For Mac OS X, what is the Classic environment, and how do I activate it?

Mac OS X is more robust than previous versions of Mac OS, but it is not compatible with some older Macintosh programs. The Classic environment is Mac OS 9 running as an application within some versions of Mac OS X, which allows you to use your older applications. If you run applications in the Classic environment, however, they will not take advantage of the new features in Mac OS X, such as protected memory. Thus, when one Classic application crashes, it frequently causes all other Classic applications, as well as the Classic environment itself, to crash.

Note: The Classic environment is not available on Macintoshes with Intel processors.

To run the Classic environment, you must have Mac OS 9.1 or later installed on your computer and selected in the Mac OS X Classic system preference. To set up the Classic environment in Mac OS X, follow these instructions:

1. Log into Mac OS X.
   
   
2. From the Apple menu, select System Preferences... .
   
   
3. In System Preferences, from the View menu, select Classic.
   
   
4. In the Classic system preference window, click the Start/Stop tab.
   
   
5. If one isn't selected, under "Select a system folder for Classic:", choose your Mac OS 9 system folder.
   
   
6. If you would like Classic to start automatically when you log into your account, click the checkbox next to Start Classic when you login.

Once you have set up the Classic environment, you can start it by clicking the Start button.

Also see:

• Should I upgrade my Macintosh to Mac OS X?
• What is iTunes and what does it do?
• In Mac OS X, how do I find out what version of Classic I have installed?
• What is Darwin?