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Old iMac/New Problem

BigBurd

BigBurd

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 7, 2002
81
0
The Beautiful Berkshires
I always go to MacRumors for advice. MacRumors' members seem to know everything.

Here's a new challenge:

Recently, I bought a used 333 mHz iMac, so I could use a few old MIDI programs that I own. Wanting to check it for any problems, I inserted a copy of Norton Utilities 3.5 in the CD tray. The iMac would not recognize it, even though the OS is 8.5, and Norton states on the CD that it is for OS 7.1, or above.

Here's the stupid thing that I did ..... I decided to switch my start-up drive to the CD drive. (I guess I was hoping that, for some miraculous reason, the CD would be recognized this time.) Well ..... the iMac still refuses to recognize that CD, and now I can't start up my iMac, because my start-up drive is my CD drive!

Here's where you come in ..... And I KNOW that (after you've ridiculed me just a bit) you'll give be some great advice ..... Since I can't start up my iMac, how do I switch the start-up drive while it is booting?

I'll keep checking, to see the posts.

Thanks, so much, in advance.
 
cluthz

cluthz

macrumors 68040
Jun 15, 2004
3,118
4
Norway
Try to hold down the mouse button at start (that will eject the cd)
or
Try hold down X when you boot.
or
Hold down: cmd+shift+option+backspace
 
T

TLRedhawke

macrumors 6502
Sep 17, 2004
351
0
If you just hold down the Option key while the machine is booting, it will give you an menu of all the available boot drives, from which you can select your hard drive.
 
mklos

mklos

macrumors 68000
Dec 4, 2002
1,896
0
My house!
It should boot from the CD with no problem as long as its a bootable CD. If you so ever get it working its not going to work for that OS anyways. The reason why its not going to work is that version of Norton doesn't support the HFS+ file system. That only supports the HFS file system. Mac OS 8.5 and above uses the current HFS+ file system which is different enough that using that version of Norton that you have could really screw up the filesystem. You need to have Norton Utilities Version 5.0, which I have and will sell you cheap. If you want it, PM me and we'll set something up. Or if you want I will sell you Norton SystemWorks 1.0 really cheap as well. That will work with both Mac OS 8.1-OS X.1. I wouldn't use that with the current version of OS X.3.
 
mklos

mklos

macrumors 68000
Dec 4, 2002
1,896
0
My house!
Click and hold the mouse button down after the Mac Chime and the CD should eject. After that, it should flash the Mac OS face with a folder with a question mark on it, but then revert to the system folder. If it doesn't boot from the HD, then if you have the original OS CDs, put the OS CD in and let it boot. It boot from the OS CD to the desktop. Under the Apple Menu/Control Panels should be Startup Disk. Select that and then select the HD and restart.

You may want to try resetting the PRAM too. Apple+Option+P+R after the chime and it should chime again...let it chime about 3 times holding down those keys. Sometimes that works too.
 
BigBurd

BigBurd

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 7, 2002
81
0
The Beautiful Berkshires
Got it!

Thanks for all of your replies. None of them worked, EXCEPT booting from the system restore disc. (Actually, I figured that one out, and did it, before it was posted, but I appreciate the information, anyway.)

MacRumors members are the best!
 
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