OS 9 running very slow on 400 MHz G4 'Mystic'

Question

I've posted this before, but may have accidentally done it under my other account (I made a second one a while ago when I forgot about my first one). However, the situation has changed [slightly] since then, so I'll just tell it like it is.
It's a 400 MHz G4, 128 MB RAM (512 MB virtual memory, Gigabit Ethernet/'Mystic' machine. It previously had 256 MB of RAM, but I decided to try it with just the original stick when it was performing even worse than it is now. As it turns out, it performed better with the one stick of it's original RAM, so I've kept it like that. My most frequented application is the 'iCab' browser.
So, here's my problem, it's just very, very slow. I wouldn't complain if it wasn't that bad, but it really is just that bad. Now, based on everything I've heard from other 'old Mac' users, OS 9 should be nice and fast and iCab shouldn't be much of an issue. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. Almost any time I open a new page it takes around 10 seconds to open, and I almost always have to abort some Javascript to save time [so far, this hasn't kept any sites from working]. Even after choosing to abort, I have to wait longer for it to go through with it. Whenever it gets stuck in some Javascript (I doubt that many websites could have buggy Javascript, especially since I have to do it on Apple Discussions as well), the entire OS stops responding. The clock [which shows seconds] stops, I can't change tabs or applications, etc. The only reason I don't suspect that the entire OS crashed is because the arrow still moves. This happens with an app that gets caught up in doing something, but since I use iCab the most, that's the best app off of which I can base my experiences.
So, is it really supposed to work like this? It's so bad that it's lagging even as I type this, and I only have two other browser tabs open. I collapsed the window to look behind it for anything else and even doing that, it lagged. By the way, the only other thing open is a Finder window.

Answer 1

Hi, videoCWK -
Also, what would be the consequences of not fixing it soon? Could the problem get worse?
Directory problems usually get worse over time, sometimes quickly. When that happens, if you're lucky the initial symptoms will be files or programs that fail to open; if you're not lucky, the OS will no longer work.
You should repair it before anything negative happens to the operation of the computer.
Could this be fixed with an OS 9 install disc?
Not exacctly. The only utility available for repair work on the CD is Disk First Aid. Although DFA is smart enough to diagnose such a problem, it does not have the ability to make repairs to the directory.
You could use such a disk to deep wipe (re-initialize and format) the hard drive. This is usually not a fun thing to do, since it fully erases the hard drive. You would first need to back up anything you do not want to lose (unless you already have current backups); deep wipe the drive; then re-install the OS and all programs you need, and copy needed files from their backup archive.
DiskWarrior is a very good utility to have on hand. The latest version of it that boots/runs under OS 9 is v. 2.1.1. It can usually fix this kind of directory damage with no loss of files, leaving your hard drive in the exact same configuration you've become used to.
Additional things you can do to improve the speed and responsiveness of OS 9 -
• In the Extensions Manager control panel, disable (uncheck) all extensions for services you do not use. Doing this will reduce the footprint of the OS - all active (checkmarked) extensions are loaded at startup, whether they are needed or not.
For example, if you do not use File Sharing you can disable all extensions related to that service. In case you're not familiar with Extensions Manager's features, you can set up new sets of extensions with names you give them; this allows reasonably rapid switching between sets. Note that a restart is required whenever you make changes to the active set, or change sets.
There is also an additional pane available at the bottom of its window - click the triangle next to "Show Item Information" and that pane will appear; then, whenever you clkick on the name of an item in the list, any additional info about it will be displayed there. This info can help you determine whether you need that item active or not.
• Don't go font crazy. Like extensions, all fonts in the Fonts folder are loaded at startup. Having a ton of fonts in there will slow down the OS.
• Since you have a relatively small amount of RAM in the machine, avoid bells and whistles type utilities, meaning those that affect the look and feel of the machine. These can include items such as BeHierarchic, DefaultFolder, PowerOn Utilities, and others. Though many of those are good and can be useful, they do add to the OS's burden on the CPU, and to RAM consumption.
• Avoid having a picture displayed on the desktop. Best is a single color, not even a pattern.