HELP! OSX Starts up funny...

[Mavimao]

So I turned off my computer last night, and turned it back on today and all I got was a small blue square with a globe inside of it flashing on my screen. It kept doing it. So I turned it off, unplugged my SATA drive and took off the SATA card (see computer specs below), and started it up again. It did the blue square/globe thing again, but then it changed to a small folder with the mac face and a question mark. Finally it started up.

After that, I plugged my SATA stuff in and it did the exact same thing it did when I started it up after taking it out.

Has anyone else had this problem before? If so do you know what it is? I also have a 20gig harddrive for OS9. Could that be interfering with my OSX drive? AHHH!!

 

[varmit]

So I turned off my computer last night, and turned it back on today and all I got was a small blue square with a globe inside of it flashing on my screen. It kept doing it. So I turned it off, unplugged my SATA drive and took off the SATA card (see computer specs below), and started it up again. It did the blue square/globe thing again, but then it changed to a small folder with the mac face and a question mark. Finally it started up.

After that, I plugged my SATA stuff in and it did the exact same thing it did when I started it up after taking it out.

Has anyone else had this problem before? If so do you know what it is? I also have a 20gig harddrive for OS9. Could that be interfering with my OSX drive? AHHH!!

The Globe means you computer was trying to start from a Network drive. The Question mark means it can not find a System Folder, or OS. Check and make sure your OSX drive is chosen under the System Preferences -> Startup Drive. I would also reset your PRAM.

 

[AppleAce]

The Globe means you computer was trying to start from a Network drive. The Question mark means it can not find a System Folder, or OS. Check and make sure your OSX drive is chosen under the System Preferences -> Startup Drive. I would also reset your PRAM.

In case you don't know how to reset, or "zap" the PRAM, you do this by holding down the command/apple, option, P and R keys at startup until you hear the startup chime a second time.
After you zap the pram, you might see the quesion mark folder again for a couple seconds, but startup should then resume normally. Just make sure you have your OS X system folder selected under the startup disk control panel in System Prefs.

 

[Mavimao]

Oh wow! That did the trick! Thanks a lot...why didn't I think of that before? Always the simplest things.

By the way, what exactly does resetting your PRAM do?

Thanks again!