Ticket Options

Question Details

TICKET ARCHIVE -> Can't run Classic apps in OS 10.4.5! Help!

illustr8rg8r - Mar 19, 2006 - 7:59 pm

I just bought a brand new MacMini running system OS 10.4.5. I have an old PowerBook which runs OS 9.4.1 and I've invested hundreds of dollars over the years buying some great programs that I wish to use on my Mini. I've loaded system 9.2.2 from the Mini's startup discs, transferred all of the desired programs over to the new computer, and can start the classic environment via the icon in my taskbar, but I just can't get any of the programs to run in it at all!

I start up classic, it loads, and then disappears from view, even though from the taskbar I can see it's still running. If I try to run any of the programs by double-clicking the actual icon, it asks for an application to run it (when it IS the application) or else it starts up a blank TextEdit page.

I'm a newbie to the whole OS X environment and I'm going nuts here. I've gone all throughout the computer, but being new to it all, I'm lost as lost can be. Anybody got any suggestions?

Thanks!

William

Natobasso - Mar 19, 2006 - 9:57 pm

Unfortunately apple is discontinuing support for classic apps going forward and Tiger is the next step in that.

I recommend booting up in OS 9 on your new computer (is it installed?) and running your apps there first. Make sure the doc files for each app know what app is supposed to run them (do a get info on an app's file and make sure its app is selected to open it).

Once everything works in OS 9 it should work when you run OS X's classic mode.

Let me know if not.

The bummer is that apple is discontinuing Classic support so this is probably the reason your Classic apps aren't working. Which apps are you trying to use?

illustr8rg8r - Mar 20, 2006 - 1:22 pm

Yes, OS 9.2.2 is installed, but being so new to the OS X environment, I have no idea as to how to boot up in OS 9. OS X is the native system on this new machine ...I won't mess anything up by booting up in classic, will I?

The programs I wish to run are mainly PhotoShop, Quark, FreeHand, Illustrator ...things like that. I have others, but these are the ones I like from the good ol' days.

Yes, I know they're discontinuing the classic soon. In fact, I purchased this MacMini now rather than later because it's the last before they go with the Intel chips and, from what I've read here and there, once they go Intel ...classic's done for!

I'm at work now on a Windows machine (Bleech!) but will try everything as soon as I get home tonight! If you can tell me how to boot up in OS 9, I'll try to take it from there!

Thanks!

Natobasso - Mar 20, 2006 - 1:40 pm

All those classic apps should work in OS X, I've used them myself. Booting in OS 9 will not hurt your system at all. Just don't move any OS X files while you're there. Inside your hard drive there will be a System 9 folder and a System OS X folder--but you won't need to go in there to get your apps running.

Start up in OS 9: System Prefs/Start Up Disk/Choose the folder with the "9" on it when it loads in the horizontal list/restart.

Make sure you have fully installed and tested your apps while in OS 9. If they work there, they will work in classic as long as the version is the latest OS 9 version before OS X (I think for photoshop the last version was 6).

Restart and hold the "x" key down till you see the familiar grey screen with the apple; you're booting in OS X.

Go here to find your os 9 apps: Internal Hard Drive/Applications OS 9 and drag the apps to your dock to create aliases. Run each app once and let me know if they still don't work.

Natobasso - Mar 20, 2006 - 1:42 pm

Ignore this comment from my previous post:

"Make sure you have fully installed and tested your apps while in OS 9. If they work there, they will work in classic as long as the version is the latest OS 9 version before OS X (I think for photoshop the last version was 6)."

If it works in 9 it should run in Classic, though there are some apps that aren't Classic compatible such as older versions of more obscure softwares that didn't update to 9.2.

illustr8rg8r - Mar 21, 2006 - 5:25 pm

Okay, I've tried and tried to no avail.

I tried to set OS 9 to be my startup system, but it doesn't show up in my system preferences. I removed the OS 9 folder from my hard drive and reinstalled it (just in case I screwed something up along the way before) and removed all of the OS 9 apps that were frivolous or obscure and kept only the few I wanted to run. I've set my computer to show all suffixes and I've renamed the various apps with the '.app' suffix and got info on them and even aimed them to open with their own applications, but that doesn't do it either.

I think I've simply resigned myself to having two computers ...one new one with some cool bells and whistle that runs all of the new stuff and connects to the internet, and another older one that I'll have to use only for my graphics apps. I got the new one originally for more hard drive space and more speed, but I'll just delete some stuff on the older one I'm not using anymore (such as internet connectivity) and deal with the speed issues.

