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Making a bootable System 7.1 install for a SE

EvieSigma

Young ThinkPad Apprentice
68020
I have a SE (dual 800k floppies, 4MB of RAM) that I want to run 7.1 on. I did an install of 7.1 onto my external SCSI HD and all the files are there, but the SE can't boot from the hard drive. It CAN access the contents if I put a boot floppy in, so I know the system recognizes the hard disk, but either some important piece of the puzzle is missing or I did the installation wrong.

What do I need to do to have a bootable 7.1 installation for my SE that I possibly didn't do? I didn't run Apple HD SC Setup before doing the install, I'm not sure if that might be the reason.

 
I think that may be the reason. You can try making the system folder blessed. I don't know how to do this, but I think it's something. Simple like moving a file out and in.

 
The system folder is either not blessed, or is missing a file. To bless it, simply open and close the folder in the Finder.

 
Drag the System icon and the Finder icon in the System Folder to the desktop, then open the HD and drag both back to the System Folder. There should be a Mac icon on the system folder once it has been blessed.

 
Okay, I tried that but the System Folder icon didn't change...however, I was using System 6 as I don't have a bootable System 7 floppy. I'm guessing I need to use a System 7 machine to properly bless the folder?

 
Just tested on System 6 and the blessing procedures are the same. I had to double click the system folder once I was done for the Macintosh icon to appear.

Is there already a Macintosh icon on the system folder? If so, it's already blessed.

 
I'm just going to start over and make two partitions, one for System 6 and one for System 7. 

 
Okay, after a bunch of assorted BS I have my drive in two partitions, one with System 6.0.8 and the other with System 7.1.

Now how do I choose which partition to boot? Is there a key command during startup that lets me choose the boot partition? 

 
I would recommend finding a copy of Pmount. It will let you switch the boot partition. By details, the first bootable partition will be booted.

IlikeTech

 
Your SE should boot from the external drive, apparently the System is present and blessed.

Don't need to use any command line to do that, Any Macintosh will try to find a proper system at startup, and will boot from it.

If your SE is not booting, the problem is elsewhere (termination maybe ?)

If possible, remove the hard drive from the enclosure, and hook it to the Logic Board for a test.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Okay, it looks like the 7.1 partition is my default partition, and the SE boots into it successfully. So now I just need to be able to set the 6.0.8 as the boot partition for my 512ke.

 
I wasn't able to find P Mount, does anyone know another partition mounting software that will work in both 6.0.8 and 7.1?

 
I wasn't able to make my System 6 partition bootable like I want it to be, so I started over and wiped out the hard drive with just a 6.0.8 partition...and it just won't boot.

I get the ? floppy icon for a minute, then Welcome to Macintosh, and finally a bomb error with "coprocessor not installed".

I have no idea what to do at this point.

 
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