[BLESSING THE SYSTEM FOLDER]
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Why does the System Need to be Blessed?:

When a mac first boots, it looks for a specific folder that contains the MacOS. The folder name (actually the folder ID number) is stored in the boot blocks of the hard drive. If the computer looks in the designated folder and does not see the System and Finder files (or if no folder has been specified in the boot blocks), it will display a flashing "Question Mark Disk".

If a Mac's System or Finder files have been replaced or moved (usually by RevRDist after a nuke), you will need to bless the system folder. "Blessing" the system folder means identifying the folder containing the MacOS and writing that information to the boot blocks (where the Macinotsh looks for it at startup). The Finder blesses a folder containing the System and Sinder files when it opens and closes the folder.

Blessing the System:

A Mac displaying the "Question Mark Disk" cannot startup on its own; you will need to use a Boot Disk. Insert the disk and after several minutes the Finder should load and present a normal-looking Desktop. Open and close the system folder on the Hard drive to bless the sysem.

For a Cluster Macintosh with a "hidden" System Folder:
  1. Open the mac hard drive by double-clicking its icon
  2. Press the " "(space) key to select the "hidden" system folder
  3. Press command-o to open the selected system folder
  4. Press command-w to close the opened system folder
After blessing the system folder, the folder should display a custom folder icon with a Finder graphic: [System Folder icon] Cluster Macintoshes will not show this change; the Finder's icon has been made invisible. Restart the mac and it should boot normally from the hard drive. After nuking a cluster Macintosh, it is usually a good idea to delete any items you find in the Lost & Found folder; it may contain the previous system folder and might cause later problems.

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