I have a 6360, which although it LOOKS more like a 6200 or 6300, is more closely related to the 6400 and 6500, as far as its motherboard goes.

I've done all sorts of really nutty things on it, and regularly switch between 7.6, 8.1 and 9.x (not positive which version).

I switch the "crazy way" in that I have multiple system folders on the same partition and move the Finder file to a sub folder away from the System file in the inactive ones.  I do NOT recommend doing this, and something like a "system switcher" utility, or having them on different partitions is definitely a more sane way to do it, but it works for me.

I've got a second partition which has a backup of the first on it.

Putting a "new" different HD in it and setting the original aside as aBc suggests is a very good idea.  The IDE drive I have in mine isn't the original, because I wanted a larger one.

I've used a couple different USB cards with it, when running MacOS 9 and it works like a charm.  The one I have in it right now uses an OPTI chipset.  I haven't used the card with the older OS's, but I've heard it is possible if you use the correct drivers.  I just use whatever came with MacOS 9.

You can find disk images of all versions of MacOS on macintoshgarden.org, and, with some luck, burn them on another machine to install on the 6500.  (I say luck because I'm always seeing people burning system disks not QUITE right).  You don't need a 6500 specific one, and the "retail" versions should work fine.

You can also boot off the BlueScsi, and set up a good image on it using a modern machine...that'd give you a known good environment to fix up the internal drive.  If you haven't done that before there is a little bit of a learning curve to get the files right.

I wish you luck, the 6500 is a very nice machine, always wished I had one instead of my not quite so pretty 6360.  Let us know what you run into.

Ah right, I forgot about that. In that case, check the NVRAM editor to make sure there's no line containing `dev /cpus/PowerPC,60@1`. If that line isn't there, I'm not sure where it's being defined. Open Firmware is throwing an error related to it and stopping the boot process. However, you should still be able to type `mac-boot` at the prompt to continue booting.

I tried playing around with the hardware acceleration here, but was unsuccessful:
https://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=7054.msg54720#msg54720

Hi, I've been doing some tests, but nothing new. Although I have discovered a few things.

It turns out I was able to boot with the "Unsupported" Mac OS ROM because I had the Gigadesigns Boot Patcher for OS9 installed. I'm attaching a photo.

Without it, NO Mac OS ROM will boot.

I removed the Gigadesigns patcher and tried all the ROMs. Some appeared when booting with ALT, but when I selected them, the screen went gray. Not even the "Unsupported" ROM works. Your two modified ROMs still have the same effect; they take me to Open Firmware, and I can't figure out the commands. I've tried several things, and none of them work.

Then I reinstalled the Gigadesigns Patcher, which is a patch that is deleted if you remove the battery or boot with Opt-Cmd-R-P. With it, I've been able to boot only with the "Unsupported" ROM, but without internal sound (yes, through the headphones) and without 3D acceleration.

Is it possible to add that Gigadesigns Patcher to the "Unsupported" ROM? Could you add the Screamer Patcher to it?

Regarding the GF4, it seems that only the v3.2 drivers allow millions of colors; the v3.5 drivers sometimes boot with 256 colors. As you may have noticed, I'm not very good with Open Firmware, and I might be going on about something crazy now, but could it be that the NVidia drivers don't have the ID for this new GF4? If I'm not mistaken, the 9200 ID was added to the 9000 drivers for the Mini, and that's how it worked. Could something similar be done? Maybe I misunderstood the GF4 thread you showed me.

Seems like almost always, when one acquires a new (used) machine… the very first thing one should do is to back-up the original HD as it was received. Especially if one intends to begin adding new cards or other accessories, other OS’es — or to simply retain what’s already on the HD.

Invariably, if this is not done… problems do occur.
In this case… now lost access to the Macintosh boot drive.

Perhaps I’m OCD, but I wipe drives and multi-partition first and then begin reinstalling [or installing clean OS’es.] Otherwise you’re just working with a drive that has already amassed a great deal of clutter (and other utter trash) from previous owner(s) throughout its lifetime.

SO, remove everything that you’ve added (USB PCI card, ethernet card, etc.) so far and back to square one.

Using the Power Macintosh 6500 Series Macintosh Restore CD, I would “restore” the original OS (and multi-partition the drive if possible also at that time). If no option to partition… then I might begin instead with OS 9 and multi-partition the HD with that install disc and work backwards for 8.0 - 8.5.

Sorry, haven’t had my head in System 7.5.5 for quite a very long time.

