TITLE
    Mac OS 8.1: How to Install
Article ID:
Created:
Modified: 		30343
1/16/98
8/21/00
TOPIC

    This document describes how to install Mac OS 8.1. It includes compatibility information, instructions for installing Mac OS 8.1, and basic installation troubleshooting.

    Note: Mac OS 8.1 Update is a system update for customers who are using Mac OS 8.0. Mac OS 8.0, released 18 January 1997 is no longer available from the Apple Store. For information on contacting the Apple Order Center to obtain Mac OS 8.0, please see Knowledge Base article 58244: " Apple Software Order Center: How To Contact "

    For more information on Mac OS, including the latest version, go to http://www.apple.com/macos .

DISCUSSION

    Updating your system using the downloaded Mac OS 8.1 Update image requires that you already have Mac OS 8.0 installed. If you are using the Mac OS 8.1 Reference CD, you may install onto Mac OS system versions 7.5 through 8.1.

    For more detailed information, see the Mac OS 8 installation manual.

    WARNING : PowerTalk is not compatible with Mac OS 8.1. After you install any version of Mac OS 8, you cannot access your PowerTalk mail or catalogs, nor can you use your keychain or other PowerTalk services. See the Mac OS 8 installation manual for more information.

    WARNING : Application programs that use QuickDraw GX may not be able to print due to changes in the version of QuickDraw GX included with Mac OS 8. See the file About QuickDraw GX for more information.


    Before you install:

    IMPORTANT: In order to install Mac OS 8.1 on PowerPC computers with less than 16 MB of RAM, you must restart the computer with extensions off (by holding the Shift key until you see the Welcome to Mac OS message).

    IMPORTANT: If Apple Remote Access 3.0 (ARA 3.0) Personal Server is installed, make sure answering is off before upgrading to System 8.1. To ensure answering is off in ARA 3.0, make sure the answering option is deselected in the ARA Answering dialog. To get to the dialog box, open the Remote Access control panel and choose Answering... from the Remote Access menu. After the 8.1 update installation has successfully completed, turn answering back on from the same dialog box.

    Note: If you want to create and use a Mac OS Extended format volume, make sure that you read the file titled About Mac OS Extended format.
    • Turn off any security software that you may have installed on your computer.
    • Turn off any virus-protection software that you may have installed on your computer.
    • If you have a PowerBook, make sure that it is plugged into AC power and set not to go to sleep.
    • If you have AppleShare software earlier than version 3.6.4, upgrade to version 3.6.4 or later before installing Mac OS 8.1 over a network. See the document in the AppleShare folder in the Utilities folder for instructions.
    • When performing a clean installation, write down your current Internet settings, such as the IP address, subnet mask, name server, and so on from the TCP/IP, PPP and Modem control panels. After installation, the Internet Setup Assistant asks you to enter this information.

    IMPORTANT : Apple recommends that you make a Disk Tools floppy disk. If you have downloaded the Mac OS 8.1 Update from the Apple Internet website, make sure that you also download the Disk Tools for PPC disk image. For all Mac OS compatible computers with a 68040 processor, except the PowerBook 190, use the "Disk Tools 1" disk. If you have a Mac OS 8.1 CD-ROM disc, this disk image is in the Disk Tools Images folder.

    To make a Disk Tools floppy disk :
    • Open the Disk Copy program.
    • Choose Make a Floppy... from the Utilities menu.
    • Find the disk image named Disk Tools for PPC and select it.
    • Click the Open button.
    • When requested insert a 1.4 MB high density floppy disk.
    • When asked if you are sure that you want to erase the floppy, click the Yes button.
    • After the floppy disk is finished copying, remove it from the disk drive.
    • Quit the Disk Copy program.

    NOTICE: The amount of disk space required to perform a full installation of Mac OS 8.1 varies greatly depending on several factors including:
    • The size of the hard disk volume being used. For Mac OS Standard format volumes, the larger the volume the more space required. This is because the minimum file size supported on a Mac OS Standard format volume increases as the size of the volume increases. For Mac OS Extended format volumes, the amount of space needed is the same regardless of volume size because the minimum file size is a constant.
    • The number of optional software packages that you choose to install. Apple has preselected some optional software packages, but you have the option of selecting others or deselecting the preselected packages.
    • The method that was used to start the computer. If the computer was started up from the volume that is being updated or from the Mac OS 8.1 CD, Disk Tools Floppy or another volume, such as an external Hard Disk more space will be required. When the computer is started up from the volume that is being updated, the installer must create temporary files that are used until the computer is restarted.
    • The type of computer that you have. Each model has a slightly different set of Mac OS system components required to be installed to function correctly.
    • The volume onto which you are performing the install: whether or not the volume already has Mac OS system files and if the "clean install" option was selected.

    Below are tables which suggest requirements for easier installation, as well as space used after installation process is complete.


    An Install of just the base Mac OS system software with all of the optional items deselected:

    Volume Size
    Format
    Needed for Installation
    Used after restart
    2 GB
    Standard
    135 MB
    68 MB
    1 GB
    Standard
    120 MB
    58 MB
    500 MB
    Standard
    115 MB
    50 MB
    Any size
    Extended
    118 MB
    56 MB

    An Install of the base Mac OS system software and the Apple preselected optional software using the Mac OS 8.1 CD to start up the computer:
    Volume Size
    Format
    Needed for Installation
    Used after restart
    2 GB
    Standard
    152 MB
    140 MB
    1 GB
    Standard
    139 MB
    129 MB
    500 MB
    Standard
    127 MB
    117 MB
    Any size
    Extended
    132 MB
    122 MB

    An installation of the base Mac OS system software and the Apple preselected optional software onto the volume that was used to start up the computer: ( Note: This is not a recommended method.)
    Volume Size
    Format
    Needed for Installatioin
    Used after restart
    2 GB
    Standard
    190 MB
    140 MB
    1 GB
    Standard
    176 MB
    129 MB
    500 MB
    Standard
    162 MB
    117 MB
    Any size
    Extended
    172 MB
    122 MB



    When performing a clean installation, the space required is in addition to the amount used by the current System Folder.

