Hopefully you are only viewing this page for nostalgia sake and you're not really using a Mac this old. Any Intel Mac does not support OS 9. My first advice to you is to get a new Mac! The internet has passed you by and no longer speaks the same language as your old web browser. Your old applications are so old that the less expensive upgrade path to a new version is long gone. You now must purchase the full version of a program which can be $1,000 more than the upgrade. I understand that some of you run a small
business and still can't afford to upgrade. That is why this
information is still here.
Booting into OS 7 - 9
This is what you need to do at least once a month if you are booting into OS 7 - 9 on any old Mac.
Rebuild the Desktop:
Apple - Option key at start-up.
Zap P-RAM:
Apple - Option - P - R- keys at start-up. Wait for three start up tones then release the keys.
Run a Diagnostic CD:
Disk
First Aid, Tech Tools or Norton Utilities. First make sure that they are the old versions of the programs mentioned. Never use a disk utility unless you are absolutely sure it is the same version of the operating system you are checking. Using the wrong version can result in the destruction of all your data on the hard drive. To run any of these diagnostic programs, insert the CD into the CD drive then restart
your Mac while holding down the C key on the keyboard. Run the diagnostic test and follow the prompts.
Classic Troubleshooting
For those of you that have an older Mac and are running OS 9 in Classic mode, you can keep this old puppy running as smooth as
possible. This advice is for those of you who are running OS 9 on top of OS X. Not booting into it. If you are booting into OS 9, follow the instructions above.
Rebuild the Desktop:
Launch System Preferences and click on Classic. Click on the
Advanced tab and then click on the Rebuild Desktop button. Do this
monthly.
Manage Extensions:
Extension conflicts are the number 1 problem in OS 9. Keep Extensions to a minimum. Turn off everything the you
don't need. While in OS 9, you'll see the rainbow apple in the upper left corner of you menu bar. Click on it and drag down to Control Panels then over to Extension Manager. Go up to View and change your view to packages. If there is a check mark in the box, the extension is loaded at startup. If the box is blank, it is off. Check each package and turn off the package if you are not using it by clicking in the box to remove the check mark. Example: If you do not use dial-up any longer, turn off the Apple Remote Access package. If you no longer have an Image Writer printer (God forbid!) turn off the Image Writer driver and so on until you have a lean and mean working environment. If you don't like doing this, get OS X and you won't have to do it any longer.
Caution!! Do not use diagnostic disks such as Norton Utilities or Tech Tool for OS 9 on a computer that is also running OS X! I had a client wipe out all the data on a server doing this. The only thing you can do to fix OS 9 when emulating on top of OS X is to follow the instructions above. If OS 9, gets so bad that you can no longer use it, you might start thinking about upgrading your programs to run in OS X. If this is not an option, then a service call is warranted. Before you call, be forewarned that the price for service can be just as much if not greater than the program you can't afford. Extension conflict resolution or rebuilding OS 9 from scratch can take hours. Call 269-214-2356 for service.
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