security’s sake. Full stop.

After that, you might then renew your quest to resurrect the other (700 MHz) eMac. Here are the specs for that machine to help you in determining exactly which original set of disc(s) you might require. https://everymac.com/systems/apple/emac/specs/emac_700.html#macspecs1



You did not mention your geographic location but there are members here that: (1). might be nearby and (2). might have the exact discs that you need and could possibly provide you with working copies.

You say that the Apple Hardware Test CD ran fine. What did it report? Such a report might help to determine whether or not you should proceed with that effort OR if it might in fact be better to acquire a different OS 9.2.2 running Mac. Lots of faster Quicksilvers and MDDs still available and often very inexpensive.

Found this on Macintosh Repository that might be of some help (if you can figure out exactly what you need). https://www.macintoshrepository.org/20984-691-3739-a-emac-mac-os-v9-2-2-install-disc-v1-0-cd- Perhaps much trial and error… or again, some member here might better guide you.

I do not have a 700 MHz eMac, only a 1.25 GHz model and it requires a very special approach (unlike the 700 MHz) in order to install & boot OS 9.2.

Best of luck to you and your boss BUT… I would definitely look into a faster G4 Mac (Quicksilver or MDD) to possibly increase productivity and reduce overall production & processing time… and at very little cost. I spent YEARS in a graphic production environment with a Mac Quadra 950 (33 MHz!)

[The Quicksilvers and MDDs are ROCKET-powered, in comparison.]

Do keep us posted of your progress and maybe someone here will speak up with those discs for the 700 MHz eMac?

Still have the original install discs for (the dreaded) Quark 4.1?

[FBz]

Ahh, upon a more careful re-read… seems that you’re attempting to resurrect a 1.0 GHz eMac to run OS 9.2? So now as to possibly further confuse things… EveryMac.com notes that only the original “Combo” drive configuration of the 1.0 GHz eMac (M8950LL/A) is capable of booting into OS 9. So check for that model number.

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/emac/specs/emac_1.0.html

Also of possible interest:
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,6093.msg45486.html#msg45486

Do keep us all posted please.

Quicksilvers and MDDs sound perhaps even more inviting?

[coranismk]

I did try every possible iso from macrepository but it refuses to boot the install screen. Even the one linked
here are the images i managed to take from the test as well as the info of the machine. Sorry for the quality, I was trying to reduce the lines so it would be somewhat readable.

yes, it is the 1ghz the one that doesn't boot and is stuck in the question mark folder screen

I did understand that the original combo of disks will work but since they are missing, it's uncertain if buying a new pair somehow will make it work. I live in greece and the person who set up our new mac systems had no idea how older macs operated. Finding such things here are close to impossible. The used market I also tried looking up had plenty of imac and minis but no emac.

[peeperpc]

From the label "G4-1GHz/256/80/SuperDrive/56K/220v", this mac can't boot OS 9.

The 1GHz eMac model that can boot OS 9 is the one that comes with ComboDrive and 60GB HDD.

https://web.archive.org/web/20030801205929/http://www.apple.com/emac/specs.html

"Startup in Mac OS 9 is available only with CD-ROM and Combo drive configurations. All configurations can run Mac OS 9 applications in Mac OS X Classic mode."

Super drive, in Apple's terms, means an optical drive that can read and write both CDs and DVDs. Combo drive means a drive that can read CDs and DVDs but can only write CDs.

[FBz]

Well, according to that post from darthnVader (and EveryMac.com and now, peeperpc) the 1.0 GHz eMac with the SuperDrive (M8950LL/A*) may not be capable of booting OS 9 - which might make it a candidate for the 1.25 GHz eMac hack (See: http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,4361.msg39599.html#msg39599) but this too is unclear as to that use with the 1.0 GHz eMac (with SuperDrive).



If not under a time crunch or the need for this to work immediately, you might try that hack mentioned above but no guarantees. No one has reported this working as far as I know. And yet, with the original install discs, it seems that you might be able to run OS 9 only under “Classic mode” with the SuperDrive model.

