Can't startup from a different disk!

[blacknacho]

I just got a LaCie firewire drive, and I'm trying to start up from it so I can optimize my internal HD. I have formatted it correctly, installed a system folder on it (OS 9), it is recognized on the desktop, etc.
However, I have tried switching the startup drive in the control panels, and that doesn't work (it just starts using the internal drive).
Also tried holding down the option key when restarting, but no icon for the firewire drive comes up to choose to start from, only the regular internal drive.
I have never been able to start from a cd, either (like the Norton Utilities 'bootable' cd).
Help!

 

[Ryanstech]

What kind of mac are you using? Older macs do not support firewire booting.

 

[rman]

He has asked this question in another post. I believe he said he has a 2001 iMac running OS 9.2.2.

 

[blacknacho]

That's correct, 2001 iMac G3 500mhz with OS 9.2.2

Sorry if posting in more than one section is a no-no. I'm new to this arena.

 

[blacknacho]

I did it!

It finally worked! Thank you rman and everyone else for your advice!

If anyone else has this problem, here's what I did:

1 - Updated my drivers to the latest version using "software update"

2 - Copied my main system folder onto the empty firewire drive

3 - Moved my optimizing utility onto the firewire drive (just copying it didn't work - the computer kept wanting to use the version on the internal HD, and therefore couldn't completely optimize it that way)

4 - Selected the firewire drive as my startup drive in the "startup" control panel & restarted

all essentially the way it's supposed to work, only it wouldn't before for me...

 

[witeshark]

It's a good convention not to post 2 threads on the same question