Sorry to bring this one back but I'm having exactly the same problem with my MDD G4. I cannot get it to start up in OS 9 at all- from cd's or anything. The system folder shows in the startup options but choosing it gives a flashing disk at startup. Any help is very much appreciated. THIS IS DOING MY HEAD IN!!! Many thanks<br><br>

The MDD will only boot from the OS 9.2.2 CD that came with the machine, no retail version will boot it.<br><br>Remember if it has Firewire 800, 3 firewire ports, it won't boot to 9. If it has 2 FW ports it will boot to 9.<br><br>

Hmmm... After 3 years of dual booting with my 933mhz quicksilver G4 with no problems I suddenly can't boot OS 9 the day after I installed 'TIGER'. I smell a rat! Anybody find a fix yet? <br><br><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by andy333 on 08/05/05 03:25 PM (server time).</EM></FONT></P>

I've heard of that happening but have not had a chance to work on one that actually loses it's dual boot. My MDD still does, it's basically the same as your Quicksilver. I don't know what causes it.<br><br>When you installed Tiger if you formatted the drive first did you make sure to install OS 9 drivers?<br><br>

Hi All, I was stuck with the similar dilemma, installed Tiger and none of my OS 9 install disks would boot. After alot of searching and reading here, I got it. I have a 933 QuickSilver and I partitioned my drive into three, one for Tiger, one with Panther and the last for OS 9. I was eager to try Tiger, so I installed that first Grrreat! I have too many games and apps for 9, so again nothing would boot to install. So, I installed the restore app, it installed but hung when I tried to use it.( Large Cat rivalry?) So then, installed 10.2 (from the original disk that came with it)on the other partition.Then ran the restore app and got 9 on that one, restarted in 9 -inserted the OS 9 install(from an iMac) and ran the install to the third partition with no problems and no restart. Now I can install 10.3 (clean install) over the second and I'm done. Whew! Thanks for all the head banging. <br>So, the bottom line is -#1use the disks that came with your Mac.<br>Note: If you BACKUP totaly, you can create partitions without wiping your drive with iPartition or Disk Studio.<br>Option #2 Install from a network.<br>Option #3 Format a second drive.<br><br>

I had the same syptoms on my iMac - it would NOT boot from any os9 cd, but it WOULD boot from osx cds. It had been in for some repairs at compusa and had a new motherboard and optical drive intalled, so I suspected they were the problem. The cd boot problems showed up immediately after I got it back. <br><br>After several tries with different os9 & osx boot cds, i tried booting from an external cd drive and it finally worked! My guess is that the boot cds are VERY picky about the hardware configuration. My firewire external cd drive finally did the trick.<br><br>

Hello,<br> <br>I just happened to stumble across this forum while I was Googling something.  I too have not been able to boot into OS 9 for about a month now.  This is the first time I've seen the subject mentioned in a forum.  I've posted to other forums but everyone is stumped.<br> <br>I have a single processor 933, 1.5GB RAM, with two internal drives.  I am the original owner and have the original OS 9 install CD.<br> <br>I usually work in OS 9 and leave my machine in OS 9 when I power down.<br> <br>One morning I turned on my computer and got a totally gray screen.  I could not boot into anything with an OS 9 system folder:  not my internal install of OS 9, my backup install of OS 9 on a firewire drive, or my OS 9 install CD.<br> <br>I've tried all the usual things:  zapping the PRAM, resetting the NVRAM, resetting the PMU switch and removing all third party RAM.  Tech Tool Pro and Apple Hardware Test report no problems.  I've rebuilt my directory with Diskwarrior.  The battery is fine.<br> <br>I erased and zero formatted my first internal drive where I keep my OSX partition and my OS9 partition.  I reinstalled OSX 10.3.9.  When I again tried to boot to my OS 9 install CD I got the same gray screen.<br> <br>I see three solutions that have worked here:<br> <br>1)  Booting from an external CD drive.  I tried that and it didn't work.  Just got the same gray screen.<br> <br>2)  Installing the original OSX that came with the computer and then try the restore CDs.  I did try to boot to the restore CDs but could not.  I also installed the original OSX which was 10.1.  I can't remember if I tried the restore CDs when I had 10.1 on the computer.  I have now reinstalled 10.3.9.<br> <br>3)  acornFlyer's technique of disconnecting the hard drives and trying to boot to the OS 9 install CD.<br> <br>I would like to try this but I have a few questions about technique.  I've never tried anything like this before.<br> <br>He says he first disconnected  all peripheral devices, leaving only the keyboard and mouse plugged in.  Was the monitor also left plugged in?  Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I want to make sure I understand all of the steps.<br> <br>He then opened the case and first disconnected the slave drive, then the master drive -- just the ribbon connectors.<br>He then says that he started the machine from the OS 9 install CD.<br> <br>This is where I'm a bit confused.  He first would have had to start the machine without the CD.  What happens when you start a machine with both drives disconnected?  Do you get the "?".<br> <br>With both drives disconnected are you then able to open the drive tray door and insert the OS 9 install CD?  If so I guess I would then click the restart button while holding the "C" key down.<br> <br>If someone could clear up these steps for me I would appreciate.  I really want to try this to see if it will solve my problem.<br> <br>Sorry about the length.<br> <br>Thanks,<br>Philip<br><br>

Insert a bootable OS 9 CD, for your machine it must be a 9.2.2 CD or it won't boot, or use your Restore CD. Turn off the machine. Unplug both IDE cables, start the machine, zap the PRAM, hold down the C key to see if it will boot from the CD. If it works connect the Master drive, the first connector, and see if it will boot to 9 then.<br><br>

Thanks for the specific directions. Before receiving your post I tried disconnecting the drives and booting but I did not follow that exact procedure. I disconnected the two drives then powered up holding the mouse down so that the tray would open. I then inserted the OS 9 install CD and powered down. Then powered back up holding C. Still got the totally gray screen.<br><br>I will follow your directions and see what happens. <br><br>Just to make sure I understand -- you're saying to both zap the PRAM and attempt to start from the CD in the same boot sequence. In other words, power up holding command, option, P, R and then after hearing the second chime immediately let up on the keys and press C, hoping that the computer will boot to the install CD. Right?<br><br>Philip<br><br>

Yes, zap it and do the C key all in the same boot. Did you try an Open Firmware reset, with drives disconnected?<br><br>Boot holding Apple-Option-O-F. After the text appears on screen release the keys, type the following and hit Return after each.<br>reset-nvram<br>set-defaults<br>reset-all<br><br>The macine will reboot, hold down the C key then.<br><br>Try removing a RAM chip then try booting to the CD, drives disconnected.<br><br>Like I said a few posts above, I've read of this happening but have never had the chance to find the fix. It is quite odd. Are there any other PCI cards except the video card? Apple keyboard and Mouse?<br><br>You're sure the CD is the Restore CD or the OS 9 CD that came with the machine? There never was a retail version of 9 on CD that would boot your machine. The last retail 9 CD was 9.1, you need 9.2.2 and there never was a 9.2.2 boot CD made except for the ones that came with the machine.<br><br>Oh BTW, keep the monitor connected, it's not considered a peripheral to disconnect.<br><br>HTH<br><br>