Challenge! Feelin' Lucky, PUNK?

[nixgeek]

Originally Posted by longston

Second, I specifically checked to see what the maximum allowable drive was for that computer before I purchased the replacement so there would be no capacity issues. Even if there were, there's always partitioning to cover that.

Not necessarily so. If the controller can only address a certain maximum capacity, no amount of partitioning is going to allow you to retrieve the entire capacity of the hard drive.

For example, in some older Macs the integrated ATA controller can only address up to ~127 GB of maximum storage space. If you were to hook up a 250 GB drive on that old ATA controller, all the ATA controller could address is the 127 GB because of the limitation of the ATA spec that this controller can support. Even partitioning that drive would still only give you a total capacity of 127 GB to play around with. The only way around this limitation is to use a controller card in the PCI slot that will support larger capacity hard drives, thus allowing you to use the entire 250 GB on the example above.

The 127 GB limit is something that was inherent with the ATA-66 controller in some older Macs. This link has more about it:
http://www.lowendmac.com/macdan/05/1024.html

[sinclair_tm]

then you had the cable upsidedown. i know that some notebook cables are not keyed to prevent you from inserting the cable upsidedown.

[longston]

Originally Posted by nixgeek

Not necessarily so. If the controller can only address a certain maximum capacity, no amount of partitioning is going to allow you to retrieve the entire capacity of the hard drive.

For example, in some older Macs the integrated ATA controller can only address up to ~127 GB of maximum storage space. If you were to hook up a 250 GB drive on that old ATA controller, all the ATA controller could address is the 127 GB because of the limitation of the ATA spec that this controller can support. Even partitioning that drive would still only give you a total capacity of 127 GB to play around with. The only way around this limitation is to use a controller card in the PCI slot that will support larger capacity hard drives, thus allowing you to use the entire 250 GB on the example above.

The 127 GB limit is something that was inherent with the ATA-66 controller in some older Macs. This link has more about it:
http://www.lowendmac.com/macdan/05/1024.html

And we thank you, Mr. Science, but this is a 120Gb internal drive in an iBook G4 933Mhz machine, so it's all so irrelevant to the issue before the dais. Please to apply considerable brainiac power to actual problem.

Originally Posted by sinclair_tm

then you had the cable upsidedown. i know that some notebook cables are not keyed to prevent you from inserting the cable upsidedown.

Ooooohhhh, So Sorry, but that would be impossible to do, considering the configuration and routing of the drive vis-a-vis the cable and logic board connector. And remember,

Originally Posted by longston

...the pins on the drive that would select the jumper settings are connected within the connector that goes to the logic board.

Go to http://www.ifixit.com and select the 14" iBook G4 guide for detailed diagrams on what I'm telling you here. I doubt that even M.C. Escher could put it in upside down. But don't feel like the Long Ranger on this one. Your Tonto was a DW tech at Alsoft.

Sorry, you're all very , very cold, and way far off the final solution.

[DeltaMac]

Must have something to do with 'strange firmware installed on the hard drive from unknown sources' that some company tried to convince you was the fix.
I would be curious how a third-party firm somehow comes up with a factory-specific firmware to flash the drive. I suspect they just reseated your drive ribbon cable, and it started working, and they had to come up with a plausible explanation for the 'fix'. Sounds bogus to me! But, of course, you have the now-working hard drive to show. Seems a moot point now!

[Tefret]

well. Being a tech, first think I would try after doing what you did, would be remove the new equipment you just installed.. Like the ram and the new dvd... If that didn't make a difference, I'd check bios to make sure it shows up in there.. Depending on what it says, there is still a ton of things that could be tried.

[nixgeek]

Originally Posted by longston

And we thank you, Mr. Science, but this is a 120Gb internal drive in an iBook G4 933Mhz machine, so it's all so irrelevant to the issue before the dais. Please to apply considerable brainiac power to actual problem.

No need for curtness, either, Mr. StateTheObvious. I was speaking in general about what you stated, which was the following...

econd, I specifically checked to see what the maximum allowable drive was for that computer before I purchased the replacement so there would be no capacity issues. Even if there were, there's always partitioning to cover that.

I did check that your hard drive was a 120 GB from your original post so obviously yours was supported, plus your iBook uses the ATA-100 drive so you wouldn't have that limitation (you DID see that I mentioned ATA-66 having the problem of addressing over ~127 GB, didn't you Mr. OverlookTheFacts?).

My reply was in dispute of your claim that partitioning would overcome the limitation of addressing the entire capacity of the drive. You might want to try and apply at least some brain power to actually READING a post.

And it this is already a resolved issue, why are you wasting everyone's time trying to figure it out? Why not post how it was fixed in the HOW-TO/FAQs section and actually CONTRIBUTE to this community instead of wasting its time? Doesn't take a brainiac's amount of mental power to think of that.

Good day.

[Lt Major Burns]

you've got two drives that don't work. try another. if 3 drives don't work, it's the logic board.

[Qion]

Originally Posted by longston

And we thank you, Mr. Science, but this is a 120Gb internal drive in an iBook G4 933Mhz machine, so it's all so irrelevant to the issue before the dais. Please to apply considerable brainiac power to actual problem.

Longston, in defense of what I thought was a factual and engaging post, you have made yourself look like a prolix ass. I've decided to "have enough" of this; you are not contributing to our community. Let's have the answer. Hopefully, after this thread, you can help us mere mortals by use of your incredible Mac-related cunning.