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Can a G4 Dual be set up to boot OS9

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RyanPace

Technical User
Oct 31, 2003
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We have the opportunity to get a cheap G4 Dual processor 1.25 Ghz machine. We already have a G5 and G4 running OS X. We have and need to keep one machine running OS9 for various reasons (we are a printshop). That machine is currently a G3. I know earlier G4s came with both OS and you could select. However this machine does not. Is it possible with the Dual processor to Install and Boot OS 9?
 
Hi everybody

Be careful with the G4 dual 1.25 GHz...: there are three models

1) the normal one, sold with a combo drive, was the "middle" G4 (between the 1 GHz mono and the 1.42 dual), sold in the first 6 months of 2003 DOESN'T boot OS 9.

2) the special OS 9 booting, with a superdrive was made for those who absolutely needed OS 9 booting (for the unfortunate users of XPress, for example). This computer used all the basis of the dual 1.42 (superdrive, 2Mo of backside cache for each processor, the same video card and HD as the 1.42), but with a 1.25 clock (and with 800Mbs Firewire)...

3) as soon as the G5 had replaced the normal G4, Apple continue to sell an OS 9 booting special G4 with one or two processor(s) a 1.25 GHz clock, a 800Mbs Firewire plug, either a combo or a superdrive...

Just a detail: I'm french... and I only knows the european computers...

The only one solution: before to buy this machine, test it: look for an OS 9 System folder and try to set the boot on this folder. Another solution: try to boot on a CD, with a CD Norton SystemWorks 2 or a CD MacOS 9.22 install.

Best regards
Claude
 
From what I can tell, The easiest way to tell if the machine has FW800 (and thus not OS9 bootable) is it will have three firewire ports on the back. Two regualar firewire ports and a FW800 port. If the machine only has 2 firewire ports it should boot OS9.

thanks for the help. Unfortunately this machine has 3 ports and will not boot OS9. Looks like we'll still buy this machine as it is too good of a deal to pass up.
 
Hi

Not sure: as I said above, there are 3 models of G4 dual 1.25, they all have a 800 Mbs firewire port and 2 of them can boot OS9, but they are special models...

Believe what you want, and do what you want...
 
Hi

Sorry, I made a mistake: the "special" OS 9 booting G4 1.25 MHz (mono or bi) doesn't have FireWire 800 plug...
I apologize.

Claude
 
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