I have tried to install my new Hitachi Deskstar 160GB hard drive in my imac G3. I have made sure all the connections and settings are properly in place: jumpers, power and ide cable. However, when I turn on the computer it refuses to recognize my hard drive. I've tried going to disk setup on the Mac OS 9 installation disk but it still cannot detect my hard drive. I got it off ebay second hand so I'm wondering whether it's dead.
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I think my hard drive is dead
- Thread starter htg
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Wow. There are a lot things that could be happening here.
First off, the G3 architecture was never designed for 160GB, not sure what the specs _are_. I've installed the exact drive you are talking about in a PATA enclosure that was not designed for it, and that enclosure's controller card only recognizes 120GB.
Based on this effect, it is possible that the device controller in the iMac has no idea what to make of the new drive.
If you had an external enclosure that is compatible with the drive (try MacSales), it would have its own controller, therefore all you'd need to do would be to use FireWire and you'd be bootable, if a tad slow.
Other items I could use your clarification, as I've already made too many assumptions about your system. This a 3.5" drive? Are you attempting to use it with the native internal PATA (ATA-100(I think)) bus? Or have you adapted it for SATA?
Wow. There are a lot things that could be happening here.
First off, the G3 architecture was never designed for 160GB, not sure what the specs _are_. I've installed the exact drive you are talking about in a PATA enclosure that was not designed for it, and that enclosure's controller card only recognizes 120GB.
Based on this effect, it is possible that the device controller in the iMac has no idea what to make of the new drive.
If you had an external enclosure that is compatible with the drive (try MacSales), it would have its own controller, therefore all you'd need to do would be to use FireWire and you'd be bootable, if a tad slow.
Other items I could use your clarification, as I've already made too many assumptions about your system. This a 3.5" drive? Are you attempting to use it with the native internal PATA (ATA-100(I think)) bus? Or have you adapted it for SATA?
well I don't really know. It doesn't seem to be making much noise but its quite a recent hard drive so I don't know. Something I forgot to mention, when my iMac G3 boots up it makes this beeping noise for about a minute and then it stops. Does anyone know what this means?
When i makes the beeping noise, it boots up ok after ? Assuming your booting from?
Long beeps indicate Memory problems. The ram stick hasn't come dislodged on the motherboard?
Long beeps indicate Memory problems. The ram stick hasn't come dislodged on the motherboard?
The "beeping" noise is the drive stuck and not being able to spin up.
I had that happen, and I just set the drive aside and let it cool down for a day or two. When i tried it again later, it worked fine and hasn't had a problem since.
I hope yours is OK. Losing an HDD sucks.
I had that happen, and I just set the drive aside and let it cool down for a day or two. When i tried it again later, it worked fine and hasn't had a problem since.
I hope yours is OK. Losing an HDD sucks.
Can you try it in an external enclosure or something like this
http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat_id=1540&sku=30504
http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?cat_id=1540&sku=30504