This is a call for help, if there might be some. Sorry that the post is so long, but I wanted to spell it all out.
I was having a little trouble with a few things, specificly my System Preferences were broken, the prefpanes were opening as folders. Also Help was no help, it was just wonky. I'd click on a link to a topic and it would take me back to the main screen. I was having trouble reading CDs, I found I had to resort to the paper clip to get them out
I was able to work OK, but wanted to fix things before upgrading to 2.5.
So I took out my original Jag disk and went to reinstall using the option to move the old system and install fresh. Fortunately we have all been down this road before and know it's best to back-up first. So I burned all the stuff from the 5 different accounts (no small pain in the arse) that I had set up before the fateful click on the Install button.
The first time through I got a black screen with a message about some sort of installation failure and the notice to restart.
So I did and tried again with the same settings. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I got the same result.
I cleaned the Jag CD and tried again. By now I figured that my data was toast anyway, so I ran the Disk Utility and reformated, checking the OS 9 driver option. I don't use 9 or classic, but I figured it couldn't hurt.
The installation was completed and the computer restarted. Then the ugliest screen I have witnessed to date, save the sad Mac of the previous era, appeared on the screen
NO PARKING
I get the grey screen with the Apple Logo, but after a few seconds (before the rat-wheel appears) the computer stops and I have this big GhostBusters sign - minus the ghost. I call it NO PARKING
I reformatted again, this time without the os9 drivers, same result.
I have tried resetting my PRAM, but for some reason it refuses to reset, I can't get that second chime to ring. I have run permission scans from the Installer CD, so far, no soap.
I have been around the block looking for other suggestions, but can't even find reference to the NO PARKING sign.
I have installed and am using 9.2. Things seem to be fine, I can see all the Jaguar stuff in the 3 million folders that it uses, but it just won't boot into X.
Any suggestions will be appreciated
We are talking about a clamshell 300 with 288 megs of ram and a recently installed 30 gig hd. As I say it was working well. The System Preferences went south only recently, after the problems I had getting music off of older CDRs. No Idea when Help became no help because it is so lousy that I rarely turn to it for help.