Questions tagged [classic-mac-os]

Versions of Mac OS prior to Mac OS X 10.0 are regarded as ‘classic’.

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Open Mac OS 9.1 and 9.2 image files with SheepShaver

A friend from Greece has extracted the contents of Mac OS 9.x CD-ROMs and made them available to me: Mac OS 9.1 (Greek) as a non-bootable zip file (https://mega.nz/file/ykliWRZZ#...
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I have an iBook G3 running Mac OS 9.2. I moved Finder and now it won't boot. How can I fix this?

I'm unfamiliar with classic Mac OS, and I wanted to make Finder easier to reach, so I moved it to the desktop. I didn't realize that this would make Finder inaccessible to the system! Since then, my ...
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Cannot boot from Mac OS 9 install DVD on PowerBook G4

I want to install Mac OS 9 on my iBook and PowerBook G4, but I encountered some issues when I tried to start up the computers with the Mac OS 9 install DVDs. Here are the isssues that I encountered ...
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1 answer
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Graphics output issue while installing Mac OS 9 on old Power Macintosh G3

I'm trying to resurrect an Apple Power Macintosh G3 300 (Blue & White). I get the "question folder" icon when I turn it on normally. I burned an iso of Mac OS 9.2.2 and popped it into ...
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2 votes
1 answer
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Change UI's menu select blink rate

Back in System 7 there was an option to change how many times a menu item would blink when selected: Is it still possible to change this setting in modern-day macOS versions? (I am using 10.14.6 ...
0 votes
1 answer
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Can I run one KeyQuencer Macro from inside of another?

KeyQuencer is a macro/automation app for Classic Mac System 7. I have a bunch of Macros already defined and I'd like to call Macro A from Macro B. Possible workarounds I've dismissed out of ...
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1 vote
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Mac OS 7.5.3 Command-Delete

I'm running Mac OS 7.5.3 under Sheepshaver on a Mac mini with Catalina. I remember there was a Command-Delete ability to send files and folders to the trash with the aforementioned keystrokes. What I ...
1 vote
0 answers
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FAT16 on a USB drive with Mac OS 9?

I can read a USB disk formatted as FAT32 on my PowerBook G4 with Mac OS 9.2.2 but it does not recognize and asks then I erase the disk if I insert one that is formatted as FAT16; formatting it as ...
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2 votes
1 answer
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How do I backup OS 9 system files?

I have a PowerBook G4 Titanium that I need to wipe to clear the previous user's personal data. It has a password that I don't know but I can still login automatically to OS X upon boot. Not having the ...
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1 vote
1 answer
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Why does extracting a large file with MacZip cause Mac OS 9 to hang?

Why is it that I can perform multitasking when extracting .sit files with StuffIt Expander but extracting .zip files with MacZip causes Mac OS 9 to hang until extraction is complete?
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5 votes
2 answers
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How to install OS 9 on my PowerBook G4?

I am having trouble getting Mac OS 9.2.2 installed on my PowerBook G4 Titanium (867mhz). I am knowledgeable with Windows and Linux but I have no experience on how to setup these older Macs. They seem ...
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In System 6.0.8 with MacWrite 1.0 how do I open a plain text file?

I'm using Mini vMac which emulates a Mac Plus (I don't even think I have a Mac Plus anymore, and the SE/30's in the closet probably with leaking caps). I've managed to get a copy of MacWrite 1.0, and ...
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1 vote
1 answer
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Can this 800 MHz iMac G4 boot into Mac OS 9?

I'm trying to find a legacy Mac that I can use to boot into Mac OS 9. I've found an old iMac G4 in the classified ads, but it has Mac OS X currently installed and I'm not sure if it's compatible with ...
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Is it possible to change the default screenshot location in Mac OS 9.2.1 (and, if so, how)?

I have an indigo 450 MHz iMac G3 DV+ running Mac OS 9.2.1. I take a lot of screenshots, which Mac OS deposits in the root of the iMac's system drive; I've created a subfolder named "Put Screenshots ...
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1 vote
1 answer
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How to Enable Paste Menu Item in System 7

I recently got a Macintosh Color Classic running System 7.1, and I am trying to move old files off of it. My goal is to copy files from the Macintosh to a floppy drive, then read them from a USB ...
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3 votes
0 answers
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Classic Login to new headless Mac with Apple Remote Desktop?

