Can't reinstall OS 9 from clean OS X install

[msq6g]

Unfamiliar with OS X and realizing too late that it has real passwords, to get back into my new IMac I had to reinstall OS X. To reinstall, I used the CD that came with the IMac, OS X 10.1.2, and first reformatted the hard drive to Mac HFS.

The problem is that now it won't let me reinstall OS 9.2 that came with the computer. I tried running the installer CD directly while booted onto the OSX hard drive: no luck; I tried running it after booting up from the OS 9 CD; no luck. It even refuses to go further with the "Clean Install" box checked. The problem is that the installer won't mount or recognize the OSX hard disk.

The "Software Restore" CDs that came with the computer return the same error; when booting from the CD the IMac hard drive isn't mounted or recognized as a valid volume?

Any hints? I must have Mac OS9 to run the bulk of my software!

[lerkfish]

well, several possibilities, not all of which may apply:

It almost sounds as if you accidentally formatted with UFS format instead of HFS+ format. If so, when booted under the 9 CD you wont be able to see the hard drive at all. IF this is the case, boot again from your OSX install CD, reformat your drive HFS+ before continuing. Here's what I suggest, especially as you are new to OSX (others might have additional suggestions)

1. You can optionally reformat with partitions. You don't have to, but I personally recommend doing so, with at least 3 partitions: OSX, Old 9, Barebones Classic 9. (if you choose to keep only one partition, move to next step)
2. install OS 9 FIRST! either onto a non-partitioned drive or onto the Barebones Classic partition. Boot from that partition/drive when installation is over, making sure it boots. If you have an old backup (applications, etc) from pre-OSX system 9, restore that onto your Old 9 partition, or onto the drive.
3. THEN install OSX either onto the drive or partition OSX. Once loaded, boot from that, and choose either the Barebones Classic partition or system folder as your classic folder in system prefs/classic pane.

This should address your problems. I reccomend several partitions, others dont. The advantage, as I see it , of partitions is just exactly what you're going through now. If you need to reinstall OSX for whatever reason, if you have its own partition, you won't have to ALSO go through the process of reinstalling 9 again.

hope this helps, or that someone else will have a variety of addtional suggestions for you.

[msq6g]

I will try when I return home from work. I doubt I reformatted using UFS, but any mistake is possible.

If I indeed reformatted using the proper HFS+, I saw several related threads in the meantime. One mentions an "Install OS9 drivers" option in the OSX disk utility. If that doesn't work, I'll try reformatting the harddrive suing the Disk Utility while booted up on the OS9 CD. Maybe Disk Utility can find the hardisk whereas currently the OS9 installer on the OS 9 CD won't mount the OSX-formatted harddrive.

[msq6g]

Success! I was able to mount the harddrive from the OS9 CD Disk Utilities app. I then reformatted the whole thing as an HFS+ partition (multiple partitions would just tic off the other users of the home computer and make them complain about difficulty in finding things). Installed sys 9.2. Used the OS X CD then to install OS X. I can now switch between OSX/9.

Before I did all that, I confirmed that I correctly formatted the harddisk as an HFS+ volume, not as an UFS. so the primary problem remains a mystery.

Thanks for your help.