Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!cornell!batcomputer!matthews
From: matthews@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Dave Matthews)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: REsolved: "There is nothing to choose" trouble
Summary: Don't Set Startup.
Message-ID: <4837@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>
Date: 17 May 88 22:31:02 GMT
References: <4822@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu>
Reply-To: matthews@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Dave Matthews)
Organization: Dept. Plant Pathology, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
Lines: 27


>All of a sudden I'm getting the message "There is nothing to choose on the
>startup disk" when I try to use the Chooser.  This has happened to two of my
>startup disks now.  They're stuck in ImageWriter mode, apparently
>irreversibly.  Replacing the LaserWriter, Laser Prep, ImageWriter, System
>and Finder with fresh copies from disks that work doesn't help.  Changing
>machines doesn't help.  Disconnecting/connecting Appletalk doesn't help.
>Has anybody ever seen this problem before?
>
>(This is on Mac+'s and 512E's under System 3.2, nothing fancy.)

The problem was "Set Startup".  On both of these disks I had recently set
the application (in one case it was WriteNow, the other MacDraw) to start up
immediately on booting, instead of the Finder or Minifinder.  Apparently
when this happens the Chooser doesn't know it should look in the System
Folder to find the printer drivers.  The problem can be fixed by exiting to
the Minifinder and restarting the application (without rebooting).  Or by
moving all the system files out of the System Folder, onto the desktop with
the application.

I nominate this for Bug of the Week, especially if it still exists in the
current versions.  Thanks to Scott Douglass of Apple Computer for providing
the vital clue.

- Dave Matthews
  ARPA:matthews@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu             BITNET:matthews@crnlthry
  USENET:...{cmcl2,shasta,uw-beaver,rochester}!cornell!batcomputer!matthews