Member Avatar for barrywtalk

I just bought a used powerbook that had os 9 on it and it came with os x but when i installed os x it says there is no volume to install system folder reinstall os 9.1 or older. i have tried every thing classic aplication will not install i cant get os x programs to install. what should i do ?

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Dani AI

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Bought used PowerBook (OS 9 present) and got errors installing OS X? Short, practical checklist that expands on , and ties to points by and without repeating their posts.

First: identify the exact PowerBook model and firmware (About This Mac → More Info / System Profiler, or the serial on the case). Model determines which Mac OS X and whether the machine can boot Mac OS 9 natively or only run it in Classic; some PowerBooks simply can’t run later OS X builds. See how to find the model and serial for compatibility lookups. (macworld.com)
(Helpful link: What Mac Do I Have? — Macworld.)

Why the installer says “no volume to install system folder”: OS 9/Classic requires that the hard disk be formatted with an Apple Partition Map + HFS+ and that the invisible “OS 9 drivers” be present. If those drivers aren’t installed, an OS 9 installer (or Classic) can’t mount the disk and will report no target volume. The quick test: booted into OS X open System Profiler → ATA (or Serial ATA) and look for “Mac OS 9 Drivers Installed: Yes/No.” If “No,” the usual fix is: back up, boot an OS X install disc, run Disk Utility, select the whole device (not an indented volume), partition/erase to Mac OS Extended (HFS+) with Apple Partition Map and — where offered — check “Install Mac OS 9 Disk Driver.” Then reinstall OS 9 (if needed) and OS X in the correct order for that model. (macmaps.com)
(Useful startup keys: hold C to boot from CD, or Option (⌥) at power-on to pick a boot device.) (macobserver.com)

If the PowerBook is too old for the desired OS X, or it needs a model-specific OS 9 restore disc, either locate the original restore/OS 9 discs (model-specific) or use an external FireWire boot volume for OS 9/Classic. For a stable OS X experience on older PowerBooks, Jaguar (10.2) or Panther (10.3) were the practical choices in this era—confirm the machine’s supported maximum and then obtain the correct retail/restore media. Copying a known-good OS 9 System Folder will make Classic work under OS X, but will not make an unsupported machine boot natively into OS 9. (en.wikipedia.org)

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Member Avatar for yellow

OS X 10.0 was the beta version of the modern Mac OS. It really wasn't ready for 'prime time' as they say. Puma (10.1) was a significant leap forward in stability and usability. Jaguar (10.2) was a significant upgrade from Puma, and Panther (10.3) was a significant upgrade from Jaguar.

Assuming your powerbook meets the specs, I suggest spending a little money and purchasing 10.2 or 10.3. Jaguar (10.2) should be easily purchased for very little money, and after Tiger (10.4) comes out, Panther (10.3) should see a drop in price as well.

Member Avatar for kc0arf

Hello,

If you don't mind, would you tell us more about your computer? How much memory RAM does it have installed? How large is the hard drive? You might also want to think about what types of programs you want to run on it... are you all in the OS X world, ord do you have one or two reasons to remain in OS 9?

I would definately FORMAT CLEAN the hard drive, and build the computer from scratch. You should have received the system disks with the unit. You do not want to have any previous owner's spooks to come along with the unit. Build it from scratch.

I agree to target 10.2 or 10.3 The first two versions of OS X were struggles, as any new OS would be. 10.1 was not a disaster, but you could grow old waiting for printouts.

Christian

Member Avatar for barrywtalk

it has 256k ram 20gb harddrive and can i pay and down load a copy of os x 10.2 or os x 10.2

Member Avatar for yellow

it has 256k ram 20gb harddrive and can i pay and down load a copy of os x 10.2 or os x 10.2

I think you mean 256MB of RAM. You should really tell us which model though, if your powerbook is sufficiently old, it cannot run OS X at all.

No, you cannot pay and download it (nearly 2GB worth of compressed data). You need to order the media from someplace (or buy it from a store).

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