[chip-douglas]

OK, I just got a screen I've never seen on startup before. I tried to startup and got the question mark and folder. Then the weird screen I've never seen before. Then I tried to startup with the 8.5 cd, it didn't see the hard drive. Then I started up without the disc, question mark again. Then the software restore cd, it saw the hard drive, I used disk first aid, all 3 partitions are verified. I selected the startup disk, and it started perfectly in no time at all.

Anyways, hopefully someone can tell me what the screen means and if I have serious problems. It was the gray screen and said this:

DEFAULT CATCH! CODE=900 at %SRR0: ff81ab68 %SRR1: 0000b030

Apple iMac OpenFirmware 3.0.f2 built on 04/23/99 at 14:31:03
Copyright 1994-1999 Apple Computer, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Ok
0>_

I think this thing is gonna die soon

[vmarks]

So, it couldn't find a startup disk to boot from.

At that prompt in open firmware, type

reset-nvram
reset-all

and it should reboot and work, if your hard drive is good.

[Owlicks]

Ahh... my iMac problems come in handy for once, woohoo! K... lemme guess.. you have OS X.1 installed on the first 8 gigs right? or else it won't start OS X. Now let me go out on another limb and say that you have your Classic system installed on another partition, right? Well I went through this multiple times, including copying my whole hard drive to CDs and reformating. All you need to do though is install Classic on the same partition (in the first 8 gigs) that the OS X is installed on. I guarantee you it will boot fine when you do that. I have a bondi imac and went through the exact same thing until I finally discovered this solution. Once you install there just copy all the extensions or whatever you need over and trash your other system file. As long as they are BOTH on the first 8 gigs then it will start fine and dandy.

[vmarks]

Originally posted by Owlicks:
<STRONG>Ahh... my iMac problems come in handy for once, woohoo! K... lemme guess.. you have OS X.1 installed on the first 8 gigs right? or else it won't start OS X. Now let me go out on another limb and say that you have your Classic system installed on another partition, right? Well I went through this multiple times, including copying my whole hard drive to CDs and reformating. All you need to do though is install Classic on the same partition (in the first 8 gigs) that the OS X is installed on. I guarantee you it will boot fine when you do that. I have a bondi imac and went through the exact same thing until I finally discovered this solution. Once you install there just copy all the extensions or whatever you need over and trash your other system file. As long as they are BOTH on the first 8 gigs then it will start fine and dandy.</STRONG>

Hey Owlicks--

re-read the original post- no where does the original poster mention OS X at all. You're correct, both OS' must be installed within the first 8gbs of a hard drive, but that may be completely unrelated to the original poster's problem.

[Owlicks]

Originally posted by vmarks:
<STRONG>

Hey Owlicks--

re-read the original post- no where does the original poster mention OS X at all. You're correct, both OS' must be installed within the first 8gbs of a hard drive, but that may be completely unrelated to the original poster's problem.</STRONG>

Regardless the problem is where his OS is installed, I know this for a fact cuz it's exactly what happened to me. Just wait and see if it has something to do with OS X too.... I would not be suprised AT ALL if it is exactly the case. P.S. - What is the point of your post? You know no better if he does not have OS X than I know if he DOES have it... so basically your post is "completely unrelated" as well.

[vmarks]

Originally posted by Owlicks:
<STRONG>

Regardless the problem is where his OS is installed, I know this for a fact cuz it's exactly what happened to me. Just wait and see if it has something to do with OS X too.... I would not be suprised AT ALL if it is exactly the case. P.S. - What is the point of your post? You know no better if he does not have OS X than I know if he DOES have it... so basically your post is "completely unrelated" as well.</STRONG>

Hold up-

All I said was, he's got a startup folder/ Open Firmware issue. This happens to people who aren't experiencing the 8gb partition problem. Just because it happened to be the symptom in your experience doesn't mean the 8gb partition problem is the only cause.

If he hasn't said he's trying OS X, than by default, we have to assume he doesn't have it, and this isn't an OS X related problem.

In this light, your post answers a problem other than he posted. You've guessed that's his problem, but there isn't enough information to make that conclusion.

[chip-douglas]

oops, sorry, I meant to put in my system info

imac rev A 233
OS 8.6
192 MB ram
diamond max 7200 rpm 30 GB hdd
6MB video ram on ati card
8MB voodoo II
hdd has 3 partitions:
1st, 4.8GB with system folder
2nd, 14.6GB for apps
3rd, 9GB for everything else

for some reason, it's worse now and everytime I start it takes forever to boot up. Thanks for the idea Owlicks, but I know about the first 8GB thing and I'm waiting until I get the new iMac to mess with X.

Vmarks, I'm willing to bet you're right, and I'll try what you said to do tomorrow when I get home. Thank you.

Another thing, and this might just be coincidence, but whenever I try to boot up from the software restore a few times, then shut down; I use the paper clip to take out the cd and it finally starts up. I'm probably just going crazy though. Thanks both of you.