Troubleshooting the Classic environment in Mac OS X
Learn what to do if the Classic environment doesn't start up, quits unexpectedly, or stops responding ("freezes").
This article has been archived and is no longer updated by Apple.
Classic won't start
If Classic won't start, see these informative articles:
Mac OS X: Classic Will Not Start Up - Mac OS 9 Not Installed or Not Blessed
Mac OS X 10.3: The Classic Environment Fails to Start or Stops Working
Classic begins to start up, but it does not finish
Classic may almost complete a normal startup, but then stall without any other hint of an issue.
In some cases, Classic might not start up due to an extensions conflict or "bus error'.
A Linksys hub/router or wireless access point may also keep Classic from starting in Mac OS X 10.1.
Gray Screen - Classic startup stops (or "freezes") at a gray screen
Classic startup stops at a gray screen, and there is no indication of an extensions conflict or "bus error" in the Classic startup window.
Classic unexpectedly quits or stops responding
Classic may unexpectedly quit and the Dock no longer indicates that individual Classic applications are open. Alternatively, Classic may continue to run but become unresponsive to input. An alert box may appear with this message:
During copy/paste, Classic stops responding ("freezes") with a progress indicator
See Mac OS X: Spinning Disc Cursor When Copying/Pasting From Classic
If Classic won't start, see these informative articles:
Mac OS X: Classic Will Not Start Up - Mac OS 9 Not Installed or Not Blessed
Mac OS X 10.3: The Classic Environment Fails to Start or Stops Working
Classic begins to start up, but it does not finish
Classic may almost complete a normal startup, but then stall without any other hint of an issue.
In some cases, Classic might not start up due to an extensions conflict or "bus error'.
A Linksys hub/router or wireless access point may also keep Classic from starting in Mac OS X 10.1.
Gray Screen - Classic startup stops (or "freezes") at a gray screen
Classic startup stops at a gray screen, and there is no indication of an extensions conflict or "bus error" in the Classic startup window.
Classic unexpectedly quits or stops responding
Classic may unexpectedly quit and the Dock no longer indicates that individual Classic applications are open. Alternatively, Classic may continue to run but become unresponsive to input. An alert box may appear with this message:
- "The Classic Environment is Not Responding. You may click Cancel and attempt to save any changes to open documents..."
During copy/paste, Classic stops responding ("freezes") with a progress indicator
See Mac OS X: Spinning Disc Cursor When Copying/Pasting From Classic
Last Modified: Feb 17, 2012