Apple OS 8.6 - Missing OS on boot?

[BlueScr33n]

Have a B&W G3 that used to be running system 8.6.

User tried booting the system, they just get an alternating flashing folder that switches between a folder flashing a question mark in it (?) and an Mac OS symbol.

Booted off the CD and attempted to repair the disk.
These are the errors I get in Verify:
* Invalid BTree Header
* MountCheck found serious errors
* Volume bitmap needs minor repair
* Volume header needs minor repair

Is this the OS conking out or could this be a problem with the physical drive?

Also, if the OS install on the drive is toasted, is there an easy way to recover from this install and not have to reinstall all the apps on this thing?

Ideally, looking to get this machine up and running for just this next week without having to reinstall the OS and apps and then go to backup for the user data/prefs.

Any help would be great!

 

[PTmon]

If you are using OS9, Norton Utilities disk doctor can probably fix it, or techtool pro, alsoft diskwarrior etc. If you're using OSX, you'd probably have better luck with Micromat's Drive 10. I'd definately try a 3rd party utility first. If those don't work, it sounds like reformat time. If you have an external drive, you can copy your system and data files over, reformat, and copy them back.
Best of luck,
PT

http://mahon.homeip.net/remember

 

[BlueScr33n]

Thanks for responding with the tip. Just wanted to give an update as well as the fix that has the machine working (at least for the moment).

So I found the G3 troubleshooting manual while cursing the instability of the Apple FS.. in one of the FAQs in there it listed the same problem I was having with a few solutions.

Since Repair was reporting that the FS errors couldn't be repaired, I moved on to re-blessing the system folder/file (a matter of booting off the OS install CD and double clicking the system file in the system folder). After that, I rebooted and flashed(?) the PRAM (using apple +option +r +p).

Rebooted, found the OS on the drive and came up with a little complaining.

Overall, was nice to see things are decent to recover from on the Apple side of the fence as well =P.

Again, thanks for responding, going to be substituting the drive with a larger one (presently only 6GB).