Installing new hard drive (newbie)

T

t_habrock

Registered
Hello,

I am a computer savvy (WINDOWS/PC) person and I just added a Power Mac G4 1.25 Ghz DUAL PROCESSOR, 512 MB RAM, 120 GB HD with a dual boot system MAC OS 9 & MAC OSX to my network.

I intend to use it for video and audio editing, and want to install a second 120 GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard drive. I intend to set it up as a slave drive on the same IDE cable as the System drive, but my question is this.

Once I install the Hard Drive do I have to do anything to implement it, or is it automatically "there". Also, do I need to do anything special so that I can use it with both MAC OSX and MAC OS 9?

I can't find any information about this anywhere, so thanks for any help you can provide.

T
 
Hardware wise, you don't have to do anything other than plug it in. Software wise, it'll probably need to be formatted. You do this by running Disk Utility from the Utilities folder. Select the new hard drive in the left column. Choose the Erase tab in the right column and set Mac OS Extended as the format, check the box to install OS 9 drivers. Click the Erase button and you're done.

Chris
 
there are a few books you may want to get to help you through the 'newbie' stage.

Macs for Dummies - great explanations

Mac Os X - the Missing Manual - by David Pogue
 
Installing the drives are easy, getting over the fear that you are messing with things within a expensive computer is another. After i got up the nerve the first time, i was very surprised how easy it was. Just make sure you follow the procedure Apple outlines for precautions, like static, make sure it's not plugged in... the norm. Make sure those jumpers are right, you would hate to go back just because they're not set right.
 
That Apple article is a little out of date if you have an MDD model, as there's other options for IDE installs on those. Adding a 2nd vertical HD on the main IDE bus, adding 2 more HD on the unused 3rd IDE bus, and then adding another Removable storage, or another HD to the 2nd IDE bus. Any HD added should be formatted first, of course. You should not need to change any jumpers on the new HD, as cable select is implemented on the newer systems. Using the middle connection on the IDE cable automatically sets HD as slave.
 
I found cable select doesn't work EVERY time, so I had to go back and set my jumpers, Master and Slave. I had that problem when i added my third hard drive yesterday. Went to the WDC site, got the right jumper config, all running smooth with the old (once thought as trash) 10 gig drive that came with my G4.

Thats crazy, 10 gigs, I wonder what the storage will be like in another 3 years from now.
 
Originally posted by Urbansory
Thats crazy, 10 gigs, I wonder what the storage will be like in another 3 years from now.
Click to expand...

10 terra's :)

Can you give the url for the WDC site?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top