Install System 7 on PowerBook 145b

Hello Tolga,

As mentioned in my previous message, System 7.1 was the original for the PowerBook 145B and would be the first supported version.

However, an old Version Matrix, System 6.0.x to 7.0.1 from Apple appears to indicate that even the earlier System 7.0.1 may work (but not a plain System 7 = 7.0), but that should be looked upon as an experiment.

http://download.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Apple_Software_Updates/French/Macintosh/System/Full_Installs/System_7.0.1/ (the link is not directly accessible any more).

The supported versions in the technical specifications for the PowerBook 145B above are:

7.1

7.5

7.1.1 (Pro)

7.5.1

7.5.3

7.5.5

7.6

7.6.1

I do not know anything about the files that you mentioned.

Normally, a system software download from Apple would have been encoded in a MacBinary format (.bin) for protection.

Generally speaking, one would use an appropriate version of StuffIt Expander (such as 4.0.1) for the decoding, but only when the .bin file has been transferred to the old Macintosh computer (which must already have a working operating system). Do not decode or decompress on a modern computer (Mac or PC). Any downloaded .bin file must be transferred unaltered to the old Macintosh.

The transfer of the .bin file from a modern computer could take place on a PC-formatted 1.44 MB floppy, provided that the receiving old Mac (such as a PowerBook 145B) has a File Exchange utility or PC Exchange. Otherwise, the transfer would have to be done on a Mac-formatted 1.44 MB floppy (plain HFS, not HFS+).

Once decoded (and possibly decompressed) via StuffIt Expander on the old Mac, the resulting files may be in an image format. In order to create bootable floppies from .image files on the old Macintosh computer, a Disk Copy 4.2 utility can be used (the Make A Copy button).

http://download.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Apple_Software_Updates/English-North_American/Macintosh/Utilities/Disk_Copy/Disk_Copy_4.2.sea.bin

Later .img files require Disk Copy 6.3.3 (the Make a Floppy command).

Disk Copy 6.3.3: Document and Software

There are also self-mounting image files (.smi), sometimes with several parts (.part).

Hi,

According to the technical specifications, the original operating system version for the PowerBook 145B was 7.1. This means that System 7.1 or higher will be needed (up to System 7.6.1). System 7.1 was not free, and was not made available for download from Apple.

Macintosh PowerBook 145B: Technical Specifications

There was a System 7.5.3 download. The French version could once be found at http://download.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Apple_Software_Updates/French/Macintosh/System/Full_Installs/System_7.5_Version_7.5.3/ , but that link is not directly accessible any more.

You're welcome!

If you have only one floppy, it could be repeatedly used for transferring files one by one. Floppies would not be necessary once the smi and part files are in the folder on the PB 145B hard disk, but could of course be useful for other things. For example, it may be wise to create a startup floppy (such as a Network Access Disk 7.5) using the aforementioned Disk Copy 4,2 (or 6.3.3) as soon as possible.

http://download.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Apple_Software_Updates/English-North_American/Macintosh/Utilities/Network_Access_Disk_7.5.sea.bin

Hello Tolga,

When you double-click on the .smi, a "CD" image will mount. You can then launch the Installer from the mounted image. Once there, you can choose an easy or customised installation. The best way may (later) be to erase the hard disk before the installation. But do not proceed yet. You can wait with the transfer of the 7.5.3 files to the PB 145B. You will need additional tools.

If you have transferred the 7.5.3 files to the PB 145B already, please post back.

To begin with, if possible or necessary, I suggest that you try to make backup copies of any existing, important (floppy-sized) files on the hard disk.

Then, use the old system on the PB 145B to create a bootable Network Access Disk 7.5 floppy (see the link in my earlier reply). You will need Disk Copy 4.2 for this (the Make A Copy button). You could also try to create the NAD 7.5 floppy on the Mac OS 9 PB G4 Ti with the USB floppy drive.

