Since your iMac is a slot loader, can't you insert your OS 9 CD [or Disk Warrior CD] into the slot (while the power is on) and then hold the C key down after you press the little restart button on the right side of the computer? If this gets you started in OS 9, then open the Startup Disk control panel and select the OS 9 icon. Close the control panel and restart the machine again (not holding any key down on the keyboard). Now you should be able to eject the CD you used in the previous step.
This probably won't help your OS X unknown-password problem. I seem to recall some people saying that you can reset a forgotten or unknown OS X password by starting up with a Mac OS X system disk (if you have one) and choosing password reset from the menu. If you don't have an OS X CD and will never need to run under OS X, you can simply ignore its presence on the hard drive. If you find that you need the HD space it occupies, you can delete its components while you're in OS 9. (Be sure you know what you're deleting!) Good luck, Melvyn Halbert > >Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 17:32:55 -0500 >Subject: Locked Out! >From: dan_A <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Message-Id: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Hi Listers- > >At the beginning of the month I purchased a blue slot loader; 350 MHz >iMac that had a serious looking screen problem. The image on the >monitor screen had a distorted shape, not fully correctable via the >geometry controls, was very green and bright enough to make some things >not possible to see. The os was 9.1. I thought this might be PRAM >corruption, and hoped it was only that. After a couple of weeks of >fooling with, I was totally successful in bringing it back to normal. >Along the way, the machine booted into 10.2.6 and there I was, faced >with a University's log-in window for either administrator or guest. >Guest is what I am and now cannot get the machine to start up in 9 or >from a startup CD. When it was in 9 it allowed me to start up with >DiskWarrior. So here I am, unable to get to preference panels or do >much of anything. Great looking screen. > >Does anyone know how to get around this, short of replacing the 16 GB >drive? >I would just like the opportunity to erase the drive and start from >scratch. If I could just restart in 9, I'd be able to make the machine >useful. Thanks for any help, secret key depressions and/or incantations. > >dan_A > -- The iMac List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | - Epson Stylus Color 580 Printers - new at $69 | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> iMac List info: <http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/imac-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------- >The Think Different Store http://www.ThinkDifferentStore.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
