Member Avatar for jfcates

:cry: purchased g3 imac tray loading 333mhz which has os 8.6. when it boots up it's looking for a server and asking for a password? i found an url: http://www.themacobserver.com/tip/2003/06/16.1.shtml which seems to be telling me how to go about getting around this. however, when i hold down the command key (one with the apple on it?) and the s key (maybe this doesn't work for 8.6?) while it's coming on it just keeps on going to the same place and says "searching for the At Ease server volume... (can't find server on network.) and my choices are 1) pick server, 2)finder and three shut down. pick server and finder want a password. so after all that how do i get os 8.6 to boot into text-only mode? if i can get there then i can try to do what the above url suggests. stuck, any suggestions greatly appreciated.

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Short answer and clarification: that iMac is running At Ease, which is a lockdown front end that will look for a server and refuse to drop to an OS X-style single‑user console. Holding Command+S is an OS X single‑user trick and will not give a classic Mac OS 8.6 text shell. At Ease takes over Finder and will prompt for passwords, so the usual way past it is to boot the machine from other media or access the hard disk from another Mac.

Practical options (ordered from least-destructive to most):

  • Try Extensions Off first: hold the Shift key immediately after power-up. That disables third‑party extensions and sometimes prevents At Ease from launching. If the Finder appears, remove/disable the At Ease items from the System Folder or Accounts control panel (or export data you need).

  • Boot from install/utility media: insert a known‑good Mac boot CD for that model and hold the C key while starting up. Once running from CD, use the installer or Drive Setup/Disk First Aid to repair, archive files, or reformat and reinstall the OS. This is the standard erase/reinstall route mentioned by and recommended by .

  • Rescue files with another Mac (if available): if the iMac has a FireWire port, connect to a second Mac with a FireWire cable and start the iMac while holding T to enter Target Disk Mode; the iMac’s drive will mount on the host and files can be copied or the disk reformatted there. This is the safest way to preserve data before wiping.

  • Last resorts: obtain the correct restore/install discs for that iMac or remove the drive and attach it to another computer (HFS/HFS+ support required) if no boot media or another Mac is available.

Caution: At Ease can make accounts inaccessible; treat any reinstall as destructive unless files are backed up first. Reinstalling is usually the cleanest fix, but use Target Disk Mode or a boot CD to salvage data before wiping.

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Member Avatar for alc6379

Ew. You've got AtEase installed. That article isn't going to work.

Your next move should be to wipe out that hard drive and reinstall MacOS on it. It's a pain in the arse to remove AtEase-- Take it from someone who has attempted before. You should jump back on eBay and try to find media for that Mac, or maybe purchase some from here:

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/software/

They sell OS 9.1, which would work pretty well on your system. If you've got enough RAM, you could run OS X, but I'd stick with OS 9.1, just to be safe.

Member Avatar for eduardomchl

How do you erase the hardrive if we don't have access to anything on the computer?

Member Avatar for John A

How do you erase the hardrive if we don't have access to anything on the computer?

In most cases, it should be as simple as inserting the Mac OS installation disk into the drive and booting off it. Somewhere in the installer you'll be allowed to erase the disk.

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