CompuServe Messages

Steven: Well, the answer was, as you suggested, to use the Mac DiskTools diskette. For some reason this diskette would boot the system while the install disk would not. I now have WB 3.1, AMax IV with System 7.1.1 running like clockwork on my A3000 using an external dbk HD floppy drive. I know the process works quite well, because in trying to get my Bernoulli 44 MB drive formated I accidently reformated my Amax partition on the harddrive and had to start all over. It least I can now give the recipe and know it has been performed several times with out a glitch. First, if you wish to make sure your Amax partition is ok, you can reformat it under WB3.1 and then carry on with the install. However, if you have stuff on the partition you can just head into AMax IV. Second, run AMax IV from the workbench by clicking on the icon. Do whatever AMax IV configurations that might be need for the hardware in your system. Then put the Mac DiskTool diskette in the HD floppy and hit the Start AMax IV button. The HD floppy will grind away for a while (the system is pretty slow) and if it is the first time you started it will say that the Not A Mac Drive and ask if you want to format it. Say yes, as there must be something wrong with the format on the drive. When I had the earlier system on the drive it did not ask if I wanted to format it, but after I accidently formated it under WB3.1, then I had to say format it. It does not do a complete format; it just writes a directory. It appears that the WB3.1 format and the Mac are compatible. However, if there is something wrong with the disk it will go through the compete format process. Third, after (if needed) the formating process, evenything else gets loaded and you have a harddisk icon, the DiskTools icon and the AMax IV-Utilities icon (as a minimum, you might have other icons if you have other things on your system). To be sure, open the Disk Doctor and check to see if the harddisk is said to be ok by hitting the verify button. If it isn't ok, hit the repair button. If this says it doesn't work or if you go back and hit the verify button again and it still won't verify, go up to the Options pull-down menu and select erase disk. For some reason this will reformat the disk even if the previous formating failed. In general, this will reformat the disk and not just create a directory. I guess it is a forced formating. Fourth, if everything is still going ok, then drag the System Folder on the DiskTools diskette onto the harddrive, .i.e. copy the System to your harddrive. Restart the computer but be sure to remove the DiskTools diskette from the floppy drive or it will again go to it. Fifth, the system should boot to the harddrive. The system that was copied is a minimum, so at this point put in the first Install diskette in the HD floppy drive and then click on the Installer and if there is nothing wrong it will go through the standard install procedure. I just used the standard install. I did not need to use the customized install. After the install it says the system must be rebooted; I did that. The system came up and I went into the Controls Panel under the apple and selected monitors and changed it to a color monitor. At that point I had a color (slow running) Mac. Well, thanks Steven again for the suggestion that saved the day. I have written this procedure in detail for those that have been following the struggle. Regards, Norm