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[EddieC]

Hi there,

I'd like to know if anyone has any insight into my problem. I have an inexpensive modern monitor connected to a G4 running 9.1. I have the option for several different resolutions but regardless of the one I choose, the images appear elongated horizontally to accommodate the rectangular shape of the monitor. I'm used to seeing things displayed in their proper proportion regardless of how wide the monitor is.

Any clue as to what may be going on and how to deal with it? It's critical because I'm using it to scan and view images in it. I have searched the forum for similar topics but haven't come up with anything.

Thanks in advance for your help!
Eduardo Citrinblum
Los Angeles

[GaryN]

Three points come to mind:

1. You've given no info whatsoever about the equipment other than it's a G4 and the monitor is newer and cheap. Generally speaking, specifying model #s and any/all other possible relevant details will get you a faster and more accurate answer.

2. Best guess with that little info is your video card and monitor are incompatible. What to do? No idea for certain. Probably get a different monitor.

3. You say "I have an inexpensive modern monitor" and then "It's critical because I'm using it to scan and view images in it". Those two statements appear to be at odds.

Fill in the details and we'll try again.

[EddieC]

Hi Gary,

Thank you for your reply. You make some good points. I apologize for the lack of information on my part but I'm one of those who knows a lot about what happens on the outside of the computer but virtually nothing of what's inside. It's a miracle that I'm still running a drum scanner with OS 9 compatible software.

1. G4 Gigabit, OS 9.2.1, 1.25 GB, Radeon Card, SCSI Card (I'm not really sure what a video card is or where you look for the specs)
The monitor es an LG Model# 24EA53VA

3. The monitor being and inexpensive one yet critical to the work is not a problem in this case because all I need to do is preview the scan, crop it and make sure it's in focus. The color isn't critical. I had an old Mac monitor for decades that worked perfectly until it died. I figured replacing it with a more contemporary one would give me more physical space on the table and more space for windows on the desktop.

I hope this makes things a bit more clear.

I am very thankful for your effort to help me.

Eduardo

[Philgood]

Could it be that it's due to the own monitor settings ? Look for a possible aspect ratio setting and set it to normal/original...whatever it's called (if present).

[EddieC]

Didn't think to check that Philgood. I'll look for setting on the monitor and report back. Thanks!

[GaryN]

So, your LG has an "OSD" Menu with a "wide or original" selection. The original setting may get you a proper aspect ratio although you may have black bars on the top and bottom. This is assuming you're connecting via DVI.

The likely problem is that while your Radeon video card supports 1920x1200, your LG is 1920x1080 maximum - so the LG is stretching a lower-resolution pic to fill the screen. You should be able to see what rez is active and what else may be available (if anything) in the Monitors Control Panel.

The LG and your old Mac are NOT a happy couple so consider any proper aspect ration pic you can get to be a win. Do not be surprised if nothing works - the LG is much happier on a Windoze machine. There are some other video cards that can be hacked and coerced into working in the Mac that may - stress may - generate an LG-compatible signal. This is a guaranteed pain in the ass to achieve. At the end of the day you're probably better advised to find an old Mac monitor. You should have an ADC video connector. Old ADC Studio Displays and even Cinema Displays (killer pic!) often appear on Craigslist for cheap.

[EddieC]

And the award goes to... GaryN!!

Great! I did discover the Wide-Original button after Philgood suggested (thanks), but as you say, it gives me two fat, black bands on each side together with the right proportion image in the center (almost a square). I suppose I'll have to get a different monitor then since neither of the options I have with this one are acceptable.

Thanks again Gary!
Eduardo

[IIO]

try system extensions like switch res or multiresolutions. they allow you to use all resolutions the monitor offers by asking it.

[GaryN]

Damn! I totally forgot that there's an old version of SwitchRes that runs on OS9. This is definitely worth a try!

[EddieC]

Hi Gary,

Thanks for that! I was kind of into the getting a used monitor idea. Those old cinema displays look cool and are very inexpensive.

But I want to try SwitchRes 2.5.3. Unfortunately I have another problem which doesn't allow me to do it. I'm afraid to be taxing your patience for helping me, but I'll run it just in case you have a quick answer.

Here it is:
I'm not connected to the internet on my System 9 computer. I haven't been able to make that work yet. So everything that I have to download for that computer I download on a G5 Mac Pro (2010) 2 x 2.66 GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon, running 10.11.6. So far I haven't been able to transfer any files downloaded on this computer into the other one. The OS9 computer simply does not recognize the files. Most of the times, the icon shows letter e. I've formatted a portable disk on OS9 to see if that made a difference, but this file (SwitchRes 2.5.3_.sit) bounces off of it. I've given up on figuring that out so I have been buying old software disks from Ebay in order to get applications on it. I feel quite retarded but all my tech savvy friends have told me they have no idea why that may be happening.

[GaryN]

Sadly, there is no easy-peasy FTP solution to get from 10.11 to 9 (Thank you Apple). BUT…

I've formatted a portable disk on OS9 to see if that made a difference, but this file (SwitchRes 2.5.3_.sit) bounces off of it.

