7100/80 Hard Drive Help!

Hi All, New here, need some help. My father-in laws 1994 7100/80 has been collecting dust in a closet for 10 years, now he wants the files off of it. I plugged it in hard drive spins, no boot up no video. Tried holding the shift key down at start up. No go. No OS disk its gone, no boot disk!

1. How can I get the files off that hard drive (50 pin 700 MB SCSI)

2. He now owns a laptop with Win 7. I'm guessing I will need to convert the files!

3. I'm not sure about which OS is on his 7100/80, but its probably pre OS9.

4. I do have access to a IMAC with OS 10.2. And a PC XP64.

Thanks for any and all suggestions.

Do you hear the hard drive spinning at all?

The 7100/80 probably needs a new PRAM battery...some older Mac's (like as old as this 7100/80)...don't work properly if they don't have a good PRAM battery in them.

If you want to purchase a new PRAM battery...this is what you need:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer Technology/BAA36VPRAM/

If you get the computer to work properly...your second "hurdle" is how to get those files off the computer:

- The 7100/80 doesn't have USB
- both the 7100/80 & the iMac you have...have ethernet...but the OS versions may be too far apart to network properly via an ethernet cable.

Another option (depending how important these files are)...is get an external SCSI 3.5" drive enclosure to put the 7100/80's HD into. Then you would need some sort SCSI to USB adapter. I think that I have seen these...but they're pretty darn expensive!

HTH,

- Nick

Thanks for the reply Nick,

Yes the hard drive spins. I will get a battery, I have seen that mentioned as part of the problem of getting the old 7100 operational.

I hope that gets the video working!

I don't know if I should post this question on OS here or in the software forum. however from my readings I guess I would need to upgrade to OS9 to get the 7100 and Imac close enough so I can transfer/read the files. I hope someone could help me here.

I did see a cable to connect 50 pin HD to USB for approximately $120.00!!

My goal is really just to get the files off the 7100 and convert them to work with the Imac OS 10.2, after that if I can make them workable in Win7 that would be great! Greg

ghud said:

...however from my readings I guess I would need to upgrade to OS9 to get the 7100 and Imac close enough so I can transfer/read the files. I hope someone could help me here.

I did see a cable to connect 50 pin HD to USB for approximately $120.00!!

Click to expand...

I think that the closer you can get the OS versions between the computers the better. OS 9.0 is the highest you can go with that 7100/80...and if the iMac has OS 10.2 on it...you might be ok. When Apple transitioned from OS 9 to OS X (10.0)...I'm sure communication between the two was possible...best bet is probably via an ethernet cable setup.

Yes...that SCSI to USB adapter is "CRAZY" expensive...I also saw them in the price range you mentioned.

Good luck, hopefully that PRAM battery gets the computer running!

- Nick

Hi Nick, I should be able to get a battery here today. Its ready to go for install. How should I go about the upgrade? If the CD-ROM is working I will first copy all the files to disk and check them. Then what? Where can I get a copy of OS9? Will the files be readable in OSX after the upgrade? Thanks again, Greg

ghud said:

Hi Nick, I should be able to get a battery here today. Its ready to go for install. How should I go about the upgrade? If the CD-ROM is working I will first copy all the files to disk and check them. Then what? Where can I get a copy of OS9? Will the files be readable in OSX after the upgrade? Thanks again, Greg

Click to expand...

As far as the OS 9 "sourcing"...e-Bay is probably your best bet. Regarding will the files be readable in OS X...it depends on:

- what sort of files they are
- the applications you need to open them
- having the proper application version you need to be compatible with the version of OS X you have

- Nick

Hey Nick, It was the battery (3.6v 1250mAH $13.00). Not bad so far!

I have OS 8.5.1. The files with the greatest importance are in Word Perfect 3.1 and Word 6.0. I'm going to try to write them to CD before I do anything else. Is 8.5 compatible with OSX? Any suggestions from here? Greg

ghud said:

Hey Nick, It was the battery (3.6v 1250mAH $13.00). Not bad so far!

