Cannot start up from CD

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Level 1

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Cannot start up from CD

Tried holding down C while starting up, also tried changing the startup disk setting and restarting from there. It always reboots from HD.
I'm new to Macs, but when you say "hold down C", do you mean just the key letter "c", lower case, and nothing else?
Thanks,
sp

powerbook 3400, Mac OS 9.1.x

Posted on Sep 24, 2007 7:14 AM

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Answer 1

Jan Hedlund

Level 7

24,301 points

Sep 24, 2007 8:33 AM in response to petrhick

Try holding down the four keys Command (Apple) + Option (Alt) + Shift + Delete (Backspace) instead.

Also, if necessary, try resetting the PRAM.

Finally, is the CD the correct startup disc? It must be an appropriate general retail version, or a model-specific CD for this very Mac.

Jan

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Answer 2

petrhick Author

Level 1

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Sep 27, 2007 6:40 AM in response to Jan Hedlund

Tried both suggestions, no go. I inherited the Powerbook from my father. It did not come with any OS or software disks. It has OS 9.1 with some serious issues (dead preferences, extension recognition problems, etc.). I was trying to install with a borrowed OS 9.2 disk. I guess I'll have to buy a commercial version of 9.2, if they even still sell them. I've been told this old Powerbook 3400 can't handle OS X, and even if it could, that I'd have to buy all the software that would get lost in the process. Not sure it's all worth it. Any suggestions?

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Answer 3

jpl

Level 7

28,285 points

Sep 27, 2007 8:37 AM in response to petrhick

petrhick,

The PB3400 supports a maximum of OS 9.1. If interested, download 'OS9 Forever'; this allows you to install 9.2.x on unsupported machines. Please read how this utility works before proceeding.

http://www.os9forever.com/os9helper.html

However, if you have major problems with your currently installed OS, updating to 9.2.x may not correct them or might even compound your problems. The safest approach is to have a bootable, supported version of the OS on CD. The 3400 ran a special version of OS 7.6/7.6.1, so you would want a retail disk containing MacOS 8.0 > 9.1. If you want to run 9.x, you can buy a MacOS 9.0 CD, then freely update to 9.1. Don't buy any machine-specific CDs that have names like Power Mac of iMac on the label; you want the retail disks that support all models.

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Answer 4

Sep 27, 2007 8:39 AM in response to petrhick

If you can get any version of OS 9 installed (from "Full Retail" CD, white with a big gold 9) you can download the free but large updates that will take you to 9.1, then to 9.2, then to 9.2.2.

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Answer 5

petrhick Author

Level 1

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Sep 28, 2007 7:17 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thanks to all for the suggestions. One nagging question: if I do a clean reinstall of whatever OS I get, will I lose all the applications? I'm new to Macs, and I know this is what happens with Windows...
Petrhick

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Answer 6

petrhick Author

Level 1

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Sep 28, 2007 7:40 AM in response to jpl

JPL, is it safe to "backtrack" to an earlier OS? In other words, am I going to run into problems trying to install OS 9.0 over the existing OS 9.1?

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Answer 7

jpl

Level 7

28,285 points

Sep 28, 2007 8:24 AM in response to petrhick

petrhick,

It is safe to move to an earlier version OS. When you select the Clean Install option on your MacOS 9.0 CD, your current System Folder is disabled and named 'Previous System Folder', then an all new OS 9.0 System Folder is installed. The only way you will lose anything is by selecting erase or initialize and those options are clearly marked.

There may be other 9.x questions you have, so I would suggest heading over to the MacOS 9 > Installing Mac OS 9 Discussions for some expert advice; you can reference this thread if you wish or summarize what has been discussed here.
http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=667

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Answer 8

Sep 28, 2007 9:54 AM in response to petrhick

The terminology is slightly different between OS 9 and Mac OS X.

For Mac OS 9, "Clean Install" sets aside the System Folder (containing OS 9 and your Preferences) and Installs a new System Folder from the CD. Nothing is deleted. If you have some Applications that are newer than the version to be installed, it will ask you whether to keep the newest one. If you find you are missing an Extension, Control Panel, or Preference, you can find it in your Old System Folder and drag it back into the current System Folder.

In Mac OS X, that same procedure is now referred to as "Archive and Install".

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