[Info-vax] OT: For MAC Lovers Only :-)

[Bill Gunshannon]

In article <cuvm78djmljoclaoiemd08ltq6i6sr3rht at 4ax.com>,
	Mac Decman <dearman.mark at gmail.com> writes:
> On 12 Oct 2012 20:47:31 GMT, billg999 at cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon)
> wrote:
> 
>>
>>As there are so many MAC lovers and Windows haters here I just couldn't
>>resist this.
>>
>>One of the things I now have time to do is play with all my old computers.
>>A bunch of them are Classic MAC's.  Needless to say, some of them are
>>having a hard time getting into the mood torun again after all these
>>years sitting on a shelf.
>>
>>I went out looking for advice on what might need to be done and this is
>>one of the things I found.
>>
>>----------------------
>>
>>Uh-oh: You see a blinking folder or disk icon, and the Mac refuses to
>>start up.
>>
>>This blinking icon is the Mac's way of telling you that it can't
>>find the System software it needs to start up.
>>
>>Treatment 7: Perform a clean install.
>>If the drive appears to work but its System Folder refuses to boot your Mac, perform a clean install of your System software. 
>>
>>------------------------
>>
>>And here I have always been led to believe this was a Windows only solution.
>>
>>:-)
>>
>>bill
> 
> 1. Replace the PRAM battery

Did it.  Bought brand new ones. (Yes, you can still buy them!!)

> 2. Clear the PRAM

I think the fact that the batteries had been dead for several years
pretty much took care of that, but I did the magic 4-finger salute,
too.

> 3. Boot the repair disk for the System version loaded on the HD. There
> are some strange issues which might occur if you use the wrong repair
> disk.  PRAM gets updated with the current System version which is
> newer than the one which is installed.  (Only occurs when certain
> newer System version are booted and I can't remember which ones.) This
> can stop it from booting, but normally will display an error screen.

As I said, Apple's Disk Doctor said the disks were just fine.

> 
> 4. Do the System Folder drop again and reboot.  (move System out of
> and into the System Folder)

Yeah, did that, too.  Multiple times.  But the instructions say that is
only if you donn't have the 'smilling mac" icon on the folder.

> 
> If that doesn't fix it there is probebly an issue with the drive its
> self.  Bad block.  Actually about 50% of the drives on my older Mac
> systems are failed.  Most due to frozen spindle though.  They have
> been in storage since 1995.

I had two bad Apple disks, a 40M and an 80M which would make them the
oldest of the bunch. All the others were live but wouldn't boot.

The re-install was listed as the last resort and, as I said, it worked.
I fixed all the disks.  Now I have two working systems and two that seem
to have some kind of hardware problems.  I don't expect to spend a lot
of time trying to fix them.  The two that now work should meet my needs.

> 
> On a side note, I got an old Quadra 950 of mine loaded up with AU/X
> 3.01 and System 7  not too long ago.  I even found a Mouse Systems 3
> button mouse so that X11 works correctly.

Installing A/UX is next on my list.  I have a nicely partitioned 8GB drive
that should be good for the task. :-)

> 
> Hope you get yours working too,

Thanks, even with all the problems it has been fun so far. Next on the
agenda is NitrOS9 on a COCO3 with 512K of memory and IDE disks.  :-)

bill

-- 
Bill Gunshannon          |  de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n.  Three wolves
billg999 at cs.scranton.edu |  and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton   |
Scranton, Pennsylvania   |         #include <std.disclaimer.h>