cannot get 1.44 MB floppies to work on Mac Plus

Joined
Aug 2, 2009
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Hello, I am new to the site and I recently aquired a Macintosh Plus 1MB, It did not come with an external hard drive. I cannot get 1.44 MB floppies to work on this computer. I am having a hard time finding 800k floppies for this computer. Can anyone help?
 

cwa107


Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
27,042
Reaction score
812
Points
113
Location
Lake Mary, Florida
Your Mac's Specs
14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
High Density 1.44MB floppies should work in Low Density mode. My guess is that your floppy drive is shot. And since the early Macs used very eccentric floppy drives (variable spindle speed, as I recall), it would probably not be easy to find a functional replacement.

The first thing I'd recommend is a quick blast with some compressed air to remove the dust. But other than that, your museum piece might be best left to looking pretty on a shelf ;)
 

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,210
Reaction score
1,418
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
Another option is find a used external SCSI hard drive.

- Nick
 
OP
V
Joined
Aug 2, 2009
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Oh, I forgot to add I don't have a OS on this Mac, All I have when I turn it on is a Disk with a question mark. I don't think the drive is broken because when I put the floppy in the question mark disappears for a moment and then ejects the disk
 

cwa107


Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
27,042
Reaction score
812
Points
113
Location
Lake Mary, Florida
Your Mac's Specs
14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
Oh, I forgot to add I don't have a OS on this Mac, All I have when I turn it on is a Disk with a question mark. I don't think the drive is broken because when I put the floppy in the question mark disappears for a moment and then ejects the disk

The drive can be mechanically sound, but the heads are bad or misaligned. And if that's the case, that's exactly what it will do.
 

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,210
Reaction score
1,418
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
Oh, I forgot to add I don't have a OS on this Mac, All I have when I turn it on is a Disk with a question mark. I don't think the drive is broken because when I put the floppy in the question mark disappears for a moment and then ejects the disk

Of course you don't have an OS on your Mac...it has no internal hard drive...so you can't have an OS on it.

Since it only has a floppy drive...the OS needs to be on the floppy when you insert it.

The floppy disk you're inserting probably doesn't have any OS files on it...so the computer cannot boot.

You need an 800k floppy with a Mac OS on it...something like a version of Mac OS 6.0 to 7.5...but earlier versions will work as well.

Hope this helps,

- Nick
 

dtravis7


Retired Staff
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
30,133
Reaction score
703
Points
113
Location
Modesto, Ca.
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
The Mac Plus does not read 1.44MB floppies at all. They have to be 800K.

CWA, I have not tried it in a long time now but I have a perfect working Plus and I remember that a 1.44MB disc would not even work in it no matter what I did. I will try one later and get back but I am pretty sure they just did not work.

The drive in my Plus will read/write/boot from any 800K floppy and is in perfect alignment. Strange I know but I ran into it a lot with old systems.

Also pigoo3 us correct. The Mac Plus has no hard drive and without a boot floppy for System 3-7 it's doing what it should be doing. My first Plus I got used ages ago came with System 6.0.1 on Floppies.
 

cwa107


Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
27,042
Reaction score
812
Points
113
Location
Lake Mary, Florida
Your Mac's Specs
14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
Oops, I stand corrected. My knowledge is mostly skewed because back in the day, I only ran Macintosh in emulation using an Amiga - and although I remember needing a special floppy drive, I don't remember having to bother with finding special low density floppies. Of course, the Amiga was using newer ROMs than a Mac Plus (I think they were LC II ROMs, as I recall).
 

dtravis7


Retired Staff
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
30,133
Reaction score
703
Points
113
Location
Modesto, Ca.
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
Not really an Opps on your part! :D

I am just going by past memory but the old pre 1.44MB ROM Macs were very picky for sure. I will go boot up the plus and try and 1.44 and see if I can do anything with it and get back.
 

dtravis7


Retired Staff
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
30,133
Reaction score
703
Points
113
Location
Modesto, Ca.
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
Tried a brand new 1.44 and erase failed. Here are some pics. First showing failure of format, 2nd the System 7.0.1 About This Mac screen and 3rd the Mac Plus and it's 20MB Apple Hard Drive! :D

The black bar in the first pic happens when taking pics of old CRT monitors. It's the Vertical Retrace that the eye does not see that the camera catches! :D

I also tried many 800K Floppies and all read, wrote and erased perfectly. Check Ebay for a older System floppy for your Mac Plus.


Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch



Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch



Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch
 
OP
V
Joined
Aug 2, 2009
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Ok, Thank You, I'm Glad to know the Mac isn't broken. Does anyone have an external hard drive for the Mac Plus that they are willing to part with? Mine did not come with one when bought.
 

dtravis7


Retired Staff
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
30,133
Reaction score
703
Points
113
Location
Modesto, Ca.
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
The Plus never came with one stock and it had to be purchased later when they came out.

They are SCSI drives and a pain to find but again you might find one on Ebay. Mine is an Apple SC20. Try putting that into Ebay and see what you find. It's a perfect match for it and the plus sits right on top of the drive.

I will look around also and get back to you. I might have an old external SCSI case and a old drive around here somewhere.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top