Installing the Classic Environment

When you first take your shiny new Mac out of the box, Tiger is installed, but the Classic environment isn't. If you need to use applications that require Mac OS 9, such as QuarkXPress 4 or Adobe Acrobat 5, you need to install the Classic environment first.

Start by finding the CDs or DVDs that shipped with your Mac. If your Mac was manufactured in 2003 or early 2004, look for a disc called Software Install & Restore. If your Mac was manufactured in 2004 or later, look for a disc called Additional Software & Apple Hardware Test.

If your Mac shipped with the Software Install & Restore disc, double-click on Install Applications & Classic Support and follow the instructions. If your Mac included the Additional Software & Apple Hardware Test disc, double-click on Install Additional Software. You are actually installing the Software Restore application in the Utilities folder, although on first glance it looks as if the Installer will overwrite your currently installed applications. The Software Restore application handles the installation of the Classic environment, along with reinstalling the applications your Mac shipped with.

After the installation finishes, the Software Restore application should automatically launch. If it doesn't, you can find it hiding in Applications > Utilities. Software Restore will ask for the disc that has all of your installers, but it won't ask for it by name. Instead, it shows you a graphic and asks you to insert the disc that has the same symbols on it.

The step-by-step instructions let you choose to install the Classic environment, so you don't have to worry about accidentally reinstalling your other Apple applications. You won't even have to restart your Mac afterward.

Tip

If you don't need to have the Classic environment running, make sure that it isn't. Even if the Classic environment isn't doing anything, and no Classic applications are running, it can still slow down your Mac. The slowdown may not be noticeable on newer Macs, but you can tell the difference on older G4 systems.