Powerbook CD-ROM Problem

Hey guys, just joined! This isn't the usual post =p

I got a PowerBook 1400cs/133 (PowerBook 1400)

It's basically in perfect condition, not even a particle under the keyboard buttons! So I'm not going to get rid of it, instead I wanted to fix it up. It's running something like 7.x.x and I wanted to put OS 9.1 on it. But, even though everything looks immaculate, any disc I put in it simply wont spin. The laser assembly is fine and moves, it locks and ejects fine, but the drive motor wont move at all. I'm curious if it's something I'm not aware of (Never had a mac before) and maybe if it's even a common occurrence with this model.

I've heard about zapping some ram thing, and other settings but I have no idea what to do.
What would you guys do?

Thanks

Did you get a SCSI cable with that Powerbook

Like this

Hmm no, have the port of course... I guess I could easily pick one up on eBay though. What for? =p
I'm trying to find a Teak CD-211e to replace the drive as well...

Forget the cable, this looks like the ones that went into the 1400

Macintosh PowerBook 8x CD ROM Module M3628 | eBay

Thanks, Looks like I'll buy another one. Although, I'm wondering if any slim atapi drive would work, all I have to do is put it into the PowerBook drive container, it's the same port. Or unlike plug and play devices today, do you think there would be driver issues?

I'm kinda wondering if it could be a power supply issue from the PowerBook itself as well. Have to look into that one

Knowing Apple in the 90s its some sort of custom Apple only connector, but you'll have to investigate that yourself

louishen said:

Did you get a SCSI cable with that Powerbook

Like this

Click to expand...

Louishen,

You were correct...that is the SCSI cable needed for Powerbook 1400 if someone wanted/needed to use an external SCSI optical drive.

I have both a Powerbook 1400 & that cable.

- Nick

xaaronx said:

...do you think there would be driver issues?

Click to expand...

Unless a fresh install of the OS was done recently...you never know if some parts of the OS were lost/accidentaly deleted by the previous owner...so something could be missing.

Go into the "System Folder"...then into the "Extensions Folder"...and see if there's an extension file called "CD-ROM" (or something like that). There may even be a couple CD-ROM extensions in there. If this or these are missing...then that could be the issue.

Also remember...this laptop is from around 1996 (17 years old)...so age/wear & tear could also be a factor.

xaaronx said:

I'm kinda wondering if it could be a power supply issue from the PowerBook itself as well. Have to look into that one

Click to expand...

If the Powerbook 1400 powers up fine...and only the CD-ROM drive is not working...then it's definitely not the power supply (the external "brick" thing).

- Nick

Thanks I'll check the Extension folder tomorrow and get back to you =P

As for the port, it's a standard slim atapi connector with an apple converting board thing which is then all encased in the PowerBook CD-ROM casing. So it's possibly even that, that could be faulty! =P

And the power supply issue, I meant maybe the mac isn't supplying current to one of the pins? Not sure though, don't think I could be bothered to test this! I'd need a pinout to, I'll just assume it's fine

xaaronx said:

...I meant maybe the mac isn't supplying current to one of the pins? Not sure though, don't think I could be bothered to test this! I'd need a pinout to, I'll just assume it's fine

Click to expand...

Always possible. Since the Powerbook 1400's optical drive is the "swappable"/removable sort...it would/could certainly be more succesptable to accidents or abuse (drops, liquids, throwing it, piling stuff on top of it, bent pins, etc.).

Check the insides real well for dirt or fuzz...and maybe blow it out with some "canned-air".

- Nick

Will do. All the pins look fine visually though

But as I said (I think ) the thing it really, really clean with no scratches or dents, it doesn't look like it has ever had any abuse at all, which is good

I Kinda wondered at one point if it's possible the magnet in the spindle lost it's magnetism since I don't feel any sort of resistance as I turn it by hand. Dunno..

xaaronx said:

Will do. All the pins look fine visually though

But as I said (I think ) the thing it really, really clean with no scratches or dents, it doesn't look like it has ever had any abuse at all, which is good

Click to expand...