The 6500 Series Macintosh Restore CD, I assume will install OS 7.5.5 - but it seems that you are more interested in OS 8.0 to OS 8.5 and OS 9.1 (and eventually OS 9.2)? So… maybe 2 or 3 partitions? You can upgrade the OS 7.5.5 installed partition to OS 8 / OS 8.5 and then install OS 9 on the second partition perhaps? And then… with the assistance of the third party utility “OS9 Helper” — install OS 9.2.

https://macintoshgarden.org/apps/os9-helper

Then, after successfully installing SysSoftware 7.5.5, OS 8.1 / 8.5 and OS 9 (to OS 9.2) on two or three different partitions… then begin adding back in your USB card, ethernet card, etc. (one at a time) configuring each along the way and working out any kinks that you might encounter. And again, you might wish to simply install 8.1 / 8.5 over and on the partition with 7.5.5?

This is all, definitely not a fun approach — but it will hopefully provide you with a very stable machine afterwards. There are likely other approaches that some might offer you here but this approach provides the best possible foundation upon which you might build.

You might also substitute a different HD, in order to retain and possibly access whatever you might wish from the original HD before overwriting it completely (if that is still possible).

There’s my two cents. Best of luck to you.

Anyone else care to comment?

Sounds much like a failed power button / board. Does the button itself remain illuminated when you boot from your ADC monitor?

Check all connections (even that main connector from the PSU) to the motherboard and also the condition (no scrapes or broken wires) of the black ribbon cable —  its entire length and especially near the hinge.

           

If no scrapes, broken wires or evident poor cable plug-in connections… may be time for a new button / board.

Looks like DV Warehouse has the power button (922-5276) listed for $99.00 - but they’re out of stock!
And Mac Part Store has ‘em (also 922-5276) for $50.15. Kinda pricey, ehh? I’d hope you can find one less expensive.

But if you’re in the U.S. and the button boards did not change between the MDD FW400 and FW800 models, I may have quite a few available if you need one. If so, then a minimal cost for me to actually remove one and package it + mailing costs. Again, provided that you’re in the U.S. and I don’t need to fill out a customs form. And I’ll check here for any possible differences between the two types of MDDs (FW 800 vs. 400) should you actually require a button board.

Another thought… even though the button won’t boot your MDD, does it light up at all when pressed? It’s only an intermittent switch, but if its not lighting up, well… maybe time for a replacement.

Ah right, I forgot about that. In that case, check the NVRAM editor to make sure there's no line containing `dev /cpus/PowerPC,60@1`. If that line isn't there, I'm not sure where it's being defined. Open Firmware is throwing an error related to it and stopping the boot process. However, you should still be able to type `mac-boot` at the prompt to continue booting.

I tried playing around with the hardware acceleration here, but was unsuccessful:
https://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=7054.msg54720#msg54720

Good morning all, I hope you can help me.  I recently purchased a 6500/300 at VCF Southwest.  The Monday after, I got called into HR and was told I'm being laid off.  The PowerMac runs very well but is hard to get files in and out of it.  I do have an external BlueSCSI that I can use to move files but I'm still learning so I struggle a bit.  Anyway, I spent some money to bring RAM up to 128 MBs, added a 10/100 PCI ethernet card and found the driver for it on line.  I also bought  a OS9 CD and a Power Macintosh 6500 Series Macintosh Restore CD.  I also just received a GODSHARK Internal USB 2.0 PCI Card from Amazon. 

In the Amazon page some buyers indicate they used it on older classic Macs without issue.  Also, there is high praise for it using the NEC chipset.  So, now that I have it, I've been trying to find an OS9.1 driver but haven't had had any luck.  I ran the restore disk on my PMac but it kept failing with every attempt at instillation.  I finally reinstalled the HD drivers and now, I've lost access to my Macintosh HD boot drive.  Also, I don't have the 8.1 installation CD (even though OS9.1 is installed and I'm not really sure where to go from here).  I do have installation images from BlueSCSI for OS 8.0 to 8.5 but since I've already blown up my first IDE partition, I need to figure out what to do.

So I hope I can be pointed in the right direction to repair my boot HD partition and install a driver for the internal USB drive.  I should also mention I made a CD-ROM of the universal OS 9.2.2 install disk but the 6500 complains this OS is not for my machine.

