Hard drive issues

#1 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 - 02:15 68kMLA

So the 2 GB IDE drive in my Power Macintosh 5500 seems to be dying.

The only way to get it initialized is when starting up, where a "This disk is not readable by this Macintosh" message appears, and initializing it that way doesn't work everytime. Disk Utility can only initialize it once in a blue moon.

It also has a habit of dismounting during the OS 8.1 disk check and I've NEVER been able to install a working system on it.

Am I right with my assumption? :'(

#2 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 - 03:05 68kMLA

Am I right with my assumption? :'(

The marvels of consumer component electronics means that you can just plug in another disk and test your hypothesis.

#3 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 - 03:20 68kMLA

Well, OS 8.1 Drive Setup can format non-Apple drives, right?

#4 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 - 05:05 68kMLA

Well, OS 8.1 Drive Setup can format non-Apple drives, right?

It depends. You can always use a ResEdit hack (very easy to do) so that it will support any drive.

#5 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 - 05:07 68kMLA

In my experience, Drive Setup from OS 8.1 should work with just about any drive straight out of the box. Its Apple HD SC Setup that needs the patch.

#6 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 - 05:25 68kMLA

Alright, thanks!

This is awesome news.

But judging by the symptoms of the drive, it's life is about to end soon, right?

#7 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 - 05:29 68kMLA

But judging by the symptoms of the drive, it's life is about to end soon, right?

I can't tell. It could be the computer's PSU, it could be connectors that have worked loose or corroded, etc. You're the nearest!

#8 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 - 16:35 68kMLA

BTW, is it OK if I format the replacement drive in OS X?

#9 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 - 18:43 68kMLA

Yes, given that you use the option to install OS 9 HDD drivers, and that you wish to use a (pre-OS X) OS that can 'see' files on a drive formatted in HFS+ rather than HFS. That means OS 9 or OS 8.1 and above. OS 8 to OS 9.1 will not run from within all versions of OS X in 'Classic Mode', but you may be able to boot into either or both of them (separately) to run older applications natively from partitions separate from the partition containing OS X. The pool is further muddied by considerations arising from the installed OS X version and processor, but a CRT iMac is unlikely to get into those leagues. Even a 700MHz CRT iMac should not be expected to leap over the Eiffel Tower.

By way of example, four 500MHz CRT iMacs of mine from 2000 to 2002 happily run OS X v10.4.11, boot into OS 9.2.2 directly as well as use OS 9 in Classic Mode/Environment, and can reboot happily from OS 9.2.2 to OS X. However, OS 9.1 quickly loses potency for booting as OS X rises from 10.2.8 to 10.3.9 to 10.4.11, as a result of both firmware and software changes, but the downloads for upgrade from 9.1 to 9.2.1/9.2.2 are still available from Apple. As an aside, as part of my use of Silverlining on every hard drive in my flock, those iMacs are formatted from Silverlining 6.5.8 under OS 9.2.2.

You will find useful reading at http://www.macmaps.com/macosxnative.html and

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1395?viewlocale=en_US

de

#10 Fri, 14 Aug 2009 - 18:47 68kMLA

Alright, thanks!