NOTE: the MLB serial number provided by Apple Hardware Test is misleading and may be the result of the wrong AHT version. Your AHT iMac version 1.2.1 reports the serial number J53494HTQ1 1l(?) while the above sticker notes your serial number as: VM3511MAQ4F. Do a serial number lookup with that for more info.

And now that you have mentioned the possible availability of Mac minis… if there are original G4 Mac minis available - those are definitely another very low cost alternative to pulling your hair out with the 1.0 Ghz eMac. Especially with the latest hack available here to run OS 9 on the G4 Mac mini. (1.25, 1.33, 1.42 and 1.5 GHz models.)

http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,4365.0.html •Definitely check this option out!

[IIO]

latest emac and imac machines are tricky candidates, and that a mac which is officially or actually not able to boot into OS9 shows the first half of the boot progress is quite a normal phenomenon.

however, there can be of course (beside the "non-support") be other reasons why a machine wont boot into OS9 or an OS9 CD.

i would try to boot this computer with a 9.2.2 "universal" CD from our site, then you can at least be sure that the system you are using is "correct". the "universal" is a regular apple release but which is newer than all OS9 capable hardware in order to make sure it works on all machines.

while there are good reasons to use quark 4.1 i see no reason to use CRT monitors in 2023. eventually a G4 desktop would be a great replacement.

[refinery]

as i recall, there were some model-specific 9.2.2 disks, but Apple never shipped a universal 9.2.2 installer CD. only updaters. if you're using legit Apple disks you need to use a 9.2 and then run the updaters (which was what was on those 9.2.2 CDs Apple released)

i'd recommend using our 9.2.2 images, or find an Apple legit 9.1 or 9.2 install disk, and run the updates after.

[coranismk]

Thank you everyone for your replies.

I will be attempting your universal 9 install to see if it has any kind of response. Have been looking for minis but the oldest one I could see available was a late 2009 model that didn't fit your suggested ones

https://imgur.com/a/SLAOnc0

this link shows some disks that I have found in the past and tried running but to no avail. My boss doesn't even remember where those are from.

P.S. Could it be that I am burning the images on disks the wrong way? I am still using a mac system to do it. Maybe I am missing something? Using wrong disks?

[IIO]

if somebody really manages to break a CD image by burning it wrong under windows OS, which is theoretically possible, it would not be identified as boot volume at all.

[FBz]

It is possible to have a “bad burn” from downloaded images (I’ve done so more than once). But let’s assume that this has not been the case for you thus far and try IIO’s suggestion of the Universal Installer. If that does not work, then you might try a download and install of Mac OS 10.4 (Tiger). If that works, then you could try an install of OS 9.2 afterwards, as a version to work under Classic Mode with Tiger?

If Tiger works, then we might assume that your SuperDrive model of the eMac will not accept OS 9 as a standalone, bootable install. (Sorry.)

AND if you are able to install Tiger (and OS 9 under Classic Mode) then welcome back to the HELL that users of Quark 4.1 encountered when Apple went Classic Mode way back then.

Hopefully however, the Universal 9.2.2 Installer will work. (Not holding my breath here for that.)

I did find a 1.42 GHz G4 Mac Mini in the U.K. - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/364017741305?hash=item54c125edf9

eBay Germany minis seem quite a bit more pricey AND I was unable to access eBay / Greece.

Again however, Quicksilvers and MDDs are also very suitable for your intended use, so price comparisons and availability need be considered.

Best of luck to you!

[refinery]

What are you using to burn the disks? Sometimes with OS9 images and Toast, I had to mount the image and then tell toast to make a "volume copy" instead of directly burning the image.

[coranismk]

I just right click the iso and click on the "Burn to disk option" in a mac with Mojave OS.
I've also managed to find an MDD with 9.2 running already. Saved it as a final option if all else fails