Unless, of course, anyone has any other ideas, that is...

Natobasso - Mar 21, 2006 - 5:57 pm

It doesn't sound like you're installing OS 9 correctly. You have to update it to 9.2.2 in order for OS X to see it.

Which install disk for os 9 do you have?

illustr8rg8r - Mar 21, 2006 - 6:51 pm

Inside the installed System folder (for OS 9) there's a 'finder' icon and a 'system' icon, too. Getting info on both, they claim to be 9.2.2. I got all of this from one of the CDs that came with my MacMini.

One of the text files that's on the CD also states the following: "Important: Do not use this disc to install Mac OS 9 on any computer except the computer it came with. Also, while you can use Mac OS 9 applications with this computer, you cannot start up in Mac OS 9."

I guess that rules out starting it up in OS 9, eh?

Natobasso - Mar 21, 2006 - 7:10 pm

Ah, you're right. Since you're in Tiger you can't boot up in classic. Sorry! My mistake.

Looks like you might have to set aside one computer for your classic/os 9 apps.

Are your classic apps at least upgraded to the highest pre-OS X versions?

Natobasso - Mar 21, 2006 - 7:12 pm

Here's an idea. Select a file that's particular to one of your classic apps like a photoshop doc. Get info on it and select the classic app to open that file. And select Change All so your computer will know to use your classic photoshop when you want to open photoshop files. Do this for all your classic apps.

Does this allow you to use your classic apps and open the files?

illustr8rg8r - Mar 21, 2006 - 7:28 pm

Nope. I got excited for a moment, though!

It asked if I wanted to start up classic, I said yes, booted up classic ...then nothing. Every time I start classic, no matter where I start it from, it opens up a window, I see the familiar startup screen with the extensions scrolling across the bottom, then -poof! It disappears. I've managed to put a classic 9 icon in my toolbar and it says it's still running, but other than that, I have no proof that it's running at all. It gives me the choices of stopping it or opening the preferences, but that's about all.

I don't think the old programs are maxed-out version-wise, either.

So ...you think I'm stuck with having to switch between two Macs? If so, hey, at least the old one isn't too old not to run. Yet.

Natobasso - Mar 21, 2006 - 8:14 pm

You should be able to check your OS 9 status in Tiger.

System prefs/classic/check "show status in menu bar" so you can see if it's active or not. Are you able to do this and then see classic running?

illustr8rg8r - Mar 21, 2006 - 8:39 pm

Yes, but the only difference is if it's blackened in or grayed out. I thought that there would be an actual window for it.

Here's the update: since deleting the old 9 and reinstalling it, I did the same with PhotoShop (deleting and reinstalling from the disc) and ...surprise! It's working! Yaaaaayyy!

My version of PhotoShop is 6 and it runs okay. Kind of clunky compared to what I'm used to, but I probably need to get info and adjust the memory settings for it and, as I did on my old computer, just throw a bunch of memory at it. At first startup of it, though, it loaded fine but didn't show anything in the bar ...no 'File', 'Edit' or anything. Not even the good ol' apple in the upper left hand corner. Using keystrokes I knew, I messed around with it, quit it, and rebooted it and it worked okay. Clunky as I said, but I'll play around with it and see what I can do with it. At least it's working. Quark, however, is balking and is fussing about it -I think it's going to be a no-go. As with everything else, I'll play around with it and see. FreeHand is such an old version (does ANYBODY besides me use that program anymore?!?) I don't think I'll ever get it running. At least I've gotten one of my programs running. That alone will save me a thousand bucks not having to upgrade it just yet.

Thanks for holding my hand through all of this. I bought this Mini about a month ago and have been playing around with it from time to time (in between playing with all of the cool new features and downloading my entire CD collection to my new iPod ...I freaking love that little thing...) and trying to get everything working with no luck -you've been very patient with me and helped quite a lot! I'm sure there'll come a day when I finally master this beast, but until then, I'll be scrolling through the site and probably asking more questions as they arise, I'm sure.

Hopefully this thread comes in handy for others with similar problems, too!

Thanks again!

William

Natobasso - Mar 22, 2006 - 1:40 am

William

No worries, I'm glad you got it worked out! I love my iPod too, though apple keeps updating things so fast I can't even buy tunes through the music store any more because they won't load on my 3rd Generation ipod.

If you had Panther, 10.3, you'd probably have a better experience with Classic/OS 9 and you'd definitely get Quark to work.

I'll close this thread now.

Nathaniel