Mac OS 9 Lives

Mac OS 9 Discussion => Mac OS 9, Hacks & Upgrades => Topic started by: drzeissler on September 17, 2021, 06:26:44 AM

Title: MacOS9 does not start programs ?!?
Post by: drzeissler on September 17, 2021, 06:26:44 AM
Hi there,

my G4-cube with 9.0.4. does not start any programs. I don't know where to search.

- The machine boots without an error.
- I can access the harddisk and the filesystem on any partition
- If I click on a program the machine just freezes. Mousepointer is still OK.

The machine shows that behavior before, but one  reboot and a diskcheck and everything works just fine.
Actually no reboot with diskcheck help. Starting without extensions works and I can make a diskchecxk, but the Partitions and the Filesystems are OK. Rebooting with the extensions and the machine look-up on start of the first program.

I already changed the RAM but this did not help either.

What is the problem here?

I had this before and made a clean install but that could not be the solution.

Thx
Doc
Title: Re: MacOS9 does not start programs ?!?
Post by: Bolkonskij on September 17, 2021, 06:34:04 AM
So if I got you right, your Cube *does* start applications fine when booting with extensions disabled? If so, you probably have an extension conflict. Congratulations. This might take some time to figure out. (if you have RAM Doubler installed, try disabling that first. It's a troublemaker)

Do you have Macsbug installed (http://system7today.com/helpcenter/mac-freezes-macsbug/)? If yes, what's the error shown?
Title: Re: MacOS9 does not start programs ?!?
Post by: IIO on September 17, 2021, 07:43:31 AM
what happens when you doubleclick, does the icon of the app change to the "open" look or do you eventually even see its name in the menubar before the machine freezes?

what happens when you doubleclick a font suitcase? will that open?
Title: Re: MacOS9 does not start programs ?!?
Post by: drzeissler on September 18, 2021, 01:08:14 AM
After some reboot's it worked yesterday.

What I figured out is that sometimes the program to start shows in the bar above, sometimes it's blank.
Starting without all extensions does not work, because the programs (iTunes 2.04.) and the games do
not start.

After 9.0.4 I only install the ATI-Driver Update and the game-sprockets. If any games does install some additional extensions I don't know.
It seems that I do run into this issue again and again, so it mit be something I do.
Letting all ATI extension out does not fix the issue, so it might not be the ATI driver-update.
Perhaps it's something from the shutdown-routine.
I checked if it's there if I let the machine boot and weit some time (10 Minutes) before starting the first app, but that does not help either.
I am sure that there is no hardware issue with the machine. It's a software conflict.

I'll check the tool mentioned above.
Thx Doc
Title: Re: MacOS9 does not start programs ?!?
Post by: IIO on September 18, 2021, 01:43:27 AM
hm, how patient were you when opening apps before you thought it wont open? less than 5 seconds? there is a file infector (a worm) which would delay launch processes.
Title: Re: MacOS9 does not start programs ?!?
Post by: drzeissler on September 18, 2021, 03:11:22 AM
minutes. it's really a freeze. The icon is "opened" and that's it, mousepointer still OK, rest not.
Title: Re: MacOS9 does not start programs ?!?
Post by: drzeissler on September 19, 2021, 03:26:10 AM
Don't know how to use macbugs. I think I make another clean install.
Not using all ATI extensions and no game-sprockets does not solve the problem.
It's something else.

If I shut down the machine and reboot it after a view minutes (before it worked after some reboots)
it does work. That leads to something that is perhaps a hardware issue. could it be the battery?

Doc
Title: Re: MacOS9 does not start programs ?!?
Post by: IIO on September 19, 2021, 04:41:58 AM
oh i think we forgot one more thing.

eventually you should delete and rebuild your desktop database.

this can also make the system not know that APPL types of programs should run.

i dont know one offhand (they are so rare) but to test for that you should try to launch a true desktop accessory type of executable - or quit and relaunch the finder.
Title: Re: MacOS9 does not start programs ?!?
Post by: IIO on September 19, 2021, 04:43:56 AM

do control panels open?