Macintosh: Computer Can Start Up From Mac OS X But Not From Mac OS 9

Symptom

• The computer will no longer start up from Mac OS 9.
• If you select the Mac OS 9 System Folder in the Startup Disk preference pane of Mac OS X, a flashing question mark appears on the screen when you restart the computer.

Solution

It is likely that the disk was reformatted using Disk Utility for Mac OS X, and that the option to install the Mac OS 9 drivers was not selected. If you do this and then reinstall Mac OS 9 from the Restore CD set included with your computer, it will no longer start up from Mac OS 9, for example. Any time the Mac OS 9 drivers are not installed on the hard disk, you will not be able to start up from Mac OS 9. The resulting behavior is:

• The computer continues to start up from Mac OS X as expected.
• The Mac OS 9 System Folder can still be selected in the Classic preference pane in Mac OS X, and Classic starts successfully.
• The Startup Disk preference pane in Mac OS X lists the Mac OS 9 System Folder as a valid startup choice, but selecting this System Folder as the Startup Disk and restarting the computer results in the display of a flashing question mark at startup.

For more information, see technical document 75275: "Mac OS X: About the 'Install Mac OS 9 Drivers' Option in Disk Utility".


Related documents

106464: "Mac OS X: Troubleshooting a Startup Issue"
86209: "Macintosh: Some Computers Only Start Up in Mac OS X"