    1) Start up your computer using the Mac OS CD-ROM disc or an appropriate Disk Tools floppy disk. See your installation manual for instructions.

    If you cannot start up with the Mac OS 8.1 CD or Disk Tools floppy disk, be sure to perform these additional steps:

    2) Disable all non-Apple extensions and control panels. If you have System 7.5 or later, use the Extensions Manager control panel to select the System 7.x or Mac OS 8 base set of extensions and control panels. See the installation manual for more details.

    3) Restart your computer before installing Mac OS 8.1.

    Although compatibility issues are not expected, you can ensure a smooth upgrade by checking with the manufacturers of any non-Apple software you use to make sure it is compatible with Mac OS 8.1. If you do encounter a compatibility issue, see the troubleshooting chapter in your installation manual for more information on isolating compatibility problems.

    4) When reinstalling Mac OS 8.1 onto a volume that already contains a Mac OS 8.1 system file, a dialog box will appear after selecting the volume. The dialog asks whether you want to reinstall or whether you want to perform a custom installation/removal. If you select the reinstall option, the Mac OS 8.0 installation program displays a series of dialog boxes stating that newer versions of some components are already present. In order to perform a reinstall, you must press Continue for each of these dialogs. After the Mac OS 8.1 installation program finishes, the Mac OS 8.1 updater reinstalls the previously mentioned components.


    Compatibility information

    Computers with 68040 processor upgrade cards
    Computers upgraded to 68040 with a processor upgrade card are not supported by Mac OS 8.

    Performa or Power Macintosh 5000 and 6000 series computers
    Some Performa or Power Macintosh 5200 series, 5300 series, 6200 series, and 6300 series computers cannot use Mac OS 8.1 until a hardware issue is fixed. The repairs are covered under the Apple repair extension program. To see if your computer is affected, use the 5xxx/6xxx Tester utility in the Utilities folder on the CD before installing Mac OS 8.1.

    IMPORTANT: The Power Macintosh or Performa 6320, 6360, and 5260 do not have this hardware issue. If you have a Power Macintosh or Performa 6320, 6360, or 5260, you do not need to use the tester program.

    Installing Mac OS 8.1 on accelerated NuBus PowerPC computers
    If you have a Power Macintosh 6100, 7100, 8100, or 9150 with a third-party accelerator that increases the clock speed of your computer, the Installer might refuse to install Mac OS 8.1 because it doesn't recognize your system. You may need to remove the third-party accelerator before installing Mac OS 8.1.

    MacODBC and Mac OS 8.1
    If you use MacODBC, you should either install it before installing Mac OS 8.1, or perform a custom installation of MacODBC and make sure the ASLM extensions are not selected. The MacODBC installer installs older versions of ASLM extensions that are incompatible with Mac OS 8.

    Third-party Finder and utility software
    Some third-party programs that extend or add features to Mac OS 8 may be incompatible. Examples include programs that change the way menus work, change how files are stored, or alter the way you work with files in the Finder. Contact the software's manufacturer for information about using such programs with Mac OS 8.1. This is especially important if you are using a program that automatically alters the way files are stored (such as compressing them), because you might not be able to access those files until you obtain updated software for use with Mac OS 8.1.

    400K floppy disks and Mac OS 8.1
    The 400K MFS floppy disk format is not supported by Mac OS 8.1. If you have information or programs on obsolete 400K floppy disks that you want to access, copy the files to your hard disk, an 800K floppy disk, or a 1.44 MB floppy disk before installing Mac OS 8.1.

    Using the Install Mac OS 8.1 program

    To ensure a successful upgrade, use the Install Mac OS 8.1 or the Update to Mac OS 8.1 program to install the software. This program performs all the tasks recommended for a successful installation and simplifies the installation process. Refer to the Mac OS 8 installation manual and the onscreen help in the program for more information.

    If you select the information button for a component in the installer, while doing a custom install, the installer may report an earlier version number than the component that is actually installed. For example, the information button for Apple Video Player will report the version to be installed as 1.6.2. This is incorrect. Version 1.7.1 of Apple Video Player will actually be installed.


    Troubleshooting suggestions

    Some Apple-branded disks manufactured by third parties, including the Apple 365 MB external hard disk, are not supported by the Apple disk utilities. If your disk cannot be updated with the Apple utilities, you must use a third-party disk utility to update the driver.

    If you see a message that your disk has problems and cannot be repaired, turn off file sharing if it is on, then try installing again. If that does not work, try using another disk-repair utility. If you do not have another utility, or if that utility also does not work, you may need to reinitialize the disk. Copy all your files to another disk first because reinitializing erases the disk. For more information about reinitializing, see the manual that came with your computer.

    If you experience difficulties during installation, be sure to start up with the Mac OS 8.1 CD-ROM disc or the Mac OS 8.1 Disk Tools floppy disk. See your installation manual for instructions.

    If you are installing over a network, or if you have a non-Apple CD-ROM drive and cannot start up with the CD or disk, turn off all extensions that were not provided with your system software. Then restart the computer.

    See the troubleshooting chapter in your installation manual for additional suggestions.


Document Information
Product Area: Mac OS System Software
Category: Mac OS 8.1
Sub Category: General Topics

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