Whaddya mean "bounces off of it? Actually, that should work. You should be able to park the .sit file on the portable drive, plug it into the G4 and transfer it. (It will require Stufit Expander or similar once you get it there to "un-sit" it).

All of that notwithstanding, you really should get the old beast connected to the net. That should be a wired connection (for the sake of your sanity) since modern wi-fi security protocols are also not OS9 loving and all wireless solutions are a pain in the ass one way or another.

With ethernet however, you can just open the TCP/IP control panel and set the computer to connect through Ethernet and use a DHCP server. You can then use good old Explorer (which you should have) to download Classilla and you'll have a surprisingly decent browser. Once that's running, it's easy to download all the little (and big) things-OS9 you'll want and need as time goes on.

[EddieC]

Hi Gary,

After an hour or so of searching and trying, I was able to get connected for the first time! I'm very excited about it. But my problem now is that Explorer 5 has all kinds of problems showing me pages. For example this Forum doesn't come up due to error 403. The welcome page is fine but when you click on the forum button, you get the error. I'm able to get google.com but if I click on any link, I get error alerts. Eventually it leads to a crash.

Is there a specific preferences configuration that works best? Do I need to upgrade to another version? I have 5.0 right now.

Very thankful!!
Eduardo

[IIO]

For example this Forum doesn't come up due to error 403.

that is the way this site says hello to microsoft.

IE 5 is 17 years old. you should only use it to download this: http://www.floodgap.com/software/classilla/releases/

[IIO]

p.s. oif you use 10.11 your drive might not be HFS. try using an usb stick which you formatted on OS9 or windows, then it works on all macs.

[GaryN]

As I (and IIO said)… get Classilla.

[EddieC]

Thank you IIO! I was able to get some info for Classilla by searching the forum. Great! I also figured that it might be a good idea to get another hard drive and install system X just to browse and download. It seems like a lot of OS9 users do that.

With regards to your comment about the USB stick, it sounds like you read my comment about not being able to transfer files across systems. Here's what I experience:

1) By the way, what is "HFS"?
2) My G4 with the OS9 doesn't see USB thumbdrives. They just don't show up on the desktop, even if I plug them directly on to the tower outlet.
3) I'm able to mount both hard drives formatted on OS9 and on OS 10.11. But the files downloaded on 10.11 aren't recognized on the OS9 system. And the drive formatted on OS9 doesn't accept files from 10.11 (they bounce off of it) I haven't been able to download anything from 10.11 and successfully transfer it to OS9. But I can bring files from OS9 and bring them into 10.11.

Once I install Classilla I hope to be able to download directly from this site into OS9.

Thanks to both for the help and have a great weekend!
Eduardo

[EddieC]

Your right Gary! I missed your Classilla reference. But got everything else you said to work Don't give up on me sir!

[mrhappy]

Sadly, there is no easy-peasy FTP solution to get from 10.11 to 9 (Thank you Apple). BUT…

All of that notwithstanding, you really should get the old beast connected to the net. That should be a wired connection (for the sake of your sanity) since modern wi-fi security protocols are also not OS9 loving and all wireless solutions are a pain in the ass one way or another.

With ethernet however, you can just open the TCP/IP control panel and set the computer to connect through Ethernet and use a DHCP server. You can then use good old Explorer (which you should have) to download Classilla and you'll have a surprisingly decent browser. Once that's running, it's easy to download all the little (and big) things-OS9 you'll want and need as time goes on.

So THAT is the ticket?!!! My OS9 machines haven't seen the internet since around '08. Guess I'll have to pick up a spool of wire!!!

[GaryN]

OK, the dawn is breaking…

I should have caught this sooner: The option to "install OS9 Drivers" when formatting a drive was removed as of Lion and is not available in El Crapitan. So stuff placed there in your Pro is invisible to OS 9 in the G4.

Here is a simple, straightforward solution for all of this that has worked for me for years - not the only solution, but a good one:

Install Tiger or Leopard on the G4 - either on a separate drive or on a separate partition / volume. Make certain "Install OS9 drivers is checked.
Download and install TenFourFox as your OSX browser.

Install OS9 on the G4 - either on a separate drive or on a separate partition / volume.
Download and install Classilla as your OS9 browser.

Now, you'll be able to access anything, anywhere on the net with the G4.
      AND
Now, you will be able to transfer anything you like between computers all day long.

You can transfer between 10.11 and 10.4 or 10.5 over ethernet - the computers will show up as available shared servers to each other.
If you have something on the pro, you send it to the 10.4 drive - say, the desktop.
Then you reboot the G4 into OS9, find the file on the 10.4 drive desktop and copy it to the OS9 drive.
You can even transfer stuff over Firewire with one of them in Target Disk mode.

Sooner or later you'll even get SwitchRes happening so you can see what you're doing…

[ovalking]

Is there a specific preferences configuration that works best? Do I need to upgrade to another version? I have 5.0 right now.

The last version of IE for OS9 or earlier was 5.1.7.
It's actually one of Microsoft's better attempts and is pretty good for its age.
Turn off style sheets and allocate it plenty of RAM. Use a RAM disk for the cache.
It's really annoying it won't work with this forum though.