Can't reboot back into Panther

Question

Can't reboot back into Panther

Have one G4 400 MHz that has an older scanner attached. In order to use the scanner, have to completely restart in 9.2.2. This is no problem, however, when trying to go back to 10.3.9, it's nowhere to be found!!! This is a new wrinkle. (Have another G4 with same set-up - another older scanner, and it works fine. The point here is that both computers have been treated the same regarding updates, etc.)

I find I can insert the OS-X CD, restart on the CD, make the start-up disk selection there, and it works fine upon restart, but what could have disappeared or become corrupted to cause this problem??? (I've already run permissions repair.)

Any ideas (other than trashing the old scanner)? Thanks.

Ginny

Posted on Nov 11, 2005 2:55 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 18, 2005 8:54 PM in response to Ginny Pressly

Got the same problem here.
I have this solid and reliable G4 that's been running fine since I've had it. Somehow my tenants said they boot it up this morning and it started in Classic mode. Can't figure out how to start back in 10.3.9

I think they too have an older scanner connected to it now come to think about it. Maybe somehow that's the problem??

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Answer 2

Justin C

Level 6

8,700 points

Nov 18, 2005 9:29 PM in response to Ginny Pressly

Booting into OS 9 can do this really often (cause problems). Using your disk or booting with spacebar held down is a way to push it out of that cycle. Booting into 9 has never made a OS X system unusable for me, just temporarily confused.

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Answer 3

Nov 19, 2005 11:32 AM in response to Justin C

The space bar trick did not work. The thing is, according to my tenant, my G4 started up in Classic on its own. I will try to boot from the disk and see if that works.

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Answer 4

Nov 19, 2005 12:24 PM in response to marc baril

Got it!

I simply had to select the OSX folder in startup disk. Back in business.

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Answer 5

Jan 26, 2006 6:03 AM in response to marc baril

That's where the problem starts on the computer I am dealing with . . . the OS-X folder is nowhere to be found in the startup disk when running in OS-9. I might try the spacebar approach.

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Answer 6

Jan 26, 2006 7:59 AM in response to Ginny Pressly

Tried the spacebar approach, but still no way to access the OS-X file for startup.

Loading the CD and starting up on it, then making the change does work, but what a pain!!!

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Answer 7

Niel

Community+ 2026

Level 10

743,561 points

Jan 26, 2006 8:50 PM in response to Ginny Pressly

Restart with the X key held down when you want to boot into Panther; this will change the startup disk to the Mac OS X system. You may also be able to boot into Mac OS X by pressing the Option key and then selecting the Mac OS X system; this requires that Mac OS X is on a different partition from Mac OS 9, and won't work on the PCI graphics G4.

(10292)

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Answer 8

Jan 27, 2006 6:09 AM in response to Niel

The X key worked!!!

While there must still be some little problem in that the OS-X isn't even visible in the OS-9 startup control panel, this is a very easy workaround, especially no more than we have to do this!

Guess I need to learn all of the "special" keys one might use in start-up. (Needless to say, I know the "C" key very well.)

Thank you!!!

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