I vaguely remember a trick from years ago that I'd find useful now. I'm wondering if anyone remembers the details. (I'm assuming this is no longer possible so no longer a "can this be done now" ...
5 votes
3 answers
635 views

Ways To Test iMac G3 Before Buying

I am going to buy an old iMac G3 Over the next couple of days/weeks, and I want to make sure that I am buying a system with no problems. I usually ask for the serial number and good pictures before ...
2 votes
1 answer
193 views

File sharing from OSX 10.6.8 to OS 9.2.2

For several years I have updated my server on OS 9.2.2 using file sharing from OSX 10.5.8. Today I tried to update a file from another Mac with OSX 10.6.8. It mounts the OS 9 volume as usual and I can ...
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

How can I reinstall Mac OS 9 on a G3 PowerBook's original hard drive?

I have a PowerBook G3 from 2000 or so and would like to put Mac OS 9 on it for nostalgia reasons. There are games that simply don't perform well with SheepShaver, plus networking with SheepShaver isn'...
3 votes
1 answer
517 views

What was the maximum screen resolution in Macs based on 68K CPU's?

What was the maximum screen resolution and refresh rate that a 68K-based Macintosh could display? There are reports of Mac OS 9 going up to 1920 x 1200, but that is, of course, running on a PowerPC ...
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3 votes
2 answers
293 views

Help identifying music format used in classic Mac OS games

Until QuickTime Musical Instruments came along, classic Mac OS didn't have much support for MIDI. So many games would pack the MIDI data and samples into resources in the resource fork of the ...
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4 votes
3 answers
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Lossless CD ripping for Mac OS 9

I've recently revived an original clamshell iBook which has something my modern MacbookPro lacks: a CD drive. This has given me an idea: ripping CD's with my iBook and bringing them over to my newer ...
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1 answer
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Macintosh Color Classic won't turn on and has weird boot chimes

I recently got my hands on a Macintosh Color Classic that is known to not work in the hope of fixing it. I have the power plugged in, keyboard, and mouse. When I flip the switch on the back, I hear ...
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3 votes
3 answers
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Getting files off old Mac clone without keyboard, mouse, or monitor

I assume this is impossible, but I thought I'd ask: I have an PowerComputing PowerCenter 150, running some version of Mac OS 8. I don't have a mouse, keyboard, or monitor for the computer. I do have ...
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16 votes
3 answers
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VNC Server for classic Mac OS?

I'm looking to run a VNC server on some of my Macs running Mac OS so that I can access them from other machines. Google searching for generic terms was useless, for example "VNC Server Mac OS&...
8 votes
2 answers
727 views

What deficiencies in Classic Mac OS led Apple to replace it? [closed]

In the movie "Steve Jobs" with Michael Fassbender, it is implied that Jobs started NeXT, not to sell hardware, but to develop a new OS and have Apple buy the company, only for the OS. We all know the ...
-4 votes
1 answer
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Using older operating systems [closed]

I am wondering, other than personal preference which is obviously subjective, what utility does one derive from running outdated operating systems? I notice a lot of folks posting here with questions ...
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2 votes
1 answer
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Identifying what PowerMac I have

I'm having issues identifying what type of PowerMac G4 Quicksilver I have. Looking at the stickers on the machine, I initially come to the conclusion that the machine is a Power Macintosh G4 800 DP (...
1 vote
1 answer
2k views

What was the name of the typeface used on the Mac OS 9/OS X Cheeta/Jaguar packaging?

I am curious as to what typeface was used on the Mac OS 9 & early Mac OS X boxes. Where it reads "Installing Mac OS 9". The slopes of the letters are slightly different than any font that comes ...
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3 votes
2 answers
160 views

Mac OS: 7.5.3 Command-Turn On

I'm not a mac user anymore. But I used to be one when I was a kid. My father had a Macintosh Performa 6200 running MacOS 7.5.3. On said MacOS you could press command + the turn on key on the keyboard,...
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2 votes
1 answer
556 views

Is there a Mac equivalent of DOSBox?

I was trying to run some old software on my Air today and I got these messages: You can't open the application because the classic environment is no longer supported. You can't open the ...
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What Software was Bundled with My Old Mac?

