On Mar 9, 2011, at 12:18 AM, jsmanson wrote:
I CANNOT get this machine to boot from a CD drive, with the retail CD
of 9.1 (Not copied, it has the apple logo on it), and I can't get it
to go with ISO files of 9.1, 9.22, and 9.21, they all do the same
thing - a quick read from the CD, and the system then boots to OS X
10.4.
You don't need to be booted in OS 9.x to install OS 9.x. Since you can
boot 10.4, use the netboot OS X installer package directly from your
10.4 boot to install 9.2.2.
If it won't install, this is a sign something this WRONG with the HD.
You need to completely erase the HD by opening Disk Utility and select
the "Partition" tab, and then "one partition" and under Options check
"Apple Partition Format" and "HFS+ file system" and also "Write Zeros
to Disk". This will take a long time.
Pressing "C" on the keyboard does nothing.
Bad sign. Reset the NVRAM by booting Open Firmware using Cmd-Opt-o-f
keys at startup and at the prompt type these two commands:
set-defaults<Return>
reset-all<Return>
where <Return> means hit the Return. The response should be "ok" to
the 1st command and an automatic reboot to the 2nd command. If this
doesn't fix your ability to boot from CD by the "C" key you've got a
hardware problem, either bad cable, bad optical unit, or bad
logicboard ATA bus.
Telling OS-X to
boot off the CD drive (It sees the CD, and calls it OS 9.1, so it lets
me select the CD to boot) doesn't work. It looks like whatever I do,
moving dmg files to the hard disk and trying to run the setup directly
from the hard disk, etc ,etc, won't work. if I can't boot this thing
off a CD, I won't get OS 9 installed.
Again, it's NOT necessary to boot OS 9 to install OS 9.
I'm pretty well ready to give
this thing up and get another machine with OS 9.something already
installed. Windows (mess that it is) is easier to install than this.
Oh yes, I did the PRAM thing as well - two beeps - nothing. I'm happy
to report that 10.4 boots reliably, too bad my ap just doesn't like
that puppy.
The only thing I have left to try is to remove the hard drive with OSX
on it, so the machine will have no OS to boot except for the one on
the CD - I suspect I'll just get a dead machine at that point.
Sorry about my frustration - but I have spend probably 50 hrs on this
so far. Any other ideas folks?
Yes, other ideas:
1) are you sure the PRAM battery is good? You say "I did the PRAM
thing as well - two beeps - nothing" which sound completely WRONG.
When you hold Cmd-Opt-p-r keys you should hear startup "chimes" not
"beeps". Beeps are a BAD sign, and indicate something completely
different, a hardware issue. Specifically "two beeps" indicate
"incompatible RAM". This could be your issue?
2) have you checked the jumpers of the HDs and the CD drive to be sure
they're correct. The problems you're having sound like confusion of
the ATA bus which can be caused by incorrect jumper settings on the
drives.
3) you haven't mentioned the "Option" key boot. When you boot with the
Option key and a CD in the optical unit you should get a selection of
all bootable drives on the Mac.
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