How can I run Classic MacOS 9 applications today?

Profile picture for user Jim The Computer Man
Jim The Computer Man Thu, 12/07/2017 - 07:14
Classic OS 9

Some people might ask why bother? Well, it's not just because of good old memories like the Windows 95/98 or even before, there are rare cases that your customer has brought in a good iMac but still running Snow Leopard 10.6.8 with heaps of old AppleWorks 6 documents.

It's not a big deal to open those AppleWorks documents. That's true! You can open it with LibreOffice and even better LibreOffice is free(check out previous post Free Microsoft Office alternatives). What if your customer just wants to stick with 10.6.8? The earliest OS X version LibreOffice can supports is Lion 10.7, plus your customer loves AppleWorks.

The latest AppleWorks 6.2.9 updater can be easily downloaded from Apple, but it needs the original AppleWorks, say Apple Works 6 or 6.2. Even if you still have the AppleWorks original installation disc, you can't install it on your Snow Leopard, it pops up a error message saying "Classic Environment not supported". Now it's the time we need the OS 6 system.

To be able to create a "working in OS 9" AppleWorks folder, we need OS 9 system and then install AppleWorks 6 on it. After that, I can copy the folder to Snow Leopard's /Application and 6.2.9 updater should be able to install on it.

Here are the steps:

  1.  Get SheepShaver from the developer's official website or pre-complied from https://www.emaculation.com
  2.  Get a compatible ROM file. In our case the New World ROM. You can find compatible ROM files when you search the web for redundant robot sheepshaver. There are copyright reason we don't directly provide the link
  3.  Get a OS 9 install disc or an image from macintosh garden if you don't have the disc
  4.  Follow the instruction on how to setup SheepShaver on https://www.emaculation.com
  5.  There is only tricky part that you need to correct ROM and rename it to Mac OS ROM
SheepShaver setup