Mac-Compatible Hard and CD-ROM Drives, Cases - tech info
Directions
Backup your Mac with a portable or desktop hard drive. Safekeep all of your music, photographs, movies and more. Buy online with fast, free shipping. Top comment 'Easy plug and go.Easy to work with. Easy to format for PC or Mac.When my computer hard drive recently crashed and the data could not be restored, I purchased a Western Digital Mainstream 2TB Internal Serial ATA Hard Drive for replacement, This hard drive.
This page last updated April 30 2020 but has not had major editing since 2010. This Web page provides a lot more detail about SCSI versus IDE, descriptions of hard drivesand CD-ROM features. If you just want drives to buy and prices, go to this page. Sorry if you have to jump around between pages.
When ordering, please follow this link forordering information, terms and conditions, and info aboutorders outside the USA. We will also provide brief instructions when you order.
Introduction
We sell several kinds of hard drives and CD-ROM drives for your Mac. Our drive salespage is at this link. On this page, we provide sometechnical descriptions and discussions. Go to our sales page see our inventory and to get prices for specific items. (We also have a few customers with oldermusic synthesizers or samplers: check this section for details.
Even though Mac computers are capable of reading hard drives that are formatted for Windows, if you intend on using your external HDD as a bootable disk or want to use it to backup files with your Mac's Time Machine, you must format it to be entirely Mac. Mac hard drives are available in three primary forms: solid-state drives (SSDs), flash memory and traditional hard disks. SSDs are high-speed, and that makes them the go-to memory option for ardent gamers, graphic designers, and other professionals who value speed over all else.
We sell drives, but we don't offer 'how to install' instructionsor technical assistance beyond the notes on our Web site. You can check our brief tech notes if you need a bit of technicalexplanation. But we also suggest you check the Web: the major drivemanufacturers have Web sites with a LOT of info, including some 'how to'information. A Web search for 'SCSI drive install how to' willbe informative. Also a Web search on the drive by manufacturer andmodel name and number will likely find all the tech info on that drive.
If all these selections, terms and features are confusing to you, just explain to me via emailand please tell me what drives you are using orplan to connect to your Mac, and what model Mac you have, and what operatingsystem version. I can describewhat I have. Please note: all offers are subject to availability; askwhat we have in stock but it helps if you can specify your drive needsby price, capacity and/or type of drive.
When ordering, please follow this link forordering information, terms and conditions, and info aboutorders outside the USA. We will also provide brief instructions when you order.
- Internal hard drives
- CD-ROM drives and comments
Drive Technical details
Brief Tech Summary
Most older Macs used SCSI hard drives until the G3 and later Macswich used IDE or ATA hard drives. Apple alsoused IDE internal hard drives in some Quadras and Performas. External hard drives are almost all SCSI, not IDE (until the much later FireWire or USB external drives.)A simple way to determine ifa drive is SCSI or IDE is to count the pins on the connector to the large flatcable; SCSI drives have 50 pins, two rows of 25, IDE drives have 40 pins,two rows of 20. Here's a picture of a SCSI hard driveand its connector. Note that all older Macs with CD-ROMS used SCSI CD-ROM drives,even the Macs which also use IDE hard drives.
Most older Macs use a DB-25 connector to external SCSI devices (primarilyhard drives): it is on the back of the computer. Many older externalSCSI devices use aSCSI-1 connector, also called a Centronic 50-pin connector.Here is a typical cable used to connect the two.
Our internal SCSI drives are compatible with most older Macs, and tested forproper startup, good operation on a Mac, and are Mac initialized (formatted).Most of our external SCSI cabinets are generally low, flat cabinets aboutten inches by ten inches and a few inches tall. Larger cabinets are available.Most of our external drive cabinets have extra AC outlets, so the externaldrive's AC power switch can also switch other AC devices.
Please note: the cabinet is just a box for the drive or CD-ROM;Many of our external SCSI cabinets are not made by Apple but it is the SCSIdrive inside which must be compatible with your Mac.
