OS 9.2.2 and 16 colors mode

filipetolhuizen · Post by **filipetolhuizen** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:48 am

Hi, I was wondering if there's a way to change the colors display to 16 colors mode under Mac OS 9.2.2, it's not listed in the supported modes. Is there a way to make it appear as it did in the earlier versions?

kikkoman · Post by **kikkoman** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:38 pm

If you are using a VGA (PC) monitor and possess a VGA->DB15 adapter with dip-switches (pictured below), then maybe you can 'force' your (non-DVI) Mac to use 256 colors with some kind of switch combo... I'm not sure if it'll let you go any lower than 256 though...

Perhaps, one way is to raise the resolution to the highest supported value.... i don't know..... maybe something higher than 1280*1028. The higher you raise the resolution, the lower the bit-depth (# of colors) you'll get.

I'm just curious.... why would you want to run OS 9.2.2 with anything less than 256 colors?

filipetolhuizen · Post by **filipetolhuizen** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 8:27 pm

I'm just curious.... why would you want to run OS 9.2.2 with anything less than 256 colors?

I'd like to play games such as Leisure Suit Larry 1 and Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. They won't allow me to run in 256 colors. Although, they run in 256 grayscale mode, but black & white is not close enough. :|
And running them in emulators such as Basilisk II or Sheepshaver causes the screen to flash.

Stephen Coates · Post by **Stephen Coates** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 7:13 pm

It might be possible to change it if you use a different monitor/graphics card.

Although it might just be a limitation of OS9, as I seem to recall when i have used OS9 that I do not get an option of 16 colours, whereas with OS8 I get 16 colour/greys and Black and White.

Maybe you could just install OS8?

filipetolhuizen · Post by **filipetolhuizen** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 6:15 am

What would be the latest mac os version that supports 16 colour mode?

Stephen Coates · Post by **Stephen Coates** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:53 am

MacOS8.5 does, so I am assuimg 8.6 does as well.

Sat Jul 14, 2007 10:59 am

Yes, 8.6 supports any setting from B/W and up.

filipetolhuizen · Post by **filipetolhuizen** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 2:29 pm

Can I merge Os 8.5 and 8.6 into one installer? Os 8.5 won't install on my yosemite and Os 8.6 is update only

Sat Jul 14, 2007 3:29 pm

No. that is not possible.

The system that your G3 was supplied with is 8.5.1. MacOS 8.5.1 can be updated to 8.6. MacOS 8.5 cannot be installed on this machine and 8.5.1 can almost certainly be installed only from the CD that was originally delivered with it. So, you will either need to find a original 8.5.1 CD that came with exactly this model or find a general 8.6 install CD.

You can buy a original MacOS 8.6 CD for $159.99 on this site:
http://hardcoremac.stores.yahoo.net/software.html

kikkoman · Post by **kikkoman** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:32 am

If i were you, I'd just settle for the 8.5.1 CD here (yeah, at Hardcore Mac) and then just download the 8.6 update. Save $40... hey, that's good for two large pizzas!

Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:23 am

kikkoman wrote:If i were you, I'd just settle for the 8.5.1 CD here (yeah, at Hardcore Mac) and then just download the 8.6 update. Save $40... hey, that's good for two large pizzas!

However, there is a real chance that this 8.5.1 CD cannot be used to install on this G3. Usually only universal system CDs can be used that install later MacOS versions than the version the machine was supplied with. The G3 was originally supplied with 8.5.1 and thus, as I wrote before, you will either need a specific 8.5.1 CD that was delivered with this model or a universal 8.6 CD.

filipetolhuizen · Post by **filipetolhuizen** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:15 am

I had another idea. If I install mac os 8.6 on sheepshaver, stuff the system folder and unstuff it on my mac after deleting the other one, would it work? I just installed another HD which has Mac os 9.2.2 and I would do this on the other one.

Tue Jul 17, 2007 11:54 am

You can try that. The installed system may not be fully functional, though. The installer does not install identical systems on different machines. Part of the installation is determined by the hardware (in SheepShaver the emulated hardware) that the installer encounters. So, for instance, sound may not work.

filipetolhuizen · Post by **filipetolhuizen** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 10:37 pm

Hey, everything worked fine, but I still can't get 16 color modes even under OS 8.6, what should I do?

Wed Jul 18, 2007 9:05 am

You can't? I can choose 16 colors in 8.6 in SheepShaver, in Monitors and Sound control panel. Works fine.

filipetolhuizen · Post by **filipetolhuizen** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:44 pm

In Sheepshaver I can, but not in my G3. Although I realized that Sheepshaver won't run some extensions properly. If only I knew the right one to disable... However I found this article saying that 16 colors in OS 8 and up is not supported (now I'm confused, 'cause I actually get this mode in Basilisk II and Sheepshaver running OS 8.x)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q297238/

Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:06 am

Obviously 16 colors is supported in MacOS 8.6, otherwise it could not show up in SheepShaver. Maybe it is not supported on your hardware.

Stephen Coates · Post by **Stephen Coates** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:07 pm

What kind of monitor are you using?

I wouldn;t think that would make much difference to low amounts of colours, but the monitor type affects the resolutions that you can choose from in the list.

filipetolhuizen · Post by **filipetolhuizen** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:37 pm

I'm using an old Syncmaster 17GLsi

filipetolhuizen · Post by **filipetolhuizen** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:39 pm

I've read some articles at the Apple's knowledge database and I discovered that some hardware actually don't support 16 colors. I have an ATI Rage 128 card with 16MB. Does this limit apply to Nvidia cards too?

Stephen Coates · Post by **Stephen Coates** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:39 am

You'd probably have to check the NVidia documentation.

Is it a special Apple NVidia card though? Because if it just a normal PC one it might not work in the Macintosh.

filipetolhuizen · Post by **filipetolhuizen** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 1:03 pm

I just know that some Macs come with ATI and some with Nvidia cards. Do you know which Mac models can actually support 16 colors? Some iMacs were reported to.

Stephen Coates · Post by **Stephen Coates** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 8:54 am

I seem to recall that my Beige PowerMac G3 could, although I'm not sure.

My PowerBook 1400 and the 3400 can also support 16 colours (as well as black and white).