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Thread: How to dual boot Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X on two HDDs

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Posts
    33

    How to dual boot Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X on two HDDs

    Right now I am running Digital Audio G4 Power Mac on both Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X. Actually I have installed 2 HDs in it. In one I have installed OS 9 and in another one OS X. When I boot from 2HD with OS X, I don’t get any problem and it shows up on the desktop but when I boot from first HD with OS 9, I cannot see the OS X HD. The second HD is not appearing on the Desktop. I tried to get access from Startup Disk in the control panels but no use. The only way I can boot and choose is holding down ALT key while booting. However if I boot into OS X, I can see both disks and there is no problem at all with master/slave part on the PATA cable. What could be the problem in OS 9?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Posts
    75

    Re: How to dual boot Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X on two HDDs

    I am also using a dual boot system but on a single hard drive and with separate partitions. I don’t see particular problem to report. I can barely see both partitions when booted with either OS 9 or OS X. I usually boot with OS X and often I choose OS for some particular work. It is your choice to boot with proper partition whilst holding the "alt" at start up. However if you are using the 2 HDDs, you should not get any kind of problems because many users successfully running OS X and OS 9 with dual drives. But you have described that both drivers are configured on the basis of master & slave configurations. I think that the cable which you have used to connect drives to onboard IDE controller may not have proper support at all. When you boot OS 9, make sure that the OS X drive listed in the System Profiler. If yes, you should run the drive setup and from there OS X drive. There make sure to check "mount on startup" option.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    154

    Re: How to dual boot Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X on two HDDs

    For dual booting, no particular problem. You can put them on a single unpartitioned disk but you cannot use the famous "alt" key at startup to select boot your system. Therefore prefer the partition, which you will avoid manipulation more long to move from one system to another via "start".

    If you want the Mac OS 9 capable to mount hard drive, the HDD should have OS 9 compatible drivers installed. By the use of OS X's Disk Utility you cannot install OS 9 drivers and by default it will not gonna install anything. I think that OS X drive might be formatted using Disk Utility but you didn’t choose the option to install OS 9 drivers. Now as far as there is one possible solution and I hope that it might work. Somehow try to get OS 9 drivers installed on it. Then boot the machine in OS 9 and run Drive Setup. There if you can choose OS X drive, do it and then choose Update Driver from the Functions menu. I assume that choice will be available for you. If it works, you will get drivers re-installed on the drive and then the drive will be 'visible' to OS 9.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    191

    Re: How to dual boot Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X on two HDDs

    Your PowerPC G4 would be actually running Mac OS X 10.3 or Mac OS X version 10.4. Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard” but without the supports of Classic environment, but you can do it in Mac OS X 10.3 and Mac OS X 10.4. If you still have the original installation CD, you could install it on the second partition and then would have a 1st Mac OS X 10.5 / 2 Mac OS 10.3 (.4) - dual boot system. A real Mac OS 9 installation, which runs independently without another operating system environment, can be - as far as I know - not implemented with this device. For the establishment of a Classic environment, check the Apple troubleshooting page. In principle, it is supported by Mac OS X 10.3 and Mac OS X 10.4; whether all the necessary files on Mac OS 9.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    142

    Re: How to dual boot Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X on two HDDs

    It is possible for you to install Mac OS 9.2 on the same partition as OS X, but then you have to go through "System Preferences -> Startup" to change the system (system default) or partition the drive with a system on each partition, and there , holding down the "alt" key at startup, you can choose "on the fly" another system than the default to start the Mac (but that will not change the default system, the next time, if you do nothing, he will leave it). I don’t think that you will need OS 9 drivers in order to use an OS 9 and run as Classic under OS X. if you are going to install OS 9 as Classic, the OS X will take it as a program but not OS. The OS X still runs the Hardware part. However the link between OS 9 classic and hardware is handled by OS X.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    543

    Re: How to dual boot Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X on two HDDs

    I am also using the "MacTest Pro for Power Mac G4. I have downloaded the disk image from Apple's Web site Ssol (sourde online service) and burned it as a bootable CD. From this CD you tested the iMac G4 TFT 15 left "in Mac OS boot 9th To boot from the iMac's internal HD, it has copied the system folder of the "MacTest Pro" CD to the HD and this then defines via the control panel "Startup Disk" as the startup disk. Thus, the Mac also left without objection from the internal HD boot MAC OS 9. The only difference from the original system which I have found is a new version of "Mac OS ROM" file (version 9.8.1). By replacing this file, he was three other system folder "Mac OS X-only" Mac OS 9's make-bootable. Give it a try.

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