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I was given an Ibook G3-300mhz with OS 9.0 from my brother while I visited him. I don't have a notebook so this was a good deal until I put enough away to purchase a laptop. Liking to mess around and have used Mac 6-7 years ago, I already have put an Airport Card to run wireless from my Linksys G4 upstairs.

When I first got the Ibook I grabbed a driver from Cannon for my little portable BJC-85 printer I used when I was on the road with a company PC laptop. I got the printer to work on the Ibook, but then I was messing around and lost my Finder. I reinstalled the OS to clean up my mess and haven't been able to get the driver to work again! I am using the USB connection, and it worked fine before.

I obtained a new driver.sit and experience the same thing. I see the BJC85 in the Chooser, but when I click on it, it doesn't take for some reason. I have reinstalled the driver several times to no avail.

Any suggestions?

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Dani AI

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For (and noting 's comment about older OS 9 networking), a compact, ordered troubleshooting checklist aimed at driver/USB detection issues common with legacy iBooks and Canon BJC-series printers.

  1. Confirm the exact Mac OS 9 build (Apple menu > About This Computer) and make sure the driver package is explicitly for Mac OS 9 (not OS X).
  2. Fully expand the .sit with StuffIt Expander and read any README. Look for folders or filenames labeled "Mac OS 9", "Classic", or similar; if only OS X files are present, the package is the wrong build.
  3. Remove stale Canon files before reinstalling: search the System Folder for "Canon" or "BJC" and move those items to the Trash, then restart. Partial/old drivers commonly conflict.
  4. Install the freshly expanded OS 9 driver while the printer is disconnected/powered off. Reboot the iBook, then connect and power the printer so the system loads the new driver cleanly.
  5. Verify the USB path: test the iBook USB port with another device or try the printer and cable on a different computer to rule out a bad cable or failed printer.
  6. If hardware detection still fails, reset PRAM (hold Command-Option-P-R at boot until the Mac restarts) to clear low-level device state.

If these steps fail, the most likely causes are a driver package that contains only OS X components, a corrupted or improperly expanded archive, or hardware/cable failure. Workarounds for hard-to-find OS 9 drivers include using another modern machine as a print server (share the printer on the network) or obtaining an older parallel/network-capable printer. Legacy systems are sensitive to installation order and leftover files, so a clean remove + re-install sequence is the most effective first fix.

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Member Avatar for mesamb1

Hi, i had a similiar problem but with a different outcome. I got an Airport and had a powermac and a imac. the power had os X and the imac had 9.2 and the 9.2 didnt work on the airport at all. I am suprised it ever worked with the imac, i asked the IT people at the University and they sad the format doesnt allow it for OS 9. this may be a tough luck on the wireless, or atleast that is what my experience says

Member Avatar for bruce-1

mesamb1,
Thanks for your information, I appreciate it :lol: Thanks to the Forum also:!:

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