I'm feeling a little frustrated but I'm sure somebody can help me fix it.  Just to give you some background about me, I own a couple of Apple IIGSes, my first Mac was a G5 iMac, my wife hijacked my early 2013 MBP, I'm writing this on my M1 MBP, I own and repaired my beautiful SE/30, a couple of LC475s but I've never had such a thing as a PowerMac.

Thank you for your time, assistance and patience,
Gerry

Good to hear!

Okay, I'll try all that, but... with those changes, I'm not going to lose the gigabyte patcher so I can use the 7447, right? Because if the patcher is "deleted," I won't be able to boot anymore. Remember I did a CPU swap.

I have tried all the ROMs without writing anything in OpenFirmware, just placing Mac OS ROM in system folder and booting.

As for the graphics, just like what was done with the 9200 to get it to work on the Mini, can't you add the ID of the "new" GF4 to the drivers so it'll recognize it? I have no idea how to do that.

Good to hear!

The sound issue is still likely due to the "screamer" fix not being present, and if that doesn't work your next best bet would be to plug something into the headphone jack and see if that fixes it.

I would try the second ROM (with screamer fix) again, because it looks like you have an incorrect device path referenced in your NVRAM. Try the following:

1. Boot into Open Firmware
2. Type
nvedit3. You can press the up and down arrow keys to navigate any saved commands, and you should delete them all
4. Press ctrl + c
5. Run the following:
nvstore
setenv use-nvramrc? false
reset-all6. It should reboot and hopefully boot successfully with sound with the modified ROM.

If it doesn't boot try adding the following to the NVRAM:
dev /cpus/PowerPC,G4@0
80010201 encode-int " cpu-version" property
device-end

Then:
nvstore
setenv use-nvramrc? true
reset-all

The issue is that in your NVRAM it looks like you entered dev /cpus/PowerPC,60@1 instead of dev /cpus/PowerPC,G4@0, although maybe that is correct? I don't have that machine to test.

The video issues are a different problem, hardware acceleration is unlikely to be possible in this machine. I've tried with a lower model and was unsuccessful.

Thanks to Greystash, I tried the mentioned nvram code without the screamer part and my audio works perfectly!

So for anyone with a Powerbook G4, 15 inch 1Ghz, you only need the following code:

Quote

dev /cpus/PowerPC,G4@0
80010201 encode-int " cpu-version" property
device-end

would this work with a Apple PowerBook G4 1.5 12" (12-Inch 1.5 GHz - M9690LL/A* - PowerBook6,8 - A1104 - 2030) ?

Thanks!
If you're copying over the System folder, there's a chance it's not being "Blessed". If that's the case there's a terminal command you can run to bless the OS9 system folder from OSX.

As long as the Mac OS 9 disk drivers are installed the rest of your setup sounds good.

Can you please try these ROMs. If you place them in the OS9 System Folder it should eliminate the need to run those Open Firmware commands. I modified the iMic ROM to run the OFW command as part of the boot script.

Test ROM

Use this ROM if the above works:
Screamer ROM

If you don't get any crashes with those ROMS, then I would suspect it's something to do with the System Folder being unblessed or partitioning issues.
If your system does crash, reboot and hold the alt key and boot from OSX, then restore the original Mac OS ROM.

iMac G3s are a pain with multi-partition SSDs and I had a lot of trouble with this. The G4 may be similar. This page may also be helpful: iMac G3 Dual Bootable SSD Setup/

Hello!!! Thank you so much for your instructions and help.

I downloaded your two ROMs, but they weren't working, so I booted the iMac in Target Disk mode and, from the Mac Mini running OS 9, ran First Aid on the iMac disk. This fixed it and caused the OS 9 disk image with your ROMs to appear when booting with ALT.

With the first ROM, the first thing it does is open the CD tray and then enter Open Firmware. With the second ROM, the CD doesn't open, but it also enters Open Firmware. I've attached a photo.

Since you were right, and that I had the wrong system folder because I had copied it from OSX (and that it had worked for me before), I tried another ROM file, which I think is the "Unsupported" one, and which I attached below.

It booted with this ROM, but I have two issues (I'd appreciate other things I need to check). First, I have no internal sound, and second, I only had 256 colors and no 3D acceleration.

I haven't gotten anywhere with the sound, but with the graphics, changing the NVidia drivers from version 2.3 to version 3.2 or 3.5 allows me to get millions of colors, but I still don't have 3D acceleration. Since it's a more modern GF4 chip and AGPx8, there may not be drivers for OS9.

Do you know if these problems can be solved?