new internal HD

osburn · Apr 22, 2010

I recently got a G4 MDD and am going to revamp it with upgrades. It has a 60 GB HD now but I just purchased the proper 500GB hard drive, want to install it AND want to make it my boot drive, installing the old HD as simply more storage. I'm unsure what (rear) slot to put the new one in, just in the slot where the existing hard drive is?

Also, I doubt this brand new drive is formatted. If it's not, how can I format it without any OS on it? Will I have to leave the original HD in place, format, then make the switch? Does any of this make sense, or should I just leave the orig 60mb drive as my boot drive and use the new big one for storage?

cantus.terroco · Apr 22, 2010

osburn said:
I recently got a G4 MDD and am going to revamp it with upgrades. It has a 60 GB HD now but I just purchased the proper 500GB hard drive, want to install it AND want to make it my boot drive, installing the old HD as simply more storage. I'm unsure what (rear) slot to put the new one in, just in the slot where the existing hard drive is?

Also, I doubt this brand new drive is formatted. If it's not, how can I format it without any OS on it? Will I have to leave the original HD in place, format, then make the switch? Does any of this make sense, or should I just leave the orig 60mb drive as my boot drive and use the new big one for storage?

logically, it is possible. but technically, 500GB is not supported, but you can always try to check if it's going to work.

well, use the original bay for your new 500GB HDD, but when i checked the standard configuration for your g4, it looks it supported 60, 80 and 120gb HDD or SCSI drive with 10,000rpm. use always the 0 or 1 bay # for your bootdrive. use the recommended OS installation disc to start your new OS, update it online afterwards.

here's a link to a person who installed MAC OS X 10.5 Leopard to his G4 MDD , Mac OS 10.5 on G4 MDD

hughvane · Apr 22, 2010

Just a correction of information there - on a G4 MDD (either model), 128 Gb or larger is supported [source: Mactracker], so your 500 drive will work just fine, providing it's ATA and not SATA.

You should really try to install from an OS disk. I agree with Cantus about where to put the new drive, ie. where the current 60 is; and to use the new drive as boot source.

If you wish however to migrate everything from your 60 to the 500, you'll need to interconnect the two drives. Under ATA protocols, one needs to be master, one needs to be slave. Then use Migration Assistant.

cantus.terroco · Apr 22, 2010

i stand corrected.

so as long as it is ATA technology of course. but do they have 500gb like the one you bought? well, you bought, of course it is probably ATA. LOL!

thanks hughvane.

osburn · Apr 23, 2010

My new 500GB hard drive is in and works, although I have some issues. When running OS9 Classic, it won't open my old programs (they open fine when I open them from the OLD drive, which is, apparently, the boot drive). I would like to make the new HD my boot drive. Do I need to install OS X and the Classic OS 9 on it? Then specify it as my new boot drive? How does having the OS on both hard drives affect anything?

hughvane · Apr 23, 2010

osburn said:
Do I need to install OS X and the Classic OS 9 on it? Then specify it as my new boot drive? How does having the OS on both hard drives affect anything?

First point - yes, you will need to install what ever MacOS version you have on the new drive if you wish to use it as boot.

Second - having a boot sector on both drives won't matter if you have the drives configured as outlined earlier, ie. master and slave (there is a proviso to that which we can come to later).
An example - I have an old G3 b/w tower machine with two drives in it, one of which is specifically formatted with OS 9.2. If I wish to boot from that drive, I use System Preferences > Startup Disk from OS X (Panther) and choose the OS 9 drive from there. Everything thereafter is OS 9, I have no access to OS X. However, if I open an old app or doc from OS 9 days when I'm still in OS X, so-called Classic Mode kicks into life.

Third - Classic Mode is part of OS X Panther (also Tiger). Classic was abandoned from OS Leopard onwards. Once you've installed MacOS X (Panther or Tiger) on your new drive, you should be able to access your OS 9 material on the smaller drive.

osburn · Apr 23, 2010

"master and slave (there is a proviso to that which we can come to later)."

And what is the provisio? I know for a fact that both my internal HD's are set to cable select. Do I have to get back in there and change the jumpers on the HDs?

hughvane · Apr 23, 2010

When my G3 was setup, I used the services of a technician, and watched while he did the installation of the second drive. From memory (I wish I could do better than that), he changed the jumper on the OS 9 drive. Without opening up my G3 (currently in storage) and photographing the drive connectors, that's the best I can offer.

That said, I guess the only way you're going to find out if both drives will work and boot is to leave the jumpers as they currently are. You'll still need to install an OS on the larger drive.

Using this pic http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Apple_PowerMac_G4_M8570_MDD_sideopen.jpg as an indicator, where have you placed the second drive?

osburn · Apr 23, 2010

rear drive carrier, 1st slot (closest to the "wall").

hughvane · Apr 23, 2010

That pic seems to show that as well, ie. the rearward slot. I notice the empty connector lying on the ribbon cable, is that what you've used to connect the 500?

I've called in second opinion on this, another M-F member who used to operate a G4 MDD. Watch this space

.

hughvane · Apr 23, 2010

hughvane said:
I've called in second opinion on this, another M-F member who used to operate a G4 MDD

And who says "One of the drives must be set to slave. In a G4 usual to leave top drive as master with OS installed on it, and second drive to slave. If you go to the manufacturer's web site you will find the settings."

HTH ...... hugh

osburn · Apr 24, 2010

Thanks, hughvane, for the info. I set my drives to the "master/slave" settings. No problem, but I am wondering what the difference is? Between "cable set" and the "master/slave" config, that is.

By the way, all my questions have been answered quickly and apparently correctly, as my new Mac is working like a charm. Thanks!