I want to salvage files from a dead Power Mac G4 graphite

[Thomas Veil]

My son has one of the graphite Power Macs from years ago, a 500 MHz G4. Following a recent power outage, it stopped running completely, and I mean completely. There is not a sound when you try to power it up, it just sits there.

I figure the logic board or, more likely, the power supply. So I think it's best to harvest the hard drive and try to put it into an external enclosure. I figure at least I can help him rescue his photos and music.

The question is, what enclosure? According to the specs I've seen online, it's an Ultra ATA (parallel) drive. I've never done this before, and looking online is merely confusing me. Are there (m)any enclosures that will work with it?

 

[Eidorian]

I figure the logic board or, more likely, the power supply. So I think it's best to harvest the hard drive and try to put it into an external enclosure. I figure at least I can help him rescue his photos and music.

The question is, what enclosure? According to the specs I've seen online, it's an Ultra ATA (parallel) drive. I've never done this before, and looking online is merely confusing me. Are there (m)any enclosures that will work with it?

Any IDE (PATA) enclosure will work.

 

[hughvane]

I think it's best to harvest the hard drive and try to put it into an external enclosure. I figure at least I can help him rescue his photos and music.

You don't need to go to the expense of an enclosure. Consider purchasing an IDE(ATA)/SATA-USB adaptor kit (about US$18) with which you can connect the drive you remove from the G4, to the replacement computer. Those adaptor kits are very useful and can connect a variety of external drives, incl optical (CD/DVD).

 

[Thomas Veil]

Excellent suggestion; I'll check into that. Thanks!

Eidorian, an IDE is the same as a PATA, then?

 

[Eidorian]

Excellent suggestion; I'll check into that. Thanks!

Eidorian, an IDE is the same as a PATA, then?

Yes it is. I don't know why they dragged out "PATA" it confuses more people then it's supposed to help.

 

[SmurfBoxMasta]

Yes it is. I don't know why they dragged out "PATA" it confuses more people then it's supposed to help.

Probably to more clearly distinguish PATA from SATA