OS9 Install Error

[dean]

Hi All,
Can anyone help me out with this? I am trying to install OS 922 onto an iMac g3 600Mhz booting from an external usb dvd drive (the internal drive on the imac is kaput). It is an iso downloaded from this site and the install starts, begins loading extensions and then it quits with this error. Any ideas?

[DieHard]

Very hard to help with the limited info you gave, but let's start by reading... sounds like you do not have enough RAM installed to run 9.2.2

How much RAM is installed in the iMac... at least 128MB ?  less ?

[dean]

Sorry, it has 256 MB installed

[DieHard]

That should be enough so run a diag test

http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/board,33.0.html

[dean]

I've tried booting from AHT & Norton Utilities & it starts the bootup sequence and I keep getting the same error. I have replaced the pram battery and swapped out ram to 1GB with same results. The error pops up and the external dvd drive just stops reading. Could USB be a problem?

[ssp3]

Try different CD/DVD drive. I am not sure that original Apple's CD/DVD driver can handle any mechanism, especially external USB.
Do you have any spare external USB HDD or SSD drive that you can boot off?

[dean]

I do have a spare HD I can use & connect via USB. What do I need to put on it to boot from it? Just the ISO? I only have a windows PC to work from

[ssp3]

Try my method outlined here:
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,6742.msg51333.html

[dean]

OK ssp3 that worked! However when I try to initialize the internal HD it freezes up. I am trying again now writing zeros to the drive first. When it's done I will try again and report back.

[dean]

OK so no luck. No matter what I do the system freezes when trying to initialize the internal HD. I've tried 2 different drives and same results. Any other ideas? Can I put the external drive into the machine and boot from it and restore from there?

[ssp3]

1. Cable.
2. Disconnect CD/DVD drive.

[dean]

I'm sorry, could you elaborate?

[dean]

All good now. Thank you all for your help, I really appreciate it!

[Mat]

dean, could you please inform us (and the future readers) what the problem was in your opinion, and what fixed the issue? As I am getting older the permanent "nothing works – all good – no chance – all is fine"-ups and downs are quite taxing for me, and I would love to know what was the solution. ;)

[dean]

Mat,
seems that by simply disconnecting the internal cd drive cable fixed the issue of freezing when trying to initialize the internal hard drive. Once the drive was initialized and OS9 was installed I was able to reconnect the CD drive cable and all was working fine. I don't know why that worked, but it did. Hope it helps