Sounds like a lot of system damage. Do you have the OS 9 install disks?

Edit: It may also be that the HD is bad, but you won't know that unless you can erase and then reinstall the OS.

Nope, all I have is the one CD I mentioned a couple of messages ago.

now I'm getting an erros that says "Sorry, a system error occurred. 'Finder' error type 10"

Erase and reinstall seems about all you can do to get it up and running, unless the HD is hosed. How long did it sit without being used? Can you even find a SCSI drive anymore?

i have no idea how long it sat without being used, or even IF it was running in the near past.

The lady who gave it to me said it was her husband's, but I saw no sign of a husband around. And she only had the box, monitor, keyboard and one power cable. So I'm not even sure if it will work.

I have plenty of IDE drives around (I'm an old time PC'er), but don't know if those will work.

I hate to wipe the HD out (if I even could) and lose OS 9.2 if it's nothing seriously wrong.

I've tried the 'hold shift on boot up' and the hold c on bootup', but nothing happens.

Tried attaching a USB card with 4 ports and a mouse, but nothing happens there also.

BTW, instead of tying up this forum with my mess (which everyone had already gone through), I'm perfectly willing to shift over to Yahoo messenger or MSN messenger it that'd be preferred.

WOW!!!

I removed the USB card, and now it goes through the boot-up process and it comes up to a multi-colored screen with a tiny watch sitting there. Then nothing at all. Tried to open the CD door, but seems locked up.

But it's better that what it WAS doing....

Is there a CD in the drive? If so, there should be a small hole on the right side of the opening. Insert a straightened paper clip and push gently - it should open.

Well, it hung up again, so I hadda reboot. Opened it after I rebooted.

Now, I have a desktop screen, with a menu bar across the top with File Edit View Window Special Help the time and Finder and 4 icons, 'G3 Mini Tower HD', 'Internet', 'Outlook Express 5', and 'Yahoo Messenger'. At the bottom there is a Trash can.

It's looking better and better.

However, with no mouse, I have no way to move to any of the icons or the menu bar. How do I maneuver without a mouse. The PCs I've worked with will let me move around using a combination of either Control+key, or the 4 arrow keys.

Try the Tab key. G3 Mini Tower HD is the main boot drive. Internet is probably an alias (shortcut) as well as the others. The Trash can is in its proper place.

O.K., Tab key moves me around the screen, but I still can't access anything. Hmmmm, sure a PC mouse won't work??

Man!! I can't do anything without a mouse.

BTW, if anyone has one they won't mind getting rid of, I sure could use a donation.