See the notes below for more discussion of SCSIand IDE drives, termination, the HD 20 series, and other features. Also, most of the images onthis page are linked to larger images, click on them to see more details. If these selections and features areconfusing to you, just explain to me via email what drives you are using or planning toconnect to your Mac, what model Mac you have, and I can describe what I have. Mac lipstick freckletone swatch. Please check our terms and conditions section for our terms of sale.
SCSI drives
A SCSI hard drive is simply a hard drive, with a SCSI interface. That interfacehas a 50-pin flat cable connector on the back of the drive. These drivesare either internal to the Mac, or they are external whichmeans the same drive is put in a case with its own power supply and then thedrive is cabled to the Mac. There is NO DIFFERENCE between the SCSI drives used externallyin an external cabinet, and SCSI drives used internally in your Mac. This is why we offerSCSI hard drives and cases together or seperately, to suit your needs for replacementor upgrade.External SCSI drives require aSCSI cable to connect to the Mac 25-pin SCSI connector: the drive case haseither a 50-pin SCSI connector, or a 25-pin connector like the driveconnector on most Macs. Cables are available seperately. Also, many externaldrives have a SCSI ID switch to select the SCSI number of the drive withoutopening the case. Otherwise, you need to open the case and change jumperson the drive. But if you only have one SCSI device you will never need tochange its address. Some of these external drives have a fan that can also coola compact Mac when that Mac sits on it: the Mac Bottom is a good example.
A number of manufacturers made external SCSI drives for the Mac. They actuallymade the cabinets and power supplies; the hard drives themselves weremade by Segate, Quantum, Rodime, and many others. We also sell these drivesseperately: see our internal drive section. Some ofthese cabinets use the same 25-pin connector as the Mac SCSI connector;some use a 50-pin 'Centronics' like connector common to other SCSI systemsand devices. Also, some cabinetshave additional AC outlets that are switched by the drive's AC switch, so youcan turn off additional devices like a printer.
Keep this in mind: almost all external SCSI drives are simply a SCSI drivein a box with power supply. ALL the electronics are in the drive, exceptwhat is needed to convert AC power to the DC power needed for the drive.Since the drive has allthe 'smarts', I can sell a case without a drive if you have an extra drive,ask for details.
IDE drives
An IDE hard drive is simply a hard drive, with an IDE interface. That interfacehas a 40-pin flat cable connector on the back of the drive. These driveswere used for internal drives by Apple on some models of Performa, Quadra, and PowerMac.They were never used in external hard drives, external drives are allSCSI based. Even the Mac models which use IDE internal IDE hard driveswill use SCSI external hard drives. IDE hard drives cannot be'converted' to SCSI drives. Check withyour system docs, Apple's Web site for your Mac model, other on-linereferences, or books to determine what is suited for your model of Mac.CD-ROM SCSI drives
These CD-ROM drives are tested with Macs, and we include System Extensions on disketteas necessary for drives not of Apple manufacture. System 7 will include CD-ROM extentions for Apple drives; System 7.0 and 7.5.3 are available for download from Apple's Web site, check my Web pointers pagefor references. 'Internal' drives arefor those Macs which have bays for extra drives; you will need cables andpossibly some mechanical parts unless you are replacing a previously-removeddrive and those parts are still intact. 'External'drives are internal drives in cabinets with power supplies, that can be cabledto the external SCSI connector on your Mac.Some of these drives require a caddy, which is a plastic box that youinsert the CD-ROM disk into, then the caddy goes into the drive. 'Caddyless'drives have a tray that pops out of the drive, you lay the CD disk ontothe tray and press a button to retract the tray into the drive.
SCSI Termination
A SCSI terminator may be used on external drives to reduce noise on the SCSI cable bus. You can get these as a small external device that connects to the 50-pin SCSI connector on an external drive.
