HD Died, Replaced it, iBook doesn't Recognize it.

[Jono]

Last week, the 20gb hd in my iBook 600 died. I ordered a 40gb Fujitsu and installed that, thinking I could just boot from cd, format, and install the os. The iBook wouldn't start up from the OS X cd, it would hang at the Apple logo which would turn into a circle with a slash. So then I tried using OS 9 and that booted fine. However, I could not get Drive Setup to see the drive but System Profiler showed a HD was connected. I installed OS X and 9 to an external drive but the boot process stops at the grey screen with the Apple logo.

Any ideas? Thanks.

PS. The hardware diagnostic CD gives a script error.

 

[cubist]

A couple of thoughts. Make sure the drive is set to Master (these teeny drives still have those jumpers, right?) and not Cable select or something goofy like that. Make sure the cables are well-connected, especially the power. Turn on the system with the case open and see if you hear the drive spin up.

 

[Quartz Extreme]

Startup off the external drive (hold down option at boot to go to a boot selection menu) and see if it lets you boot. If it hangs at startup, try again, and this time hold down <APPLE> and <V> to go into verbose mode, which will provide text on the screen at startup that can help your problem. You can also try zapping the PRAM with <APPLE> + <OPTION> + <P> + <R> at startup.

 

[Jono]

Thanks guys. I've actually already tried all of those suggestions. I can only get verbose mode to display when booting from CD. It displayed something like "still waiting for root device" repeatedly. Now I just tried booting the OS X CD with no HD in the iBook and it boots fine. And yes, I can hear the HD spinning. What could the problem be?

 

[ITASOR]

I would say, try a different HD that is guaranteed to work in an iBook that is the original RPM to see if it's the iBook or the HD. Maybe something else is damaged.

 

[Jono]

The drive I am using is Fujitsu 40gb, model MHT2040AT. Doesn't Apple use this exact drive in some of their portables? I don't see why this drive wouldn't work.

 

[yellow]

If the HD is plugged in and jumpered properly, and the computer will boot properly when the HD isn't plugged in (but won't when it is), then clearly the HD is a lemon and needs to be returned.

 

[Jono]

Ok, I have now sucessfully booted a new install of OS X from the external HD, must have been a bad install. I've read before that sometimes iBooks have problems with unformatted HDs? Not sure why. But right now I don't know of anyone who could a format/install on the 2.5" drive.

 

[Jono]

I opened up Disc Utility in 10.2.8 (the newest OS I have access to atm) and it lists the internal drive as "0,00 Bytes Ä?,,"

Trying to format it now, but considering it's being listed at 0 bytes, I don't think that's going to work :/

Anyone experience this before?

 

[Jono]

Now the installed HD will interfere with the Optical drive in my iBook. I don't know why this would happen, as the original HD in my iBook was set to master, and that is what I have the new drive set to. Any ideas?

 

[Jono]

Console shows this in the log:

Mac OS X Version 10.2.8 (Build 6R73)
/System/Library/Filesystems/msdos.fs/msdos.util: device safe_read error @ 0, Device not configured
2005-06-17 11:26:48.361 loginwindow[331] Could not find image named `bang'.


/System/Library/Filesystems/msdos.fs/msdos.util: device safe_read error @ 0, Device not configured


/System/Library/Filesystems/msdos.fs/msdos.util: device safe_read error @ 0, Device not configured
/System/Library/Filesystems/msdos.fs/msdos.util: device safe_read error @ 0, Device not configured
/System/Library/Filesystems/msdos.fs/msdos.util: device safe_read error @ 0, Device not configured

 

[yellow]

/System/Library/Filesystems/msdos.fs/msdos.util:

Why is it using the msdos util/filesystem? You are formatting it HFS+, correct?

 

[Jono]

Yes, but I believe that is the console log of when I booted OS X today. I've never tried to format it to MS-DOS. I can't format it at all using Disk Utility as the drive is read as "0,00 Bytes Media"

 

[yellow]

Well, as I said before, none of what you're experiencing is normal.
You have 2 options, as I see it. Any more fiddling is a waste of all our times..

1) put that drive in an external case and see if it allows format/OS installation normally. If it does, then it could be the ATA controller or cable in your laptop is screwy. This is not a good thing, etiher. If it doesn't see #2.

or

2) Skip the middle man, return it and get another one.

 

[Jono]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Since I don't have an external case to test the 2.5" drive with right now, I will try and put it in my brother's Mac mini and see if the drive is working correctly on that machine. If so, I'll know that the problem lies with my iBook. If not, the drive is defective and I'll return it.

Maybe even if I format it using the mini my iBook will be able to use it.

 

[yellow]

Correct. You can also get an adapter for putting a 2.5" drive in a 3.5" bay (cable adapter).

 

[Jono]

Yeah, I've thought about getting the adapter also...If I can find a place in my area that sells one, I'll buy that.