Also, it would be wise to have Disk First Aid 7.2.2 and Apple HD SC Setup 7.3.5.

http://download.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Apple_Software_Updates/English-North_American/Macintosh/Utilities/Disk_First_Aid/Disk_First_Aid_7.2.2.sea.bin

http://download.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Apple_Software_Updates/English-North_American/Macintosh/Utilities/Apple_HD_SC_Setup_7.3.5.sea.bin

You could create a modified NAD 7.5 with either utility, to be used as a disk tools disk. Post back for instructions once you have at least one working "normal" NAD 7.5.

[This is a Direct Download Link] 

Yes, you would have a (new) System Folder as well as an Old System Folder. The new (active) system folder would have a little Mac icon. If everything is working, you could throw away the old system folder (it may contain some files connected to the other old content on the hard disk). Unless you need something here, you could move all old files to the Trash and empty the Trash.

Keep the new System Folder and a few other files/folders belonging to the 7.5.3 system, as well as the folder with the 19 files.

The first test would be to see if the computer starts OK from the new system.

It would be very important to have working startup floppies as soon as possible. The disks made from the NAD 7.5 disk image should be OK per se (the system is compatible with the PowerBook). The reason for the startup problem is unknown. Could possibly be related to the processor control or the hard disk. You may want to try again with the new system. It would also be a good idea to run a Disk First Aid 7.2.2 test.

Information about disks et cetera in the user's guide may be of interest to you.

http://manuals.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Manuals/powerbooks/0303986APB145BUG.PDF

Do not hesitate to post back if you have further questions.

In the meantime, could you check whether the following old tools disk would at all boot the PB 145B? It is for System 7.0.1, but try it anyway (it may not work, though).

http://download.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Apple_Software_Updates/English-British/Macintosh/System/System_7.0.1/Disk_Tools.image.sea.bin

[This is a Direct Download Link] 

If you do not have a working version of the StuffIt Expander utility on the old PowerBook, the problem is that downloads on the Internet are encoded/compressed, and you would need StuffIt Expander for the decoding/decompression... Someone you know may be able to help you find a ready-to-use installer, for example, on an old Mac magazine CD, and transfer this file to a floppy. Earlier, there was a German article (rrzs42.uni-regensburg.de/Macintosh/files/macftp.html) about this subject (with a solution involving a PC), but it does not appear to be available any more. Old links may or may not be found via an Internet archive service.

The System 7.5.3 download (such as the French version under the link in my first reply above, when it was directly accessible earlier) was different. One would just use 1.44 MB diskettes to transfer the .bin files (17 for the French version) as they are to a PB 145B. Once there, one would drag each .bin file onto the StuffIt Expander icon for decoding. The resulting files would be one .smi and the others .part. All these (17) files should be placed in one folder on the PB 145B. If you double-click on the first file (the .smi), which is a self-mounting image, a large image will be mounted. No need to use Disk Copy in this very case. You could then try to run the installer directly from the mounted image, or copy the mounted image to the PB 145B hard disk (which should be at least approx. 80 MB) and run the installer from there.

Regarding the PowerBook G4 Titanium running Mac OS 9: You could try to use Mac OS 9 to decode the .bin (using the StuffIt Expander version available there), but do not go further. If you connect the USB floppy drive to the PB G4 Ti, it should also be possible to reformat any empty 1.44 MB floppies to Mac (plain HFS, not HFS+), and use these Mac floppies for transfers of the one .smi and the other .part files to the PB 145B. This may save you the trouble handling PC-formatted floppies (and .bin files) on the PB 145B. Do not do this under Mac OS X on a PB G4 Ti, though. The remaining steps would be carried out on the PB 145B.

HFS = Mac OS Standard (HFS+ = Mac OS Extended).

Seems to be correct. StuffIt Expander may try to mount an smi automatically, which is not wanted, so one could check whether the utility's preferences can be set not to allow that. Generally speaking, if one somewhere would find an inaccessible link, it may be worth testing an archive/wayback service.