(Badly) Need help with mac iBook........

[smithmdan]

I'm trying to work on a Mac Clamshell iBook laptop.

Have taken it apart and reassembled to replace what I thought was a bad 2.5 gig hard drive.

Now have installed a 10gig hd. I initialized the hard drive and started to reinstall os 9 using the software install disk, but it froze up while updating the disk drivers.

On the second try I let it skip the updating.

While checking the hard drive it came up with an error message that said that the hard disk had disappeared!

Now when I try to initialize it, it can't find the hard drive.

Can only boot with Software install disk.

Help!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Yankee Rose]

Have you checked to make sure your HDD is secure? (Cable, etc.)

What made you think that the 2.5 gig drive was "bad"? Error messages?

Is this a G3, and how much RAM?

 

[smithmdan]

This is an iBook Clamshell.

I think it is a G3 300 with 64mb ram.

Open Firmware says: PowerBook2 , dated 2000.

I can not check for secure hard drive without disassembling. (1-2 hour job). But I'm fairly sure I got all connections tight.

It initailized to begin with and then disappeared.

The laptop was shipped via USPS to a friend who ask me to check it. When first booted up it booted to open firmware with this message:

Boot failure, disk not page aligned.

I finally got it to see the original hard drive but disk first aid found errors.

It would not reload OS or software.

Thanks.

 

[Yankee Rose]

smithmdan:

Are you certain it is a G3? Because if it is a G4, then the OS install CD may not install properly and that could be the culprit.

Did you partition after initializing?

What specific error message are you receiving that tells you it cannot find the drive?

Have a look at <a href="http://discusssearch.info.apple.com/WebX?13@214.bzW4awCXfBD.0@.3bbe3663/0">this</a> discussion from Apple's support site. Very similar problem to yours. (Read specifically the first reply.)

Let me know the specific error you received.

 

[smithmdan]

Jody,

Thanks for your help.

Answers to your questions:

I don't think it is new enough to be a G4. It only has a 300mghz(I think) processor. I'm not very good with Apples, and am finding out why not many people or shops work on them.
The only numbers I can find on the laptop are:
my family No. M2453

I have the owner's manual (copyright 2000) but it gives no model numbers.
I think it is about 2 years old.
I told you wrong; the original HD is a 6 gig.

I did not partition after initializing. Did not know I needed to.

I started to install OS after initializing but if froze up(during the driver update) and I had to reboot .

I got the error message during disk checking after skipping driver update.
The time remaining keep increasing and I finally got the error message. Do not remember exactly but it was like:
"Disk not found seems to have disappeared!" ( I do know for sure that it said disappeared.)

Have I got this thing really screwed up or what?
I am A+ certified, but not on Macs.
I did get though the complex job of disassembly and reassembly.
But, I'm no better off for all me work!

Remember that if did see second hard drive to start with.
I can also hear the HD spinning.

I read the discussion at Apple support sites. The answer fits about mechanical problem because drive setup does not see HD.

Should I take apart and start over?

Do I partition then update drivers?

I bought this Drive new on E-bay. Could it be not compatible with iBook? (Toshiba MK1016GAP)

Thanks.

 

[Yankee Rose]

Hi smithmdan:

I know what a pain it is upgrading notebooks. It is like putting an intricate puzzle together. I don't blame you for not wanting to take it apart again. For future reference for anyone reading, <a href="http://caslis.com/mac/ibook/ibdrive.html">here</a> is a link to specific directions to replacing an iBook hard drive.

I don't suspect that the Toshiba HDD is not compatible, but using Apple's Drive Setup may not be what you need to use to initialize it. Take a look at this from Apple's Knowledge Base article:

"To initialize a hard disk, cartridge, or optical disk, use Drive Setup (inside the Utilities folder on your hard disk).

Note: When you initialize a disk, the Format pop-up menu gives you choices that include Mac OS Standard (HFS) and Mac OS Extended (HFS Plus). Mac OS Standard format is compatible with all versions of the Mac OS; Mac OS Extended is compatible only with Mac OS 8.1 or later. If you format a hard disk with Mac OS Extended format, you can't use that disk with computers that use an earlier version of the Mac OS.

<b>If your hard disk is not an Apple hard disk:
Use the disk utility software provided by the disk's manufacturer instead of Drive Setup.</b>

If you want to initialize your startup disk:
Start up your computer from the system software CD. Open Drive Setup, select the startup disk, and click Initialize.

If initialization fails:
Open the Functions menu and choose Initialization Options. Click the "Low level format" and "Zero all data" checkboxes to select them. Then try initializing the disk again.

If initialization fails a second time:
Test your hard disk for physical damage."

I've searched through Apple's support site for any reference to the error message about the drive disappearing, but nada. If you see it again, jot it down word-for-word. In the meantime - I'll keep looking.

Here is a link to a forum site strictly for Macs. Maybe one of their gurus will have another idea on this problem:

http://www.macaddict.com/phpBB2/index.php

If I find anything else helpful, I'll report back. Sorry I couldn't help ya more at this point!

 

[smithmdan]

To conclude this tread, it ended up that the hard drive I bought on E-bay was bad. Only time I got burned on e-bay, but I guess once is one too many.

I had to send the ibook off to get it fixed. I didn't want to go thur the dissembly process again. Service charge was very cheap , considering. If any one wants to know who serviced it for me send a private message or e-mail.

Moral of the story;

1) If you work on ibooks, have a lot of patience.

2) Be careful on E-bay.

 

[Yankee Rose]

Thanks for reporting back - sorry to hear you got burned on eBay. It has happened to me and it is frustrating.

Glad your system is up and running again! Take care.

 

[fghgf]

i am barrowing a ibook (family # M2453) and it frooze i do not own it help mmmmmeeeeee!