# PowerMac G4 won't boot into OS 9



## durisinm (Dec 28, 2007)

I bought a used MDD PowerMac G4, 1.25MHz, with FireWire 400 (no FireWire 800) because I understood that it could boot into both OS X and OS 9.2.2. Note that I am NOT talking about running the Classic emulator for OS 9. This computer should be able to boot directly into OS 9. I have some OS 9 software that I still want to run. 

I performed a clean installation of OS X 10.4.11 on the main drive, being sure to install the OS 9 drivers, and I installed a second drive with OS 9.2.2 on it from my old beige PowerMac G3. I cannot figure out how to boot into OS 9 from the PMG4. 

I have tried using OS X's System Preferences Startup Disk to choose the OS 9 system file on the second drive. OS 9 is clearly visible as a boot choice, but the computer starts to boot, briefly displays a folder with a smiling Mac face, and then boots into OS X.

I've held down the Option key while booting. That brings up a display with three icons. The icon on the left is a circling arrow. Clicking on it makes the computer scan for other drives, but after a brief display of the ticking wristwatch the original display returns. The center icon displays the OS X symbol. I believe that there should be another icon in the center with the OS 9 symbol. The icon on the right is a right-pointing arrow. Clicking it continues the boot process--into OS X.

I've held down the C key while booting with an OS 9.1 installation CD in the PMG4's optical drive. This gives me the same results as when I hold down the Option key while booting.

I also tried removing the OS X drive from the PMG4 so that only the drive with OS 9.2.2 remained. In that case the computer wouldn't boot at all. It just displays a blank screen.

I'm pretty sure that the System file in the drive holding OS 9.2.2 is properly blessed. It displays the smiling Mac face on it.

My beige PMG3 could boot into either OS X 10.2.8 and OS 9.2.2 without a problem, and I could switch easily back and forth. From everything I've read the PMG4 I have should be able to run OS 9. The seller (PowerMax) advertised it that way, and its features fit the description of systems that should be able to do it.

I noticed something else that may be relevant to this issue. I was trying to use the PMG4's Command-F command to search the OS 9.2.2 drive to be sure that I didn't have two System Folders on it. I found that OS X's Command-F couldn't find anything on the OS 9.2.2 drive even when I searched for files that I knew existed on it, but the command worked properly on the OS X drive. Note that OS X's Finder can browse all of the OS 9.2.2 files.

Later that evening I copied some files from the OS 9.2.2 drive over my home network to a second PMG4 running OS X 10.3.9, revised them using an application (OS X version of AppleWorks) I haven't installed on the first PMG4 yet, and copied them back to the OS 9.2.2 drive. I discovered that OS X's Command-F command could now find just those two revised files on the OS 9.2.2 drive. Something I had done to those two files made them visible to the searching process. This made me wonder if there's something about the protection or permission settings on the OS 9.2.2 files that is preventing the computer from properly accessing the System Folder and its System file when booting.

Does anyone know what I have to do to get the PMG4 to boot OS 9? All my research tells me that it should be able to do it, but it hasn't so far.


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## sinclair_tm (Mar 11, 2005)

well, the mac will not boot from an os 9.1 cd. the os has to be 9.2.2 only, and i'm sure there was ever a 9.2.2 bootable install cd. the only thing that you can do is find a set of restore cds that would of come with the mac when it was new, and use those to install os 9.2.2. as to why it will not boot from the other hard drive, it is most likely missing the necessary system files required to run the newer mdd g4.


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## durisinm (Dec 28, 2007)

I think that I can obtain an OS 9.2.2 installation disk at a cost of about $60, but I wonder if it will contain the missing system files that sinclair_tm says that I need. I don't have the restore disks for the PMG4 because I bought it used. I would hate to spend the money and find out that it didn't.

There might be an OS 9.2.2 System Folder for running Classic on the OS X drive. I wonder if the necessary system files would be in there? If they were and if I could identify them, then I might be able to just copy them to the proper location on the OS 9.2.2 drive.

I'll see what I can find and report back. Thank you for the suggestion.


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## sinclair_tm (Mar 11, 2005)

i'd try starting the mac from that os 9 system and see if that works.


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## Macsolver (Jul 25, 2007)

Hi,

Your G4 requires OS 9.2.2 to boot, but not any old version of OS 9.2.2. Apparently, Apple updated the OS9.2.2 updater download on their website for the last few Macs so it would update the ROM file within the OS9 system folder. This determines if the system will boot your G4 or not.

The ROM file from the G3 will probably be too old, hence will not boot the G4.

If you have a OS9.1 install CD, install a fresh OS9.1 System folder using Classic, or from another Mac. Once on the G4, update this OS9.1 System folder using the 9.2.1 and 9.2.2 updates freshly downloaded from the Apple website.

The OS9.2.2 Mac OS ROM file on my Macs is version 10.2.1

This should in theory give you a bootable System folder, and at least will not cost anything to try. If not, try to get some original disks on ebay !

Regards,

Nick


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