68kMLA Classic Interface

This is a version of the 68kMLA forums for viewing on your favorite old mac. Visitors on modern platforms may prefer the main site.

Click here to select a new forum.
hard disk problems
Posted by: Macintoshguy1984 on 2017-01-06 15:05:13
I recently bought a hard drive off ebay with a macintosh plus and when ever I boot the macintosh, the screen stays black, but whenever I boot of floppy it works. The green drive light stays on too.

Posted by: blitter on 2017-01-06 16:24:50
SCSI voodoo. If I recall the Plus does not provide its own termination, so the chain needs to be terminated both at the end and at the SCSI port on the Plus itself.

My Asante EN/SC also has this problem, but I think this is as a result of overheating. If I unplug it and let the EN/SC cool down for a while, the Plus boots fine.

Posted by: Macintoshguy1984 on 2017-01-06 17:18:29
I tried a terminator, but that didn't work

Posted by: Scott Baret on 2017-01-06 19:25:16
A few random questions:

1. If you boot your Plus from a floppy and turn the hard drive on as it is booting up, does it mount in the Finder?

2. What is the serial number of your Plus? I recall some of the earlier models had some SCSI issues. (Your serial sticker is on the bottom of the machine).

Posted by: Macintoshguy1984 on 2017-01-07 05:20:56
1: No, it doesn't mount but ill try again

2: It is a Macintosh 128k front with a Macintosh plus motherboard and back.

It also has a bip switch on the back, it is set on 8, but i think its the identifer

Posted by: Macintoshguy1984 on 2017-01-07 22:31:00
Whenever I insert a floppy disk before boot, Shouldn't it boot off the floppy Instead of hard drive because it will still try to boot of hard drive.

Posted by: BadGoldEagle on 2017-01-08 07:12:59
Yes it should.

It also has a bip switch on the back, it is set on 8, but i think its the identifer
I think this is why it won't work. I've never seen ID8 on Mac SCSI devices. You can't set the switch to 8 on any of my Apple SCSI peripherals (Hard Disk 40SC, Tape Backup 40SC, CD300 and the CD SC).  It only goes from 0 to 7.

Try setting the SCSI ID selector to something like 3 or 4 and then power it up with NO other SCSI devices connected (if you have any). 

Remember to terminate the SCSI chain. 

If it still doesn't work, try ID 0 (if applicable). ID 7 is used by the system itself and should not be used.

Posted by: Macintoshguy1984 on 2017-01-08 14:02:06
Ok, I just tried all that and it will still not work. Does it have anything to do with the green drive light staying on. I also hear it doing something when i turn it on, like it reading it, when the macintosh is off though

Posted by: Macintoshguy1984 on 2017-01-08 14:24:29
I have confirmed that the hard drive is dead. I tried it in another external drive and it still wouldn't detect it, But it did boot to question mark.

Posted by: bibilit on 2017-01-11 09:20:23
If the disk is not detected, you can have a try an remove the lid, then try to move the heads manually (don't touch the platter) you have nothing to lose.

Posted by: Carboy7 on 2017-01-11 11:25:33
If the disk is not detected, you can have a try an remove the lid, then try to move the heads manually (don't touch the platter) you have nothing to lose.
Echoing this. Maybe the head got stuck by gunk, and you can unstick it by doing what Bibilit said. And because the HDD won't work anyway, you can do it without being paranoid of breaking it.

Posted by: Macintoshguy1984 on 2017-01-11 18:06:22
ok ill try it this week end.

Posted by: Macintoshguy1984 on 2017-01-13 19:07:04
Ok so i opened it and the head wasn't stuck. But i did take a video of it running (Without mac hooked in)

IMG_0868.MOV copy.mov

Posted by: techknight on 2017-01-13 19:57:38
it passed the POST. maybe lido with LLF will get it. 

Posted by: Macintoshguy1984 on 2017-01-15 09:20:53
Does anyone know what the problem is? Could it be the scsi board?

Posted by: techknight on 2017-01-15 13:53:46
Not without troubleshooting. Sure I could look into my crystal ball but its broken. 

Posted by: Johnnya101 on 2017-01-15 15:59:40
Just get an scsi2sd!!

I've heard it's worth it!

1