Janice R. Andrews
If you have an ancient Power Macintosh that runs on the PowerPC, there may be a new use for it. An individual has effectively transferred Windows NT 4.0 to the Power Macintosh and made available the firmware and additional software required for its operation. That has changed because of one talented developer. Contributor Wack0 just published his maciNtosh project on GitHub, which is a repository including the ARC firmware and loader.
The Power Macintosh does not employ the same firmware required for Windows NT, despite the fact that Microsoft did convert Windows NT 4.0 to the PowerPC years ago. Only IBM and Motorola PowerPC systems were supported by the PowerPC version of Windows NT. Apple never released support for their PowerPC computers, which were more widely used.
The MPC106 “Grackle” memory controller, PCI host, and either the “Heathrow” or “Paddington” super-I/O chip on the PCI bus were utilized by the so-called New World Power Macintosh computers. This implies that you can install Windows NT 4.0 from the repository on any of the following Power Macintosh computers:
- a tray-loading iMac G3
- Yosemite, or the blue and white Power Macintosh G3.
- Macintosh PowerBook G3 equipped with the “Lombard” bronze keyboard
- Macintosh G4 PCI Power (“Yikes!”).
According to the author, Old World systems such as the Macintosh PowerBook G3 Series (“PDQ”) and the beige Power Macintosh G3 should also be able to run the ARC firmware. For certain platforms, a boot loader isn’t available yet.
Wack0 further notes that, with only Lombard systems evaluated, the initiative is highly experimental. Moreover, actual hardware testing has not yet been conducted on a number of drivers, including the Cuda driver. Furthermore, ATI hardware having a fcode version earlier than 1.69 may not work properly with the loader, which only supports ATI graphics chipsets.
The firmware and loader from the GitHub site, along with Windows NT 4.0 installation disk, are needed to install Windows NT on your Power Macintosh. Fortunately, disk pictures are easily found with a quick Google search. Wack0 offers comprehensive, easy-to-follow instructions for setting up Windows NT.
This is a really interesting effort, and it makes me long for my old PowerMac G4. Naturally, don’t anticipate stability just yet. The author observes that there are sporadic PMU hard shutdowns during booting and has developed the drivers just enough to run and use NT.
For those who appreciate vintage hardware and are interested in technology, this project presents an interesting and nostalgic chance. Not only does restoring vintage Power Macintosh systems with Windows NT 4.0 make one feel accomplished, but it also gives these venerable devices a fresh lease on life. Even though there are drawbacks and possible stability problems, with continued development and community participation, a more reliable solution may eventually be achieved.
Go to Wack0’s maciNtosh project on GitHub if you’re ready to take this adventure. If you closely follow the instructions, you may soon find yourself bridging the gap between two unique technology eras by running Windows NT 4.0 on a Power Macintosh.
