- Joined
- Jun 24, 2013
- Messages
- 6
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- Location
- Norman, OK
- Your Mac's Specs
- Mac Pro 1,1; quad 2.66 processors, upgraded to 16GB Hynix RAM & 3.5TB internal hard drive space.
Okay, so I'm an old(er) fart (53) and am a "Veteran Medicated For Your Safety" sort. (Well, I am a DV on pain meds...) I have a story and questions for someone that might be able to help me...might need a BIT of hand-holding here, as I can't (literally) hold onto info like I used to...
First, I own a 1996 Mac Pro 1,1, with the quad-core 2.66 Ghz processors. Came with 2GB RAM, which I upgraded immediately to 4 GB, and recently to 16GB. I'm also running OS 10.6.8. I also went from one 250GB hard drive to a current 3.5TB of internal HDD space. On to my current problem:
Recently, I had one of my two DVD/R drives go out, so I bought another to replace it. Didn't notice it was a SATA drive, so now I had to go out and get an IDE-SATA adaptor to get it to work.
On pulling the drive tray, I installed the adaptor, and subsequently found that both power cables to the drives were cracked and showing bare wire. Didn't look like any connections were compromised, so I electrical-taped the bare wires for safety and pushed the tray back in place. On boot-up, both drives showed power connectivity and worked when the tray release button was manually activated on each drive, which I checked before sliding the tray back into place.
Trouble now is that my computer won't recognize the 'original' IDE drive. Is that because of something to do with the difference between the connections of the two drive types (IDE/SATA)? That given, do I now have to find another SATA-compliant DVD/R drive? (I've already got 2 IDE-style burners and one player stacked up, and that 4GB of RAM I took out...stuff's piling up here!)
I'm also thinking seriously that since the power connectors to the drives were both 'compromised' that, at least internally, the IDE ribbon might be, so I went searching for a replacement - thinking that replacing the cable(s) while in there might be a good idea anyway.
CRA*!!! What a mistake THAT was! I found one place that had the same type cable (sans power cord connectors) for $25, and one guy on eBay with the ribbon cable/power cable 'assembly' ( looks identical to the one in my computer now ) for $18...everyone ELSE out there wants $40-$150 for one! And that's not even new or with the power connectors! AND, given that the plastic fan bay in front hides the other half of the power/IDE connections to the drives, I'm thinking now I'll have to take it to someone and pay them....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.............
OK.......and we're breathing....and we're breathing....breathing....
Anyway: Will I have to change the old IDE drive for a SATA drive as well now? And, if I can find a replacement ribbon/power cable assembly (922 7686 Apple Mac Pro Desktop A1186 2 8 3 0GH 8x DVD Data Power Cable is what showed up on eBay when I looked for a cable that matched exactly), is it going to be very difficult to change myself (given the fan bay obstruction)?
Now to the 'short hairs'. I never got out much before (heart trouble), but I also managed to break my back this past Friday. (What an exciting life I lead, no?) Given my wife teaches both H.S. and college courses, not only don't I get out of the house much, we're tapped as well.
***Sigh*** I don't suppose anyone would have a SATA DVD-CD/R burner and the cable I need in return for, say, some used 4GB of Mac Pro memory sticks? (8 ea, 512mb, DDR2 pc5300, matched pairs with Apple heatsinks). Heck, I'll even throw in one of the old IDE burners I've got! Come to my home (Norman, OK) and make the repairs here, and I'll throw in a MacBook G4 (sans power cord) I can't use, too!
I truly don't mean to sound whiny, but my Mac is my 'link' in very many ways, now more than before, and I can't afford to take it to a repair station OR buy any more 'new' parts for awhile! Any good advice / help I can get (if possible) is already gratefully appreciated, believe me.
Anyway, thanks in advance. Truly.
Chuck
First, I own a 1996 Mac Pro 1,1, with the quad-core 2.66 Ghz processors. Came with 2GB RAM, which I upgraded immediately to 4 GB, and recently to 16GB. I'm also running OS 10.6.8. I also went from one 250GB hard drive to a current 3.5TB of internal HDD space. On to my current problem:
Recently, I had one of my two DVD/R drives go out, so I bought another to replace it. Didn't notice it was a SATA drive, so now I had to go out and get an IDE-SATA adaptor to get it to work.
On pulling the drive tray, I installed the adaptor, and subsequently found that both power cables to the drives were cracked and showing bare wire. Didn't look like any connections were compromised, so I electrical-taped the bare wires for safety and pushed the tray back in place. On boot-up, both drives showed power connectivity and worked when the tray release button was manually activated on each drive, which I checked before sliding the tray back into place.
Trouble now is that my computer won't recognize the 'original' IDE drive. Is that because of something to do with the difference between the connections of the two drive types (IDE/SATA)? That given, do I now have to find another SATA-compliant DVD/R drive? (I've already got 2 IDE-style burners and one player stacked up, and that 4GB of RAM I took out...stuff's piling up here!)
I'm also thinking seriously that since the power connectors to the drives were both 'compromised' that, at least internally, the IDE ribbon might be, so I went searching for a replacement - thinking that replacing the cable(s) while in there might be a good idea anyway.
CRA*!!! What a mistake THAT was! I found one place that had the same type cable (sans power cord connectors) for $25, and one guy on eBay with the ribbon cable/power cable 'assembly' ( looks identical to the one in my computer now ) for $18...everyone ELSE out there wants $40-$150 for one! And that's not even new or with the power connectors! AND, given that the plastic fan bay in front hides the other half of the power/IDE connections to the drives, I'm thinking now I'll have to take it to someone and pay them....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.............
OK.......and we're breathing....and we're breathing....breathing....
Anyway: Will I have to change the old IDE drive for a SATA drive as well now? And, if I can find a replacement ribbon/power cable assembly (922 7686 Apple Mac Pro Desktop A1186 2 8 3 0GH 8x DVD Data Power Cable is what showed up on eBay when I looked for a cable that matched exactly), is it going to be very difficult to change myself (given the fan bay obstruction)?
Now to the 'short hairs'. I never got out much before (heart trouble), but I also managed to break my back this past Friday. (What an exciting life I lead, no?) Given my wife teaches both H.S. and college courses, not only don't I get out of the house much, we're tapped as well.
***Sigh*** I don't suppose anyone would have a SATA DVD-CD/R burner and the cable I need in return for, say, some used 4GB of Mac Pro memory sticks? (8 ea, 512mb, DDR2 pc5300, matched pairs with Apple heatsinks). Heck, I'll even throw in one of the old IDE burners I've got! Come to my home (Norman, OK) and make the repairs here, and I'll throw in a MacBook G4 (sans power cord) I can't use, too!
I truly don't mean to sound whiny, but my Mac is my 'link' in very many ways, now more than before, and I can't afford to take it to a repair station OR buy any more 'new' parts for awhile! Any good advice / help I can get (if possible) is already gratefully appreciated, believe me.
Anyway, thanks in advance. Truly.
Chuck