Odd PowerBook G3 problem

[MoonShadow]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but...
I have a powerbook g3 (wallstreet, 292MHz) that I cannot install Mac OS 8.1 on. 9.x works fine, but I need 8.1 to run certain apps that annoyingly don't run in 9.x.

The other solution is to install OS X and use virtualisation software. I have install disks for Panther (10.3), but the latest version of X that runs on wallstreets is 10.2.8. So, I've tried to use XPostFacto to get 10.3 running. No success. It boots to the grey apple and then gives me the "multi-lingual black screen of death" telling me to please restart my computer. I do so, and it just gives me exactly the same thing.


Does 8.x need some sort of enabler to run (I know PB G3s were shipped with 8.1)? Is something wrong with the firmware? Help would be greatly appreciated. (I'm entirely computer literate, e.g. comfortable with replacing the hard drive or poking around system files with resedit)

TIA, MoonShadow

 

[Anonymous Freak]

As far as I can tell, 8.0 needs an enabler, but 8.1 shouldn't.

Just out of curiosity, try 8.5 if you have a copy. I can't think of any apps that won't run in 8.5 that DO run in 8.1.

 

[MoonShadow]

8.6

8.6

I have a bright-orange 8.6 CD with "iMac" on it, but when I try to run the installer on that, it tells me that

"This program cannot run on your computer.
See the documentation for more information."

And the documentation says nothing. I can't run the individual installer(s), they give me some error message about installer versions.

I wonder if Wish I Were would help...

 

[kastegir]

I have a bright-orange 8.6 CD with "iMac" on it, but when I try to run the installer on that, it tells me that

"This program cannot run on your computer.
See the documentation for more information."

Yeah, that won't work. Apple tends to release install discs with CPUs that are model-specific. You either need to find a PowerBook G3-specific install disc, or the generic 8.x install disc. I second the recommendation for 8.5. It should work flawlessly on the G3.

 

[MoonShadow]

Generic

Generic

I'm fairly sure the 8.1 CD I have is generic. I know 8.6 should work, but the problem is that I want to run a game/application (it's not quite either) that needs 8.1 or earlier on a PPC architecture. It could be done through virtualisation software in OS X, but that would require copious fiddling and would be annoying. It is possible, however.

I'm not aware of any PPC virtualisation/emulation software that would run in classic. I have disks for various versions of OS 9, which is what was previously installed on it.