Classic won't start in OS X

This may depend exactly which Mac you have… (look here)

All Macs that can run X and Classic came with an OS 9 installer for the minimum version required, and I haven't noticed one on which updating X first stopped Classic 9 launching because of the 9 version…

Does Classic start for you if you use the Classic System Preference to launch it with Extensions Off, please?

Can you boot in pure OS 9 by changing Startup Disk System Preference?

Glad that worked.

X wouldn't finish automatic updates if Classic didn't launch properly…

9.2.2 is often desirable, though it shouldn't be necessary unless a warning message says so… Doing it anyway should never hurt System components, but some third-party software might still prefer to stick with 9.2.1 so I'd stay with the lower version for a week or two and check for problems first…

I'm having the same problems as you, except what you did to fix it won't work for me, since my computer cannot boot up in 9.x (it's a new G4 1.67 PowerBook).

It boots to the screen where normally extensions start going across the bottom, but that's where it hangs, and turning off extensions doesn't make any difference.

My PowerBook even came with an install CD that updated my System to 9.2.2, and said it was successful, but it still won't boot.

I suppose I could delete the System Folder and completely install a fresh new one, but I was hoping to avoid that because I have so many preferences in there that I need to run my software, and I don't want to have to spend a lot of time copying the preferences and extensions over, etc.

I tried repairing permissions and rebuilt my desktop, but that didn't help either. There are no error messages given by Classic -- it just hangs. I don't get it, because I copied the same system folder to a FireWire disk and it boots up fine on my old G4 550 mhz PowerBook. But even though it will boot that computer, it hangs during boot-up if you're loading it within the Classic environment.

I've had this problem since upgrading to Tiger.

Any help would be appreciated.

- Jon

Nevermind, I fixed it. The solution was in this thread:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=1538742#1538742

All you do is remove the DiVXNetworks folder from /Library/Application Support, and it fixes it.

WHY this causes Classic not to start up is another question entirely... this would explain why completely installing a fresh Classic still would not work, though. But WHY the HECK does a third-party folder in /Library/Application Support somehow affect Classic's bootup process, even when it's booting up with Extensions Off, etc? Pure craziness.

-J

I cannot locate the DiVXNetworks folder. Where is it. Which library folder should I look in. Doesn't matter I looked in all my library folders and did not find it. I too cannot start Classic in OS 9.

AKG8R, DivX is only one possible solution to symptoms like jsforesi's, and not everyone has DivX in the first place…

|Unless your symptoms are completely identical to jsforesi's, please post details

I am tryng to work in my OS 9.1 programs but cannot switch to the Classic environment via Tiger 10.4. The furthest that I have gotten is the welcome screen that states "Welcome Mac OS." Some people even get the running blue bar I don't even get that far.

I read on one of the forums that I should probably try removing the DIVXNetworks folder from the Library folder; however, that did not work for me. I cannot locate the DIVXNetworks folder. I did a scan in both Library folders. I guess I am one those individuals that do not have the DIVXNetworks folder.

Please help. The only way that I can get back to Classic is via the startup disks which is annoying to restart the computer each time.

Please remember, you cannot get back to Classic via Startup Disk… You can switch from OS X to pure, bootable OS 9 via Startup Disk and a large part of the point is that pure OS 9 is not the same thing as the cut-down version of OS 9 which runs in the Classic environment over OS X.

If your Mac can boot in pure OS 9 but not launch Classic 9 over X the problem is probably on the X, not the 9 side and DivX might have been a good candidate, if you had it…

The next question in your situation is, can you launch Classic 9 over X with Extensions off, using the Classic System Preference, please?

That does not work either.

So you figure that I should probably re-install X?

Please remember, you cannot get back to Classic via
Startup Disk… You can switch from OS X to pure,
bootable OS 9 via Startup Disk and a large part of
the point is that pure OS 9 is not the same thing as
the cut-down version of OS 9 which runs in the
Classic environment over OS X.

If your Mac can boot in pure OS 9 but not launch
Classic 9 over X the problem is probably on the X,
not the 9 side and DivX might have been a good
candidate, if you had it…

The next question in your situation is, can you
launch Classic 9 over X with Extensions off, using
the Classic System Preference, please?

Uh… you're welcome to reinstall X and that's the last thing I'd try.

When the furthest you'veve gotten is the welcome screen that states "Welcome Mac OS…" exactly what happens after that, please?

If pure 9 will boot but Classic 9 won't normally launch over X, the next question still is, can you launch Classic 9 over X with Extensions off, using the Advanced tab in Classic System Preference, please?