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Steve SpotOn · Aug 11, 2003, 02:20 AM

Am I an idiot?

I've installed some RAM from an old machine into (almost just as old) Mac 9500 and now on my small 15" monitor I can't see any menus, discs or finder... just a blue screen with a empty menu bar along the top.

When I restart from a CD with system folder on, everything looks normal. I've done a clean install of the OS but once I restart from the hard drive again it goes through normal start up, but ends on the blue screen with no menus etc???

I'm using OS 9

Any help much appreciated.

DrBoar · Aug 11, 2003, 06:25 AM

As I recall the old OS the booting is in a generic 640x480 mode and then with the desktop all the fancy video stuff is on. If there is a missmatch between your card drivers and the graphical card. It would behave like that.

try booting with extensions of and see how it works with just the generic stuff.
That ixMicro Twin Turbo card you have might have trouble with some components of OS 9. If it boots to the desktop with the extensions of I would then boot from a CD and clean out the extensions from the system on the HD as well as any control paneles.

The fact that the booting sequence works sugggest that the RAM is OK and that the card is OK.

With some fiddling with drivers you should be OK. And if you just want to use it as a server you will not even need that.

Big Mac · Aug 12, 2003, 09:18 AM

Since you've already done the clean install, try some additional things:

1) Hold shift to disable extension, as the other poster mentioned

2) Zap the PRAM by holding Command+Option+P+R at startup until you hear three or four extra chimes.

3) Boot from a different hard drive; if you can boot properly, it's time to reformat your drive

Steve SpotOn · Aug 12, 2003, 09:40 AM

Thanks for your suggestions.

I re-booted with the extensions off and tried messing with control panel and extensions without success.

I ended up returning to OS8 and it now works fine. As it's only a 2nd machine it can stay on that. Maybe there is some incompatibility between OS9 and the machine/cards it has in it (although it was working in 9 before I messed with the RAM).

Thanks once again.