I have OS 8.5.1. The files with the greatest importance are in Word Perfect 3.1 and Word 6.0. I'm going to try to write them to CD before I do anything else. Is 8.5 compatible with OSX? Any suggestions from here? Greg

Click to expand...

Congrats on the new PRAM battery doing the trick. Many Mac's of your 7100/80's vintage will not boot or are stable unless they have a good PRAM battery in them. On the other hand...many Mac's (probably including your iMac)...will boot with a dead PRAM battery...just the date & time will be wrong (and any system preferences that were set).

Where the heck did you buy that PRAM battery for $13.00 bucks. OWC...the link I provided above...sell's them for $4.99. Unless the $13.00 included shipping from somewhere.

As far as OS 8.5 & OS 10.2 being compatible...I'm not 100% sure. OS 8.5 was released around 1999...and OS 10.2 was released around 2003...so there's a chance they may be compatible...but I think that you'll have more luck with OS 9.

By the way...I just thought of something else. If you find that you're having trouble networking these two computers...it may be possible (a long shot)...that you might be able to find a "Nubus" USB expansion card on e-Bay (if you're lucky) for your 7100/80. This would allow you to use a USB flash drive to get the files off your 7100/80...and transfer them easily to your iMac.

Regarding the files running on your iMac. You haven't mentioned exactly what iMac you have (I'm assuming a G3 iMac)...but you can set up the iMac as a "dual-boot" computer. This means that you can boot your iMac in either Mac OS 9.0 (if you install it) or Mac OS 10.2. So any applications that currently run on your 7100/80 could be run on your iMac (but MUCH MUCH faster)...and thus all of your files would easily run on your iMac. This assumes that all the applications on your 7100/80 are compatible with OS 9.0.

HTH,

- Nick

Hey Nick, The IMAC, my gals is IMAC8,1. Running 10.5.8. CD Rom in the 7100 is dead. System profiler just shows the floppy. I could try to remove it and clean it not sure if its worth it. Could be the SCSI cable but everything else is working. Can get a used CD rom on ebay $22 plus $10 shipping.

The PRAM battery was from a place called Willy's Electronics National City, CA. My gal wanted me to get it going ASAP as her resume/statement of purpose for her Masters is on it, she needs to update it, right now. Radio Shack was online only, she just couldn't wait.

OS9 is free, right? Where should I download it from?

I'll try the ethernet cable first after I install OS9 on the 7100. But I'll have to hook it up to the internet as the CD rom is dead! Maybe I should get the used 300i 2x rom. I would really like to burn all the important files first before the upgrade or is that necessary?

If the ethernet cable doesn't work, then I'll try installing OS9 on the IMAC, then finally the USB expansion card.

The trick will be getting my father-in laws files converted over to use in his Win 7 laptop. I noticed file exchanger program in the 7100.

Thank for all the help, any other suggestions will be most appreciated. Greg

ghud said:

Hey Nick, The IMAC, my gals is IMAC8,1. Running 10.5.8.

Click to expand...

Hold on...hold on...hold on!!! An iMac 8,1 running OS 10.5.8???....at the beginning of this thread you said this iMac was running OS 10.2!!!! What's the deal here???

Most of what I've been saying was based on that fact!

ghud said:

CD Rom in the 7100 is dead. System profiler just shows the floppy. I could try to remove it and clean it not sure if its worth it. Could be the SCSI cable but everything else is working. Can get a used CD rom on ebay $22 plus $10 shipping.

Click to expand...

Well that's too bad...are you 100% sure it's dead? Yes you could get a new/used one on e-Bay...or try to find an external SCSI CD-Rom drive on e-Bay.

ghud said:

The PRAM battery was from a place called Willy's Electronics National City, CA. My gal wanted me to get it going ASAP as her resume/statement of purpose for her Masters is on it, she needs to update it, right now. Radio Shack was online only, she just couldn't wait.

