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Help!!!

post #1 of 17
7/12/06 at 2:02pm
Thread Starter 
HELP!!!

I have a blue iBook G3 333MHz.

On it is OSX Tiger and OS9.

It was set to boot to OS9.

I moved the "System" file out of the "System Folder." (Dont even ASK why...)

Now it boots to a question mark.

My Tiger install is on a DVD (I installed from an external DVD drive which I no longer have) and I don't have the OS9 disks.

Short of buying a new DVD drive, is there a way to fix the laptop?

Is there a way to boot into OSX (which should still be intact)? I have a Power Mac G4 with a DVD drive, can I use its drive on the iBook?

I love the laptop, and want to fix it...?

HELP!
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post #2 of 17
7/12/06 at 3:21pm
Quote:
Originally posted by turnwrite
I moved the "System" file out of the "System Folder." (Dont even ASK why...)

Why?????? (Sorry, couldn't help it)

Were you having problems? If OS X is intact, I'm not sure why it isn't being used to boot the machine (when the flashing question mark comes up, the machine is looking for anything bootable).

Quote:
Originally posted by turnwrite
Is there a way to boot into OSX (which should still be intact)?

Will it boot into single-user mode (turn on and immediately press the command button and "s" together, until writing appears on the screen)? If it does, wait until it is sitting at a command prompt, then type "shutdown -h now", without the quotes, and press return (this won't fix it but I don't want to type a whole load of instructions if the machine doesn't even boot into single-user mode).

Let me know either way if it can boot into single-user mode, and I will instruct further.
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post #3 of 17
7/12/06 at 5:22pm
I think that iBook will allow you to boot OS X by holding down the "X" key at the startup chime.
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post #4 of 17
7/12/06 at 7:59pm
Thread Starter 
Hm.

Does anyone know if there is an INTERNAL combo drive available for these clamshells? (The indigo 366MHz ones...)

(I'm not sure about the Single user Mode, lemme check....)
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post #5 of 17
7/12/06 at 8:31pm
Thread Starter 
All right.

OK.

I'm just gonna tell you the full story, Mr H, and call me stupid if you will, but it sounds like you can help.

Here's what happened: I have another laptop that has no system on it. I was trying to make a system disk for it to boot off of. So I was dragging all the bits of the OS 9 System Folder into this flash drive. And I dragged the System out of its proper folder. A little while later, the machine froze. Not thinking, I restarted it, and of course there was NO SYSTEM for it to go back to.

Except OS X, but for some reason it didn't.

I did try the CMD-X thing, but it didn't seem to work...?

Now, I'd love to try that Single User mode suggestion you had...

BUT...

My power cord burned out last week. I have no way to START the laptop in order to try that.

I just bid on a new one on eBay.

It'll probably be another week or so before it arrives though...

So I REALLY appreciate your help..

But I won't be able to test your suggestion for another week or so.

I think it would PROBABLY boot into single user mode... I don't see why NOT... But then again I don't see why it wouldn't boot OSX either, and that doesn't work...

Yes, I was stupid for breaking the iBook in such a n00bish fashion.

But...

Would you mind posting instructions here for what to do if it boots single user mode? Since I won't be able to let you know if it DOES for quite a while yet?

Thanks SO much for your help Mr H....

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post #6 of 17
7/13/06 at 3:24am
Quote:
Originally posted by turnwrite
I did try the CMD-X thing, but it didn't seem to work...?

That's because it's just the x-key you're supposed to press. You can also try holding the alt-key. That will list bootable systems and you can pick one.
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post #7 of 17
7/13/06 at 3:46am
Quote:
Originally posted by Marvin
You can also try holding the alt-key. That will list bootable systems and you can pick one.

The option key only lets you choose between bootable volumes. It sounds like OS 9 and OS X are on the same volume, so pressing option won't help.

turnwrite, it's ok, I'm not going anywhere. Just post back when you've got the power cord and have tried these suggestions.

One thing to try (before single-user) is "zapping the PRAM" - press command-alt-p-r all together as soon as you turn on the machine, and keep them held down until you've heard 3 more startup chimes, then release.
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post #8 of 17
7/13/06 at 9:25pm
Uh, I've used option to switch between different OS's multiple times. Will show both operating systems on the same volume from what I remember.
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post #9 of 17
7/14/06 at 1:58am
Quote:
Originally posted by Tomahawk
Uh, I've used option to switch between different OS's multiple times. Will show both operating systems on the same volume from what I remember.

Perhaps it varies between machines. It definitely doesn't work on my Titanium.
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post #10 of 17
7/20/06 at 6:09pm
Thread Starter 
OK.

I'm back.

So I tried holding the X key, and it just boots a question mark again.

I also tried booting into single user mode, but question mark again.

Option key = question mark

PRAM = question mark!!

What's going on??
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post #11 of 17
7/21/06 at 1:10am
Quote:
Originally posted by turnwrite
OK.

I'm back.

So I tried holding the X key, and it just boots a question mark again.

I also tried booting into single user mode, but question mark again.

Option key = question mark

PRAM = question mark!!

What's going on??

Oh dear

You need a boot disc from somewhere to sort this out. Do you have an Applestore nearby?
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post #12 of 17
7/21/06 at 8:51am
Thread Starter 
No, I don't think there is an Apple Store anywhere nearby... The closest one is about two hours away...

Why?

What happened?

Can I make a Linux disk and fix it with that? Or, I have a complete OS 9 System Folder on my PC's hard drive that I could burn to a CD...

Or do I really need an actual Tiger thing?
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post #13 of 17
7/21/06 at 11:27am
Apple suggests the next step is to reset your PRam:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58042

To do this, follow these instructions:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=2238
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post #14 of 17
7/21/06 at 12:07pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah, Marvin, I tried that, but for some reason it doesn't work.

I think I really need a CD but I dont have one.

Is there a way to make a bootable Mac CD?

Cuz on my Windows PC (gack) I have a complete backup of my OS9 System Folder before it died. Could I somehow stick this on a CD and boot from it? Is there something I need to do to it to make it bootable?

Or do I need to order one from Apple?
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post #15 of 17
7/21/06 at 2:26pm
Quote:
Originally posted by turnwrite
Cuz on my Windows PC (gack) I have a complete backup of my OS9 System Folder before it died. Could I somehow stick this on a CD and boot from it? Is there something I need to do to it to make it bootable?

Unfortunately, you can't just burn an OS 9 folder to a CD, as the volume needs to be properly "blessed". I'd be surprised if there are any PC tools that can burn a Mac-bootable CD.


There's one last thing I have to suggest, which is to try resetting your NVRAM via Open Firmware. Turn the computer on, and immediately press and hold "Command" + "Option (alt)" + "O" (the letter) + "F" together. A command prompt should appear. When it does follow these instructions (from after the sentence "If the message still appears after you reset PRAM, reset the Open Firmware settings: )".

If that doesn't help, you could do further monkeying around in Open Firmware*, but I'm not sure that's such a great move. Better to get a bootable disk so that you can check the HD and properly set the startup disk.

* I found this. You might want to try it if you're comfortable with command line interfaces.
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post #16 of 17
7/22/06 at 12:31pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks Mr H for all your help.....

I'm just not that comfortable in UNIX yet though, so I am just gonna order some CDs from Apple.

That should solve everything...

Thanks for helping though!

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post #17 of 17
7/22/06 at 9:11pm
I have used yellow dog linux to fix a fried bios on a machine that was displaying similar problems...
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