Note: Those who normally use OS10 but occasionally start up in OS 9, as opposed to using Classic, and also have a wide-screen monitor should be aware of this problem. I have a B/W G3 Mac with a MAChSpeed G4 600 MHz CPU, OSX 10.4.10 & OS 9.2.2. The resolution of my wide-screen monitor, a 22-inch Samsung 226BW, is 1680 x 1050. I suspect the problem may not be limited to my particular configuration.
The problem: Whilst operating in OS 9.2.2, I can select a resolution of 1680 x 1050 in the Monitors control panel. If I then select OS 10.4.10 in the Startup Disk control panel, and restart the computer, the computer freezes with a blank screen early in the startup process. The computer does not respond to keyboard commands so the only way to restart is to push the reset button on the computer and use one of the two methods described below. This problem only occurs when operating in OS 9 and restarting to OSX 10. It does not occur when starting and stopping operation in Classic mode from OS 10.
The solution: before switching to OS 10 from OS 9, change the screen resolution in the OS 9 Monitors control panel to a non-wide-screen resolution , such as 1280 x 960, with which OS 9 is compatible. It appears that OS 9 is not compatible with wide-screen monitors, but that incompatibility doesn't show up until one tries to restart into OS 10. There is no problem restarting back into OS 9.
If one does get into a freeze as described in "the problem" there are two ways out.
Method 1: Insert a System Install disk into the CD/DVD drive. (I used the 9.2.1 Install CD.) Push the computer reset button on the computer and, after the chime, hold down the C key until the computer starts on the Install disk. Use the Startup Disk control panel of the Install Disk to select either the OS 10 System or the OS 9 System Folder on the computer's hard drive. The best approach is to return to OS 9 on the hard drive, reselect the resolution in the Monitors control panel, and then restart into OS 10.
Method 2: The advantage of this method is that no System Install disk is required. Push the reset button on the computer and, after the chime, hold down the Command and V keys to restart in verbose mode. In this case, however, instead of text appearing on the screen, the screen stays black for ten or twenty seconds until the blue OS 10 startup screen appears; the Apple and spinning gear screens are bypassed. When the desktop appears, all seems normal, but the computer will not respond to keyboard shortcuts. Restart the computer again from the Apple menu: the normal restart sequence will occur, and the computer will operate normally. It is advisable to restart once more into OS 9 (not Classic) and change the screen resolution to something other than wide-screen.
It's quite acceptable to operate in OS 9 with a resolution to fit a wide-screen monitor if your graphic card supports it. In wide-screen resolution the text and images won't look stretched. Just remember to change the resolution to non-wide-screen before reverting to OS 10.
The problem: Whilst operating in OS 9.2.2, I can select a resolution of 1680 x 1050 in the Monitors control panel. If I then select OS 10.4.10 in the Startup Disk control panel, and restart the computer, the computer freezes with a blank screen early in the startup process. The computer does not respond to keyboard commands so the only way to restart is to push the reset button on the computer and use one of the two methods described below. This problem only occurs when operating in OS 9 and restarting to OSX 10. It does not occur when starting and stopping operation in Classic mode from OS 10.
The solution: before switching to OS 10 from OS 9, change the screen resolution in the OS 9 Monitors control panel to a non-wide-screen resolution , such as 1280 x 960, with which OS 9 is compatible. It appears that OS 9 is not compatible with wide-screen monitors, but that incompatibility doesn't show up until one tries to restart into OS 10. There is no problem restarting back into OS 9.
If one does get into a freeze as described in "the problem" there are two ways out.
Method 1: Insert a System Install disk into the CD/DVD drive. (I used the 9.2.1 Install CD.) Push the computer reset button on the computer and, after the chime, hold down the C key until the computer starts on the Install disk. Use the Startup Disk control panel of the Install Disk to select either the OS 10 System or the OS 9 System Folder on the computer's hard drive. The best approach is to return to OS 9 on the hard drive, reselect the resolution in the Monitors control panel, and then restart into OS 10.
Method 2: The advantage of this method is that no System Install disk is required. Push the reset button on the computer and, after the chime, hold down the Command and V keys to restart in verbose mode. In this case, however, instead of text appearing on the screen, the screen stays black for ten or twenty seconds until the blue OS 10 startup screen appears; the Apple and spinning gear screens are bypassed. When the desktop appears, all seems normal, but the computer will not respond to keyboard shortcuts. Restart the computer again from the Apple menu: the normal restart sequence will occur, and the computer will operate normally. It is advisable to restart once more into OS 9 (not Classic) and change the screen resolution to something other than wide-screen.
It's quite acceptable to operate in OS 9 with a resolution to fit a wide-screen monitor if your graphic card supports it. In wide-screen resolution the text and images won't look stretched. Just remember to change the resolution to non-wide-screen before reverting to OS 10.