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View Full Version : HELP! Installing 2nd HD on dual G5




jp_powers
Feb 13, 2004, 11:24 AM
I need some assistance on this project. I recently purchased a Western Digital Caviar 160 gig/7200 IDE ATA hard drive from Office Max ($59.99 after rebates) I was told that it would work.

I slid it in the second bay, however, I'm not sure where to hook up the connector cables. I could guess, but, I am a horrible guesser.

Once done, do I need to format the drive?

If anyone can help, I would greatly appreciate it and possibly reward them... Thanks



wrldwzrd89
Feb 13, 2004, 11:33 AM
Here's a hint for installing hard drives: look for a colored strip or stripes on one end of the data ribbon cable (this is called pin 1). Orient the cable so that the end you've identified as pin 1 is closest to the power connector (usually the cable plug is translucent white and blocky; the connector is also blocky). The power connector must also be hooked up to one of those blocky cable plugs (I don't know where they're stored on the PowerMac G5 as I've never opened one up). After that, try booting the computer. If the hard drive is recognized and appears on the desktop, check its format in the Get Info window. If the format says anything other than HFS+, HFS Plus or Mac OS Extended, reformat the drive to this format (all three are actually different names for the same format). I would also enable journaling if it isn't already on. This can be done in Disk Utility (without a reformat).

TyleRomeo
Feb 13, 2004, 12:02 PM
Originally posted by jp_powers
I need some assistance on this project. I recently purchased a Western Digital Caviar 160 gig/7200 IDE ATA hard drive from Office Max ($59.99 after rebates) I was told that it would work.

I slid it in the second bay, however, I'm not sure where to hook up the connector cables. I could guess, but, I am a horrible guesser.

Once done, do I need to format the drive?

If anyone can help, I would greatly appreciate it and possibly reward them... Thanks

ITS NOT GOING TO WORK.
G5 use serial ATA and not IDE ATA, so unless you get a converter which is extra costs and probably would not even fit, youre going to have to return it. and get a serial ata drive.

Tyler

jp_powers
Feb 13, 2004, 12:20 PM
thanks. even though it is bad news... On the bright side, on e bay these drives are going for $50 more than I paid. (although I am just hoping to get mine sold for cost)

Opteron
Feb 13, 2004, 02:38 PM
Originally posted by jp_powers
thanks. even though it is bad news... On the bright side, on e bay these drives are going for $50 more than I paid. (although I am just hoping to get mine sold for cost)

You might:confused: be able to get an ATA cable with two ports (I have 7 or so laying arround) and run the HDD in slave mode off the IDE channel that the DVD burner is on. Worth a try.

Secondly if that doesn't work, you should be able to take it back, and say I was un aware my computer uses SATA, may I exchange it for a SATA one. Then pay the difference. There should be no troubles with that.

jelloshotsrule
Feb 13, 2004, 03:20 PM
given that they told you it would work, you can certainly blame them... and should have no problem getting your money back or exchanging or whatever...

assuming they are respectable in the least

tomf87
Feb 13, 2004, 05:03 PM
Originally posted by Opteron
You might:confused: be able to get an ATA cable with two ports (I have 7 or so laying arround) and run the HDD in slave mode off the IDE channel that the DVD burner is on. Worth a try.

Secondly if that doesn't work, you should be able to take it back, and say I was un aware my computer uses SATA, may I exchange it for a SATA one. Then pay the difference. There should be no troubles with that.

Guarantee you won't find SATA cables with more than two ports. Each SATA channel only supports one device, so there is no master/slave designations.

solvs
Feb 13, 2004, 05:08 PM
Or just buy a cheap external case. It's like $40.

I think I read on www.xlr8yourmac.com that someone did put an IDE drive in there with a converter and it worked, though it's not supported. And as Opteron said, if you get a long enough cable, you can hook it to the CD drives connector. Don't know if it's compatible with 160 GB drives or not, since it may be ATA/33 or 66.

And I believe it has to be the master with the CD drive as slave.

virividox
Feb 13, 2004, 06:04 PM
yeah if ur just using it for data dumping

then get it a firewire case and use it as a hot swappable drive.

but if its for movie making, heavy photoshop usage scratch disk type work, then best you get urself a SATA drive

Opteron
Feb 13, 2004, 08:55 PM
Originally posted by tomf87
Guarantee you won't find SATA cables with more than two ports. Each SATA channel only supports one device, so there is no master/slave designations.

But the DVD Burner runs on a standard IDE ATA Bus, thus can be dasie chaned.

I know you can only run one SATA drive per channel.:mad:

Sun Baked
Feb 13, 2004, 09:04 PM
Originally posted by Opteron
But the DVD Burner runs on a standard IDE ATA Bus, thus can be dasie chaned.

I know you can only run one SATA drive per channel.:mad: New cable, HD power splitter, and 20 rolls of duct tape to give to Red Green to modify the G5 case (or a couple short strips of double sided tape.).