Hard drive not mounting in target disk mode?

[drewolymath]

G5 iMac model A1058, 1.8/512mb/160gb.
Bought this machine used on e-bay with no operating system, powers on fine, flashing folder with question mark= no operating system. Tried to connect to my i-book in target disk mode via fire wire and the hard drive does not mount on the desktop. Can't find it in disk utilities however i get this in system profiler under firewire.

Target Disk Mode:

Manufacturer: AAPL
Model: 0x54444D
GUID: 0xD93FFFE7B48EE
Maximum Speed: Up to 800 Mb/sec
Connection Speed: Up to 400 Mb/sec
Sub-units:
Target Disk Mode Unit:
Unit Software Version: 0x10483
Unit Spec ID: 0x609E
Firmware Revision: 0x0
Product Revision Level: 0000
Sub-units:
Target Disk Mode SBP-LUN:

Any Help, does this mean the disk is so corrupt that it is unrecognizable? I do not have Disk warrior or the correct system restore cd's, or system software install?? Would like to know if the disk is either good or bad to make my next move/operating system or new hard drive?

thanks, Drew

[Eidorian]

I'd suggest a replacement hard drive for the iMac.

[drewolymath]

But how do I know for certain it is dead??? trying to borrow a current system restore to run disk utilities... but if the thing would mount in target I could do this via target disk mode.? I found a 320 gig hard drive on ebay with os10.5 and ilife for $64, which is both double the size of the current drive and double the price apple would charge for replacement disks.

Should I try to run disk warrior, have never used it and have no idea where to aquire it?

thanks again,
Drew

[sickmacdoc]

Originally Posted by drewolymath

But how do I know for certain it is dead??? trying to borrow a current system restore to run disk utilities... but if the thing would mount in target I could do this via target disk mode.? I found a 320 gig hard drive on ebay with os10.5 and ilife for $64, which is both double the size of the current drive and double the price apple would charge for replacement disks.

Should I try to run disk warrior, have never used it and have no idea where to aquire it?

thanks again,
Drew

Just wanted to add a little support for the idea of Eidorean above. If you are unable to find the drive in Disk Utility on the other machine when it is connected via Target Disk Mode, you will have the same problem with Disk Warrior. It will not be able to "see" the drive either if DU cannot "see" it, so the investment in DW will probably not be a good idea right now. (BTW- DW is available from virtually any software seller online and is usually available at the Apple stores as well). I would add my vote for the idea that the drive is toast.

I think what you are seeing in the System Profiler BTW is the Target Disk Mode of the FW bus- not any particular devices operating on the bus- as devices show the capacity, space used, BSD names, mount points etc etc

[drewolymath]

Thanks for your help, will purchase a new hard drive and report back to the boards. I do have one last question about buying a used drive off ebay, if a drive is listed with having the system software on it, will my machine recognize it, I have heard else where that it won't and I will still need the install disk.

If this is the case I should contact apple and get the replacement disc for my serial #, only $32 I think, but that puts me in the price range of a 320 gig verse the 640 gig drive? as this clunker only has 512 RAM and needs a couple 1 gig sticks as well. As I have now learned the hard way, the great deal was to good to be true.

[sushi]

Originally Posted by drewolymath

Thanks for your help, will purchase a new hard drive and report back to the boards. I do have one last question about buying a used drive off ebay, if a drive is listed with having the system software on it, will my machine recognize it, I have heard else where that it won't and I will still need the install disk.

If this is the case I should contact apple and get the replacement disc for my serial #, only $32 I think, but that puts me in the price range of a 320 gig verse the 640 gig drive? as this clunker only has 512 RAM and needs a couple 1 gig sticks as well.

I would suggest that you do not purchase a hard drive from ebay. You won't know it's real condition. You may end up with problems.

New HDs are fairly cheap these days. I would suggest this is the better way to go.

You can probably find a cheap Mac OS X (Tiger or Leopard) install disk on eBay. Might as well get one, as you may need it at a later time.

Originally Posted by drewolymath

As I have now learned the hard way, the great deal was to good to be true.

Join the club.

[Eidorian]

NewEgg would be the best option if you're in the United States. The Western Digital 640 GB is another good choice.

[sushi]

Originally Posted by Eidorian

NewEgg would be the best option if you're in the United States. The Western Digital 640 GB is another good choice.

Second NewEgg. Good mail order place. Reliable and decent prices.

[MacHappytjg]

I dislike newegg because there prices are good and stuff but there shipping and handling prices are outrageous, so i went to my local bestbuy and got the same thing but for cheaper, external harddrive, but local computer shops are always good. otherwise never use ebay i have, and a few years later 2 or so the drive is very unresponsive that i bought.

[Eidorian]

Originally Posted by MacHappytjg

I dislike newegg because there prices are good and stuff but there shipping and handling prices are outrageous, so i went to my local bestbuy and got the same thing but for cheaper, external harddrive, but local computer shops are always good. otherwise never use ebay i have, and a few years later 2 or so the drive is very unresponsive that i bought.

Uh free shipping and if you have to pay buy multiple items?

[MacHappytjg]

Originally Posted by Eidorian

Uh free shipping and if you have to pay buy multiple items?

i did, and i was using newegg canada.... which is in the us.

[drewolymath]

Thanks for all the help. So I opened up the machine only to find no hard drive, but a bonus surprise of 2 gigs of ram. I opted to purchase the western digital 640 gig drive from ebay with Os x 10.5 and ilife already installed. Installed the drive then booted the machine. Still no operating system. Fire it up in target disc mode and I can see the drive and all of the system files.

tried booting it with control x. still did not recognize it.
zapped pram, still no luck.
control n, network boot did not work either.
tried safe mode, no luck there.

Not sure what to do next. Any advice. I think the best thing to do is drag all the os x 10.5 system files out in target disc mode, save them for later. Purchase the original os x 10.4 system discs. and start fresh. Can I drag os x 10.4.1 out of this ibook into the drive? or will I still need a disc to get it to boot for the first time?

[PuckDaddy]

Originally Posted by MacHappytjg

i did, and i was using newegg canada.... which is in the us.

when did that happen eh ?

[drewolymath]

one thing I failed to consider is that this used drive is formated far an intel based iMac, and this is the reason it is not mounting, is there any way to find this out in target disc mode?

[Eidorian]

Originally Posted by drewolymath

one thing I failed to consider is that this used drive is formated far an intel based iMac, and this is the reason it is not mounting, is there any way to find this out in target disc mode?

Yeah PowerPC Macs can't read Intel partitioned boot drives.

[sickmacdoc]

Originally Posted by drewolymath

one thing I failed to consider is that this used drive is formated far an intel based iMac, and this is the reason it is not mounting, is there any way to find this out in target disc mode?

Yes, you can check it using Disk Utility on the running Mac- click the drive in the left column of DU (not the partition- the drive as illustrated below) and look at the info at the bottom of the page where indicated.

If it reads GUID as the example does, it can be used for a data drive but will not be bootable on your PowerPC based iMac. In order for a drive to be bootable on yours it needs to read "Apple Partiton Map" instead (which is set up during the initial partitioning and erasing of the drive via the "Options" button in the Partition pane of DU).