As I'm sure you know...electronic items can be very delicate. I bet I can drop a lot of electronic items causing internal damage...yet have no external signs of abuse.

Also don't forget that this Powerbook 1400 optical drive is something like 17 years old...it could simply be worn out.

Before we do any further speculating...check the 'Extensions" folder as I mentioned above. It is possible that some software (drivers) are missing. Although I'm thinking that even without the correct drivers...the CD-ROM drive would spin up...it simply wouldn't mount the disk.

I'm betting that either:

- pins are bent or damaged (long shot)
- the computer or the removed drive was dropped causing damage to the drive
- the drive is dead

A lot can happen in 17 years to a laptop computer!

- Nick

The apple CD-ROM Extension is there

And using the torch, all the pins are fine. Although they aren't really pins, it's more like a chunky 30 pin cable connector

Hmm

xaaronx said:

Hmm

Click to expand...

The obvious and most likely answer is (from afar) after all that has been done...that after 17 years...the drive could be dead or damaged...and no amount of troubleshooting, speculating, or theorizing will change that ("broke is broke" and "dead is dead")!

So repair, replacement, or moving onto something more interesting is probably the next step!

- Nick

I guess time to find a replacement drive.

Would it be odd that the Apple Audio CD player won't eject the disc when I click the on-screen eject button (To the right of the Play button)? Just wondering if it's failing to communicate, allthough if I remove the drive a message box comes up stating the drive won't respond.

xaaronx said:

Would it be odd that the Apple Audio CD player won't eject the disc when I click the on-screen eject button (To the right of the Play button)? Just wondering if it's failing to communicate, allthough if I remove the drive a message box comes up stating the drive won't respond.

Click to expand...

If the drive isn't dead (but very likely the issue)....two things could be possible:

1. There is some sort of an electrical issue:

- pins bent
- pins broken
- pins dirty
- pins not making contact
- loose logic board to drive cable/port (if there is one)
- faulty drive cable (if there is one)
- etc. etc.

2. There is an OS problem. Thus a fresh install of the latest OS version the Powerbook 1400 can run (OS 9.1...maybe 9.2.2) would be a great idea!

- Nick

Hmm ok cool. How could I install it? I downloaded 9.1 and burned it to disc, but ofcourse no drive
All I have is a removable floppy drive.

xaaronx said:

Hmm ok cool. How could I install it? I downloaded 9.1 and burned it to disc, but ofcourse no drive
All I have is a removable floppy drive.

Click to expand...

Yes this is a BIG problem on such an old Apple laptop. Four ideas:

1. Go the external CD-ROM route as "louishen" was suggesting/alluding to earlier with the photo of the external SCSI drive cable.
2. Remove the SCSI hard drive from the Powerbook 1400...and either:

- install it into another computer with a working CD-ROM drive to do the OS install (this computer would have to be about as old as the 1400 to work)
- install the Powerbook 1400's hard drive into an external hard drive enclosure...and plug it into another computer externally to do the OS install (again this 2nd computer would have to be pretty old to work).

3. Send the hard drive to me...and I'll install the OS (9.1) for you.
4. Install the original OS (7.5.3) via floppy disks (I think that they were still on floppies)...even OS 8.0 was on CD-ROM.

- Idea #1 is going to require that you purchase the cable & an external CD-ROM drive compatible with a 1996 Apple laptop computer.
- Idea #2 is going to be VERY complicated & difficult...since there are probably not may folks that could even do this due to not having access to the 17 year-old hardware to do it.
- Idea #3 would involve shipping the computer both ways...costing some $$$.
- Idea #4...very hard to find those floppies...could be expensive...and due to the "volatility"/degradation of magnetic floppy disks...they might not even work.

* Nick

p.s. Also remember that any one of these idea simply may be futile...since the CD-ROM drive may be dead.

Long story short...you may still need to source a replacement Powerbook 1400 CD-ROM drive via e-Bay.

Hmm, well, I think I'll just try and obtain a replacement CD-ROM.

I could possibly send it to you, though. Could I ask what country you're in? (Or PM me)

Thanks for the help! I'll let you know how it turns out, either way.