Mac starts with initial mac sound, tries to run from CD but only get blinking folder/question mark. No CD will boot up the IMAC, tried Nortons 2.0 and OS 9.04 and OS 9.1 I held down option and I get no choices to boot from. Nothing I do works, and I don't know open firmware good enough to try. Can't you boot up from a CD even if the HD is damaged? Please help. Thanks.

Try unplugging everything from the mac
but the kb&mouse. Then:
The CD you use to boot from should be
the CD that came with the iMac, or an
official Apple OS RETAIL install CD (not
one that was supplied with a new mac
other than your year & model).

Reboot with the OS CD in the drive,
holding down the 'c' key till it boots. Or if
that does not work reboot and hold down
'delete-option-command-shift' till it boots.

Thanks for the tips, but that still doesn't work. All my CD's are from Apple and came with the IMAC. I have nothing plugged in except for the keyboard. 'Delete-Option-Command-Shift' doesn't work either. I have had Macs since the Apple IIe and I have never had one I couldn't boot from CD. I know the CD's are good, and I hear it trying to spin up, but whichever one I put in, it runs for about 40 seconds and then automatically ejects. Nothing I do can access the hard drive and I have no Fire Wire drives to try to boot from, can't afford one.

Might be a bum CD-ROM drive.

p

Did you tried to hold down "alt" key during start up?
There must be a choice to boot.
If there isn't it is a system problem and you have to
talk with a technical support o solve your problem if
you tried to boot from the CD and nothing happens.