Flashing question mark

[luoneier]

Hi,

great forum, this is my first post.

I've tried to install OS9 as per the instructions in the thread entitled: how to Install Mac OS 9 *DOWNLOAD AVAILABLE*CLICK HERE*, on an 867mhz G4 Quicksilver. I have partitioned my hard drive as 2 partitions, one has OSX Tiger on it and the other is blank and set up for Mac OS Extended (journaling not selected). I also made sure to select the Mac OS 9 drivers option on that partition.

I have gone into disk utility in OSX and selected the OS9 General disk image as source, and dragged my blank OS 9 disk partition (which I've named 9) to the destination field and let it run. I then went into system preferences and chose 'OS 9.2.2 on 9' as the startup disk and restarted. When it restarts it just goes to a screen with a folder and a flashing question mark each time.

Are there any glaring errors in the process I've described above? I've never done this before.

Thanks!

[supernova777]

this message is telling u its having trouble finding the mac os toolbox image (rom)
which usually means its having trouble finding + accessing the partition itself.

i think that mac os 9 preferes to be installed on the first partition on the drive rather then the second.
what i suggest u do is boot holding the option key

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4672

select the drive partition that has mac os 9 once u are presented with the gui

[luoneier]

Ah thanks, that makes sense, I think I put OS9 on the second partition. I'll give that a try.

[luoneier]

Well, even selecting the OS9 drive from after starting up while holding option key, I still get the question mark. Are there any other possibilities you can think of?

Thanks!

[supernova777]

which file exactly did u download + install?

this one?
https://www.adrive.com/public/8rCZTk/922DragInstall.sea.bin

or this?
https://www.adrive.com/public/wA2Y6e/OS9General.dmg.bin

something is clearly not right with your installation..
what type of hard drive are u using? IDE? SATA?
connected via normal IDE interface?

like i said before the flashing folder means it cannot find your mac os rom on your drive or system folder

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5565827

u might try a PRAM/NVRAM reset
( hold cmd-option-P-R ) on boot..
u do this 3 times in a row to be sure.. so u will do it 3 times and hear it make the bong sound and restart 3 times..

[mrhappy]

I know I managed to screw up with the 'General' somehow, as I was confused about the the disk image thing, however I've used DieHard's 'Drag Install' a few times and it went quite well! Maybe you should give THAT method a try??

[supernova777]

i think ive had the same problem too.. maybe its a result of how its being installed..ie: using disk utility to restore it.. may not be the best idea.. maybe it'd be better to just mount the .dmg file on the desktop in osx.. and simply drag the files from the mounted image to the destination partition (having been freshly formatted with mac os 9 drivers)..

or.. MAYBE THATS WHY..
maybe osx requires u to set up Mac os 9 subsystem before its able to properly copy the "mac os 9 drivers" to a target partition..  which is what that mac os 9 general image is really intended for.. adding "classic" support to mac os x.. perhaps its not meant to be used as a standalone install of mac os 9 at all.. either way.. u could try to first copy the contents of the general.dmg to the mac os x drive and set up mac os x's classic support properly by showing it where the mac os 9 subsystem is.. and THEN trying to format a new partition mac os extended /w mac os 9 drivers checked.. and then drag the files to the new partition + see if it boots..
some ideas.. i hope u get it sorted.

[IIO]

consider the follwing: the question mark means, that the OSX install can also not be found.

[supernova777]

just reformat the entire drive 

[luoneier]

I'll try the above, this is all made more difficult by the fact that the G4 in question, which I've just bought second hand, has a faulty DVD drive and also has had the PRAM battery removed... I don't know what other 'modifications' the genius who owned it previously may have performed. If the DVD drive were working I'd just use an OS9 install CD and be done with it....

[supernova777]

thats a problem easily fixed...
u can easily find any old IDE cdwriter or dvdrom/writer and replace it
if u have a choice pick i think its pioneer that supports some extended features but its not a make or break deal.. especially if u just need to install..

in a pinch u could use a usb drive to install frm but it would be slow as molasses
better to get a replacement dvd..

the pram battery could be the cause of your problem...
if its being erased when it reboots nowonder it 'forgets' the abnormal location of the mac os rom / system folder on the 2nd partition

my advice to u is to clone your osx partition to the second partition and then reinstall using the general.dmg in the same fashion from the 2nd partition to the first..
that is assuming that your partitions are of equal or greater size or big enough to accomodate you content on partition 1

this is a easy procedure using carbon copy cloner or superduper
i believe u can be booted to partition 1 and still copy the partition 100% to the second.. then reboot to the 2nd partiton and erase the first... + reinstall with general.dmg... reformat partition 1 as mac os extended (non journalled) and then simply drag the files from the mounted general.dmg to the first partition and your system should be able to find the mac os rom + boot to mac os 9 fine

[IIO]

and also has had the PRAM battery removed

[mrhappy]

My G4 500DP has some issues with it's DVD drive as well so I've been using an external firewire drive to do this sort of thing. You're gonna want a battery so you might as well get on that.

[supernova777]

u can order the battery from macsales.com i think
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/BAA36VPRAM/


3.99 isnt gonna break the bank:)

[luoneier]

Thanks everyone, I've ordered a PRAM battery and an IDE DVD drive, I needed to anyway. Great forum, got loads of help really quickly after posting!

[luoneier]

Got the DVD drive and PRAM battery installed and just used the .iso image from this site, all up and running. Thanks chaps!!

[mrhappy]

That's what we like to hear...success!!!

[supernova777]

great..
i had a problem yesterday of a dvd not booting untill i re-burned it onto a DVD-R (instead of DVD+R) then it worked first try.

[luoneier]

..and I have to say OS9 for music is wonderful, this G4 feels like the fastest mac I've ever used! Modern stuff feels less snappy somehow.