[Coco] OT: Ping: Mac users

[Ray Watts]

Robert Emery wrote:

>Sorry for the OT, but I'm hoping somone here can save me a few hours of
>Googling for answers...
>
>I recently acquired a Mac G4-450 with OS9.2 on it. It needed a new keyboard
>before it would boot, when it booted there were about 200 icons on the
>desktop... so I cleverly decided to clean it up. I didn't delete anything
>(well, a couple of empty folders), just moved a bunch of stuff into a folder on
>the desktop.
>
>Now the thing won't boot at all. I tried to rebuild the desktop by holding down
>Option+Apple keys at startup... it just gets to a blank gray screen and hangs
>every time, regardless of keypresses or whatever.
>
>So is there someplace I can download an ISO of a bootable utility CD that will
>let me fix this? There's no floppy, but a CD-R(W?) and ZIP drive, I'm guessing
>250MB. Can the Mac boot from either of these?
>
>Thanks in advance,
>Bob Emery
>
>
>  
>
Bob,   Two things you didn't mention:

1.  When you put the desktop icons into a folder, was it ALL the icons 
including the HD icon?  If so, the startup software can't find the 
System Folder to boot.

2.  Didn't you get a system restore and/or system install CD with the 
system?   If so, insert the CD and press "c".  Keep the c pressed until 
the  startup screen appears and you will boot up on the CD.  Then remove 
the HD icon from the folder (if that's what you did) and try a restart 
without pressing c.

A third possibility is that your battery is dead and you need to zap the 
PRAM after replacing.  This might be true if there is no "sad mac" on 
the blank gray screen.  There is also a button in the vicinity of the 
battery and the PRAM whose name I cannot recall that is used to reset 
the whole motherboard when needed once in a blue moon.

If none of that helps, I can ship a bare bones startup CD for OS 9.1, 
however, be aware it is for an iMac.  I don't what difference that will 
make.

cheers,    Griz