In the beginning of 1995, we bought a Macintosh Performa 5200. I remember that after registering the machine, we got a box with some bonus software on CDs. I certainly know that The Daedalus Encounter ...
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4 votes
1 answer
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(SheepSaver error) Sorry, the desktop folder on the startup disk could not be created. Try unlocking the disk

I've been having problems with a SheepSaver installation (see my other question Unusual problem with Swoop on Mac OS 9.0.4 under SheepSaver) so decided to start from scratch and create a second ...
user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
116 views

Unusual problem with Swoop on Mac OS 9.0.4 under SheepSaver

I have setup SheepSaver with Mac OS 9.0.4 and it boots okay. I've installed software and games. One of those games is Swoop http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/swoop/ I can launch Swoop and play the game ...
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6 votes
1 answer
133 views

Identifying conflicting extensions in classic Mac OS

I am experimenting with Sheepsaver and am having some problems. I've got it booting okay into Mac OS and have installed some games and other software. But I think I was a little too eager and ...
user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
125 views

What is the easiest way to run SW that requires Classis Mac OS 9?

I see a few games that only run on Mac OS 9 and I'd like to try them. However, I run macOS 10.12.2. What could be the easiest way to do it? Specifically, I'd like to play Bonkheads ;-) I have my ...
1 vote
1 answer
38 views

Can't launch Mac OS 9

Need to launch Mac OS 9 but it says it is no longer supported, is there a way around that? I am trying to put it and an old version of QuarkXpress on an old 40 GB external hard drive. I need access ...
user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
23 views

Does anybody know of a repository or resource that has all of the correct filenames for Tetris on PowerPC for macintosh System 7?

Someone at my school brought in a functioning Macintosh Classic running System 7 today that he bought off of Ebay. We were looking around on the applications that were already loaded on it and didn't ...
2 votes
2 answers
1k views

PPC emulator to run Tiger

This might seem like an odd request: There are some classic and early OSX apps which I really enjoyed using and I would like to revive. Is there an emulator which can run the versions of MacOSX Tiger ...
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2 votes
1 answer
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What is the "128 font limit" in classic Mac OS?

I was reading about Bill Gates' famous "640KB" quote, when I came upon http://www.faktoider.nu/640kb_eng.html, a nice article about the quote and its historical context. However, the article also ...
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2 votes
2 answers
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How to emulate Mac OS 8 (in a way that supports CD-ROMs)

I am trying to install old software on my either one of my Macs (Powerbook G4 and iMac 21.5 from 2011). This software contains old fonts in a very rare format, which I would like to be able to watch /...
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5 votes
3 answers
5k views

On OS 9.2.1, how can you access shared files from windows computers?

I'm a total newbie Mac user. I got a Powerbook 3 Pismo off of ebay, got OS 9.2.1 installed, and enabled file sharing. Web browsing is working and I have an IP address. How do I access the shared ...
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2 votes
1 answer
791 views

Selecting which application opens a file with given creator/type codes (System 7)

In System 7, when the user tries to open a document of a type which multiple installed applications can open*, it pops up a dialog asking which one to use. After one is chosen, that application seems ...
8 votes
1 answer
764 views

Can someone point me to resources to reverse engineer ancient Mac software?

I have an ancient program called "Digital Radar" (surveillance software) by Connectix. Connectix developed the original little ball webcam, and was later bought by Logitech. I've tried all of their ...
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14 votes
5 answers
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Is Macintosh System Software 1.0 (Classic MacOS) Free?

Since Macintosh System Softwsre 1.0 is extremely old, has Apple made it free to download? If so, is there a link to download it from? I am just curious to try and run it in an hardware emulator and ...
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3 votes
3 answers
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Git vs rsync when resource fork must be preserved

I have some ancient files that I need to share between Macs. There are over 100,000 of them. I need to keep the directory containing these files in sync. I thought Git would be a good solution, and it ...
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2 votes
2 answers
606 views

Looking for old C compiler

Back in 1987 or 1988 we had a Mac network at college, these would have been either Mac Classic or Mac Plus machines. We used a C compiler on them - what C compilers were around at the time?
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3 votes
1 answer
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System 7: How to unlock screensaver?

I own a vintage "LC II" (a.k.a. "Macintosh Performa 400") with System 7.x installed years ago. Unfortunately I'm not able to log in anymore, because after the initial boot the screensaver fires up and ...
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9 votes
4 answers
22k views

Is it possible to install Mac OS 9 on a VM?

Recently I got hold of a Mac OS 9.2.1 retail CD and would like to test drive it in a VM. Is that possible?
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Writing code on System 6?

I have a Macintosh SE FD HD running Apple System 6. Is there a Terminal application? What programming language(s) can I run on System 6?
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