My iBook won't start up. I'm scared.

[Groovsonic]

Ok.
I have a 900mhz iBook G3. I almost always use OSX.
I booted into OS9 to do some stuff and while I was there, I got a message saying something about finder error and I should restart. Well, the whole thing was frozen, so I held down the power button and powered off. When I hit the power button to turn it back on, I get the startup chime and the ominous looking screen with a folder and a question mark flashing.


I just want to get back into OSX. HELP!!!


Thanks.

[Coolvirus007]

boot from the mac os 9 disc and select the mac os x disc in startup disk preferences.

[Groovsonic]

But, I can't even get into OS9.
I just get the folder in the center of the screen with the flashy question mark. I can't do anything.

[abhishekit]

here, read this. (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58042)

cheers

[Amani]

But, I can't even get into OS9.
I just get the folder in the center of the screen with the flashy question mark. I can't do anything.

I remember the first time I got the flashing question mark. Scared me too. Lesson to learn after you reinstall your system, BACK UP EVERYTHING on a CD or on an external hard drive.

[Groovsonic]

here, read this. (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58042)

cheers

Thank you so, so much. I wasn't able to do exactly what was listed there, but fortunately my FP iMac is working fine, so I made a boot CD using BootCD (good name) and did some disk repair stuff and after about 10 restarts the computer finally recognized the hard drive as a startup disk. Its working fine now.

Thanks for your help.