Tech Support desperately needed!

[n8mac]

It usually is extensions with OS 9.

Your extensions and control panels contain both system 9 and 3rd party exentions. To narrow your search for the corrupted or conflicting extension(s), open your extensions manager and where it says 'selected set' choose 'Mac OS 9 base' at the top of the window and restart.

If your problem is back then one or more of your system 9 extensions or control panels is bad, if not then one of those extensions or control panels unchecked is bad.

If the problem is still their with the mac os base then turn off some of those extensions and restart untill the problem stops. Remember those that you turn off.

If the problem is not their when your set is on mac os 9 base then turn on extensions until the problem comes back.

Once you find the problem extension(s), show them no mercy, stick them in the trash. If the problem was with the base extensions then reinstall OS 9.

Goodluck,
n8mac

 

[Reddwarfian]

Thank you all! You've been a great help.

Oh, and I just completed a Civ game. (3rd started, 2nd finished) 430 AD, Conquest victory!

I'll get back to you when the problems are gone, officially.

 

[Reddwarfian]

Hi, it's me again.

Tell me, does re-installing OS 9 reset it to factory settings? In other words, should I back up non-replaceable files/saves?

And I would like to thank all of you again for helping me work through this.

 

[AlanH]

Originally posted by Reddwarfian
Hi, it's me again.

Tell me, does re-installing OS 9 reset it to factory settings? In other words, should I back up non-replaceable files/saves?

And I would like to thank all of you again for helping me work through this.

Reinstalling the OS should not delete any of your applications or data. It will delete your preferences and any non-Apple hardware drivers, fonts, control panels or extensions that you have installed. In other words anything in the System Folder.

Having said that, you are always well-advised to back up all your important data before you do anything drastic like a system reinstall, even if it' s not supposed to be destructive.

 

[ancestral]

Doing a clean install will install a new system folder. During the installation (actually, before it begins) you will be asked if you want to save your old system folder, in the form of a check box. It's always good to do so, unless you have nothing to lose.

I would not say a clean install is a drastic move, because a clean install does not delete any files, at least that I'm aware of, as long as you have that check box checked.

Make sure that you then update your OS to any versions that have been released since. Although it is not critical, for many games, they rely on the user having the most recent version. So, if you have the Mac OS 9.1 on CD, it's probably good to download the 9.2 update. I forget where it can be found on the web, but www.apple.com/support is a good place to start.

Clean installs are good things. Think of it as a trip to the computer dentist.

 

[AlanH]

Originally posted by ancestral
I would not say a clean install is a drastic move, because a clean install does not delete any files, at least that I'm aware of, as long as you have that check box checked.

Drastic was probably the wrong word. I just think backups are generally A Good Thing, and if you are planning on making a substantial change to your hard disk content - like putting a new System Folder on it - then that is a good time to make one.

You are quite right to recommend retaining the old System Folder, It's a long time since I even ran OS9 so I couldn't recall the process for doing it. Then any non-Apple extensions, control panels, fonts, preferences you have can be copied back to your new System Folder.

 

[n8mac]

If you do a clean install (recommend) then the cd will install a new system in a new folder and rename your old system 'previous system folder'. Your old system is not effected. This is now a backup.

Then move any 3rd party extensions, control panels, fonts, and preferences into your new system (3rd party meaning files that did not come with your system). Restart and your ready to go.

I would recommend keeping your old system folder if you have enough hard drive space in case you forgot to move a file to your new system.