Can anyone give me some pointers on re-installing OS 9 on an imac 500mhz with a dead CD drive? Basically how can I boot and install the OS from another computer? I have access to other imacs with the same specs as I am in a classroom situation. I also have an ibook g4.

Thanks for the help

:)

For the iMac to start, it needs a boot volume of some kind. Usually, that's the internal hard drive or CD drive with a boot CD in the tray. It sounds like your iMac doesn't have either choice.

Can you get a FireWire hard drive or CD drive? With a FireWire drive, you could do a basic OS install to the FireWire drive from another computer and use it to get the iMac running. Put an IMG of the OS install disc on the FireWire drive and use it on your iMac to do an install. Or use a FireWire CD drive to boot from an install CD.

Start the iMac with the T key down makes it into a FW drive.
Then plug it in to you iBook.

You can install or clone to the iMac just as if a regular FW drive were hooked to the iBook.

Also.. if you want.. the DVD drives are pretty cheap for the old iMac's. My friend got one for like $40 CAD a year ago. Might be an option for you. :)

Thanks for the help, I got it to boot from a firewire drive.