Mac OS 9: DVD Player Will Not Play After Clean Installation

I installed Mac OS 9 on my Power Mac G4 and now it will not play any DVD movies.

Apple DVD Software 2.0 Available

Some Power Macintosh G4 and iMac computers shipped with Apple DVD 2.0 Beta 2 software. A final release of Apple DVD Software 2.0 is available from Apple Software Updates sites. We strongly recommend updating to the final 2.0 version available from the Apple Software Updates Web site at http://www.apple.com/swupdates.


If You Are Using Apple DVD 2.0 Beta 2 Software

On Power Macintosh G4 and iMac computers that shipped with Apple DVD 2.0 Beta 2, performing a clean installation of Mac OS 9 can result in the Apple DVD Player not working. Instead, you are presented with the message:
If you do not update to the final release of the software (as mentioned above), you can solve the issue by dragging the DVD components in the previous Extensions folder over to the new Extensions folder and restarting. Follow these steps:

The Apple DVD Player should now function properly.

If you have initialized your computer's hard disk, or have erased the Previous System Folder that was created during the clean installation, you will not be able to follow the steps outlined above. However, a disk image of your computer's hard disk as it was shipped from the factory is located on the CD (disc) that came with your computer. By mounting that hard disk image, you can drag the necessary files from its System Folder to your Mac OS 9 System Folder. Follow these steps:

The Apple DVD Player should now function properly.

If you use the Extensions Manager to use the "Mac OS 9.0 All" or "Mac OS 9.0 Base" extension sets, DVD video will not work. You must also enable the three DVD extensions in the Extensions folder.

Note: In Mac OS 9, the Apple DVD Player is no longer listed in the Apple menu. It can be found in the Applications folder. You can put an alias to the Apple DVD Player in the Apple Menu Items folder if you wish. Apple DVD Player 2.0 is required to view DVD movies on these computers. If an earlier version is in the Application folder, then you will have to install it as well. Do this by moving the newer player over from the hard drive image in the Configurations folder on the Restore CD.

Update Using AppleScript

This AppleScript can update your new system folder using the components from the Previous System Folder.

--- Copy the following --

tell application "Finder"

set BootDrive to name of startup disk
set SysFldr to system folder as text
set ExtFldr to SysFldr & "Extensions:" as text
set DVDExists to every file in folder ExtFldr whose name starts with "DVD"

-- Are DVD files already installed?
if DVDExists is not {} then
set DVDInstalled to "Apple DVD Software is already installed"
display dialog DVDInstalled buttons {"OK"} with icon note

else
set PrvSysFldr to BootDrive & ":Previous System Folder:" as string

-- the previous System Folder still around?
if folder PrvSysFldr exists then
set PrevExtFldr to (PrvSysFldr & "Extensions:" as text) -- yes
else
-- locate it
choose folder with prompt "Locate your previous System Folder"
set PrvSysFldr to the result as text
set PrevExtFldr to PrvSysFldr & "Extensions:" as text
end if

--copy the old extensions to the new System Folder
select (every file of folder PrevExtFldr whose name starts with "DVD")
duplicate the selection to system folder

--copy the AMI item to the new Apple Menu Items folder
set PrevAMIFldr to PrvSysFldr & "Apple Menu Items:" as text
duplicate file "Apple DVD Player" of folder PrevAMIFldr to ¬
folder "Apple Menu Items" of system folder with replacing
set RestartMsg to ¬
"You need to restart to enable usage of the Apple DVD Player."
display dialog RestartMsg buttons "OK" default button 1 with icon caution

end if
end tell

-- End Selection and paste this into your Script Editor --

This AppleScript will copy the necessary Extensions and the alias for Apple Menu as well. It will tell you whether the files appear to have already been copied (if you have done it manually or run the script once already). If the Previous System Folder has already been removed, it can also be used to locate the System Folder on the mounted disk image from the secondary recovery method above and copy the files from there.

Note: This AppleScript has been compiled and is available at:

ftp://ftp.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Apple_Software_Updates/English-North_American/Macintosh/Misc/AppleScript/Install_DVD_SW.bin

Published Date: Feb 20, 2012