Click to expand...

I see...speed was the #1 priority.

ghud said:

OS9 is free, right? Where should I download it from?

Click to expand...

Not as far as I know. Some updates to OS 9 may be free...but not OS 9.0 itself.

ghud said:

I'll try the ethernet cable first after I install OS9 on the 7100. But I'll have to hook it up to the internet as the CD rom is dead! Maybe I should get the used 300i 2x rom. I would really like to burn all the important files first before the upgrade or is that necessary?

Click to expand...

Now that you've said that you're working with an iMac 8,1...I seriously doubt you can network these two computers. Also be ware that many Cd-Rom drives that are compatible with a 7100/80 are just CD-Rom readers...they DO NOT burn CD's. Now maybe you can find a newer drive that might burn CD's...but stock CD-Rom drives for the 7100/80 just read CD's.

ghud said:

If the ethernet cable doesn't work, then I'll try installing OS9 on the IMAC, then finally the USB expansion card.

Click to expand...

These are two long-shots at this point.

- Nick

p.s. One additional suggestion...not that I know that you're working with an iMac 8,1. First you would need to install Mac OS 9.0 on the 7100. Find some sort of internet browser that's compatible with OS 9.0. Or even better...if you can find an internet browser that works with OS 8.5.1. Get on the internet...sign into an e-mail account...and upload your girlfriend's resume & Master's Thesis purpose. The access the same e-mail account from the iMac...and download the files.

The biggest problem with this is...the iMac is so much newer than I was lead to believe...that the files from the 7100 may be wayyyy too old for the Word processing application versions on this iMac to convert.

We're talking a Mac 7100/80 from 1995...and trying to open the files on a 2008/2009 iMac running OS 10.5.8 from 2008-present day.

Hey Nick, I'm so sorry that I mislead you, not on purpose just through ignorance, very sorry for that! I was raised on a PC and only recently have been working with the Imac 8,1:Blushing:

I will find a copy of OS9 and update the OS8.5.1. on the 7100 and try to email the files to my address. Then from there I can burn them onto a CD from the Imac 8,1. From there I can try to convert them and if things go wrong I'll have the files on CD, so I can try another option.

Again I'm extremely sorry, it seems to be a learning experience for me and hopefully not too much of irritation for you, I want you know that your help its deeply appreciated. Greg

ghud said:

Hey Nick, I'm so sorry that I mislead you, not on purpose just through ignorance, very sorry for that! I was raised on a PC and only recently have been working with the Imac 8,1:Blushing:

I will find a copy of OS9 and update the OS8.5.1. on the 7100 and try to email the files to my address. Then from there I can burn them onto a CD from the Imac 8,1. From there I can try to convert them and if things go wrong I'll have the files on CD, so I can try another option.

Again I'm extremely sorry, it seems to be a learning experience for me and hopefully not too much of irritation for you, I want you know that your help its deeply appreciated. Greg

Click to expand...

Yeah...if this iMac was running OS 10.2...then it would have been a much older iMac...and closer in age to the 7100/80 than an iMac 8,1 from 2008/2009. That's why the possibility of networking them (OS 8.5.1 or OS 9.0 to OS 10.2) was possibly more feasible.

The e-mailing idea is certainly the simplest approach for your girlfriends files (as long as you can find a browser that will work...a couple guys here on Mac-Forums still do it).

Now if you have a "ton" of other files to transfer...the e-mail idea may be more cumbersome. Also (like I mentioned)...if these files (your wife/girl friends or father-in-laws) are really really old...they may or may not be "convertible" into a newer version of some programs like a newer version of MS Word. There just may be too many versions in between from when the files were created (maybe 10 years ago or longer) and now.

Good luck,

- Nick

Cost wise finding a SCSI CD burner on eBay may the way to go. You should be able to network to a new Mac that still has Appletalk in the OS..You have to use a hub between the two.