Installation

I'm installing Mac OS 8.1 Update on a PowerBase 180 with a PowerLogix PowerForce G3 250 CPU card, 56 MB of RAM, an external 3.2 GB Quantum Stratus hard drive and an external 1.5 GB SyJet drive. First, I backed up all my data to the Quantum and then I copied the Mac OS 8.1 Update files to the SyJet from which I intended to install Mac OS 8.1 on all my Macs.

I rebooted the PowerBase with 8.0 Base Extensions enabled in Extensions Manager. Double clicking the Installer on the SyJet brought me the usual sequence of installation screens like the license agreement which I agreed to and selected the internal drive as the location to install Mac OS 8.1. The first thing it did was to check out my hard drive and then it installed new drivers but gave me a dialog box with an error message saying the SyJet was not an Apple Drive and couldn't be updated. Of course, I didn't want to update the SyJet's drivers so I clicked the "Cancel" button rather than the "Ignore" button which put me back at the installer screen. I selected the "Options" button and unchecked "Update Drivers", clicked the "OK" button to get back to the Installer screen. I clicked the "Start" button and it rechecked my hard drive. When it finished checking, the installation began without further assistance and ran through to completion after flipping to installing LaserWriter 8.5.1 Software (which I didn't need or want) and Open Transport 1.3. That's it! I clicked the "Restart" button and it restarted with the Base 8.1 Extension set enabled. I chose "My Settings" from the Extensions Manager and shut down. I wanted to see if the 30+ second startup delay (i.e. 30+ seconds from pressing the starup button [black screen] to gettting the gray screen).