Question About Restore Discs

[Anthropic]

I recently found a number Apple restore and install discs as a Hamfest/computer show. This guy was mostly selling PC stuff but he had a box full of install media and I collected an assortment for $5.

Can this install media only be used with the indicated models printed on the discs or can they be used on other models as well?

I have these machines (all from thrift stores or hand-me-downs and none of them came with discs of any sort):

• iMac G3 - Summer 2001 (Snow colored)
  Power Macintosh G3 (Beige Desktop)
  Power Mac G4 AGP - Sawtooth
  eMac (I believe it's the 1.42 GHz model)

I have these discs:

• Power Macintosh G3 (All-in-one)
  An iMac set with software restore and install discs hand labeled "Blue iMacs" with SSW version 9.0.4 dated 2000
  eMac Media with OS X install discs labeled OS X 10.2 dated 2002
  Mac OS 9.0 dated 1999
  An iMac Software Restore and Install set SSW version 8.5.1 dated 1999
  An iMac Software Restore and Install set SSW version 8.6 dated 1999
  

Are any of those discs applicable for the machines I have? I've collected used Macs for awhile now but I've never tried reloading an OS before so this is all a bit new to me.

There's also a set that says XServe media labeled version 10.2 with several discs that say Netboot, Admin Tools, Macintosh Manager 2, Mac OS X Developer Tools, Web Objects 5 and Apple Hardware Test XServe. Am I missing the actual OS disc for that set?

 

[mcdermd]

They are machine-locked so I don't think any will work with what you have. The AIO may work with your beige but I'd trade you a real Beige disc for that AIO disc

 

[Bunsen]

The G3 AIO and the G3 Beige have identical motherboards and ROMs, so I would lay money that disk will work fine on that machine.

The OS 9 disks should work on any machine that can run 9.0 or 9.0.4. The 8.5.1 and 8.6 disks are definitely worth trying, as, IIRC, machine locking wasn't really a thing prior to OS X. You might want to select the option to install "For any Macintosh", to make sure any necessary drivers not used on an iMac are installed.

Sidenote: 8.6 is a huge improvement in stability over 8.5.1, and should install on the same machines.

 

[mcdermd]

The restore discs I have from the iMac forward give an error when you try to restore to a machine that is different than the one the disks are for.

 

[markyb86]

the 8.6 disc I have for the B&W has only booted the B&W so far. My iMac G3 came with 8.5.1 but I cannot use this 8.6 disc on it.

 

[LCGuy]

The original restore media that came with my iMac 333 (8.6) works on anything that will run 8.6 - I actually use the iMac Install CD as my OS 8.6/AppleWorks 5 install disk. I think it was only around OS 9 that they started machine-locking.

 

[Macdrone]

well I know my some of my power pc cd roms from 7.5 vintage will say will not install on 68k machines and vise versa. Have not tried 400 series to 600 series performa discs/floppies but I am sure they might do the same.

 

[Gorgonops]

I have several Power Macintosh G4/Cube-era recovery disks with slightly different versions of OS 9.0.x on them, and while they'll all seem to have no problem *booting* an older machine the installer won't run. However, there's a trivial trick to allow you to manually restore a working OS installation with them.

(Since I think it's general knowledge at this point I assume it's okay to spill it: CD's of that era have a slightly hidden disk image file on the CD that contains a complete working install of OS 9 and some of the accessory programs. Partition and format your hard disk, then find that file and double-click on it to mount it. Then simply select everything in it and drag it to your hard disk. Open and close the "System" file, and bang, you should be able to boot from it.

The one proviso is that a system installed this way *just might* have some customizations specific to the target machine. For instance, the version on the Sawtooth G4 restore disk worked fine in both Sheepshaver and on my B&W but the Cube version had broken sound drivers.)

 

[mcdermd]

The there a weirdos like me who like to have the original install disks for our machines to set it up with a "fresh out of the box" experience.

 

[Bunsen]

My iMac G3 came with 8.5.1 but I cannot use this 8.6 disc on it.

IIRC, the 8.5 to 8.6 updater is a free download.

 

[KC13]

The there a weirdos like me who like to have the original install disks for our machines to set it up with a "fresh out of the box" experience.

I must be weird then as well. I always prefer the disk set or CD actually meant for the specific system.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

I have several Power Macintosh G4/Cube-era recovery disks with slightly different versions of OS 9.0.x on them, and while they'll all seem to have no problem *booting* an older machine the installer won't run. However, there's a trivial trick to allow you to manually restore a working OS installation with them.

Would you be willing to part with one of the Cube discs? I'd like to get a partition on my Cube with its original software load if I can.

(Sorry for reviving an old thread, figured it was better than starting a new one.)

 

[Macdrone]

I have one also, extra even, next time you head up I5 or I go to Portland well have to get together so I can give it to you.

 

[Gorgonops]

Would you be willing to part with one of the Cube discs? I'd like to get a partition on my Cube with its original software load if I can.

Almost missed this...

So, it sounds like you have a closer source for one, but if I stumble across the disk wallet the restore disk is in I'll check with you and see if you've found one already. (Said envelope is somewhere in the boxes of miscellanea in the Sparr 'Oom that's totally on my list to get sorted through one of these years.) Since I have no Cube and the OS 9 version on the disk seems to be doctored so it's not really usable on other machines I've no problem parting with it.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Thanks to both of you!

I'm not in a hurry, I just like having "original HD images" on my systems whenever possible, in addition to the newest OS they can support.

 

[protocol7]

With OS X restore disks it's possible to bypass the machine check. This is particularly handy for Intel Tiger machines as the retail version was PowerPC only. With earlier versions of OS X I'm not sure if the check was absent or just contained a wider range of supported machines. I know I used the Jaguar discs from my iBook with my iMac and possibly a G3 or G4 as well.

For Snow I used this to unlock a Sandybridge MBP restore disc. Came in handy when I built my SB-E Hackintosh.