Older hard drives can otherwise have optional terminatingresistors on them, which can be removed if more drives are added to a SCSIsystem. These terminating resistors are two or three little resistor packs withseveral (8 to 11) 'legs', located near the SCSI connector on the circuit boardof the hard drive. These are called 'SIP resistor packs', and are of a specific resistance value. If they are not there, you may have a row of little socket pins.
Newer hard drives have what is called 'active termination'. The terminationis NOT a set of resistors, it is circuitry on the drive which must be'disabled' or 'enabled' via a jumper block. There is typically a jumper positionon the drive labled 'term enable': leave the jumper ON to enable termination,OFF to disable it.
If you use the drive as the ONLY driveon a SCSI cable (internal or external), or at the END of that cable,then the terminator on the drive must be enabled or installed. If you use thisdrive with other drives on a cable and it is NOT at the end of the cable,the terminator must be disabled or removed.
More info about drive jumpers can generally be found by a Web search forthat brand and model drive: most manufacturers provide data sheets online. Also see my 'drives' sales page about 'jumpers'.
Note on Mac Plus and SCSI: Mac Plus drives must use 'passive termination'on SCSI drives. The Plus has no internal hard drive, but has a SCSI controllerand the Apple DB-25 SCSI external connector. The last device on the 'chain' of SCSI devices must have a passive or resistive termination. As noted above, these are often SIP resistor packs, which can be added or removed. The reported issues about this, range from intermittant problems to physical damage from DC power (for the active terminator).
SCSI connectors
Hard drive SCSI addressing
The SCSI address of the drive is set by three jumpers locations. A jumperis a pair of pins on which a little device is placed, typically a very smallblack cube, which shorts the two pins together. SCSI drives inside the Macare typically set at address zero, which is no jumpers. External drivesare usually at address 2 or 3 or 4. A jumper placed in the center of thethree jumpers will set the address to 2.
Many external SCSI drives have a SCSI address switch. This is usually adevice with numbers that change when you press a button. These numbers,0 through 7, are SCSI addresses. This switch must be connected to the SCSIdrive via a cable to a connector. There is no standard for this connector,different models of SCSI drives have different ways to make this connection. It may be easier to use jumpers to set the SCSI drive to one address, than toaccomodate the SCSI selector switch. For many users, they set the SCSI addressonce and forget about it, usually to address 1, 2, 3 for external drives.(Internal SCSI drives are always set to address 0.)
Do you have a SCSI accessory that tells you what devices areat what SCSI address, and does it see the drive? System 6 had a simpleone that showed a table of all SCSI devices and the CPU at address 7.Make sure of course the drive is not set to SCSI address 7! Mac fingerprint reader.
jumpers for SCSI addressing, other feature selections
See my 'drives' sales page about 'jumpers'. There's specific information and photos about the 'jumpers' used on SCSI drives for SCSI addressing or other selection of features.
Hard drive sounds
When you start up the hard drive, you should hear it 'spin up' and comeup to speed. After starting up, you can hear the drive 'seeking' whenit moves the drive heads back and forth. These actions occur even if the drive ispowered up without a computer connected to it. But the drive will not do further 'seeking' after powering up without a computer running it.
It may be hard to hear the drive overthe fan inside the computer. If your drive is not working, you may be able todetermine it is the problem if you don't hear the drive spin up.
Buying hard drives, other drives
Mac HARD DRIVES, CD-ROM drives and other drives are sold on this linked Web page.
This page has terms and conditions for ordering, payment, etc.
..and back to the Mac stuff Home page.
I have internal hard drives available for the Mac, from 80Mb to a few Gigabytes. They fit inside your Mac and hold files and folders and programs; don't confusehard drives with memory. The older Macs use SCSI internal hard drives,the more recent Macs use IDE or EIDE hard drives: knowwhat YOUR Mac uses before you order. If you need some explanation about 'SCSI'or 'IDE', please check my brief Tech notes.All SCSI drives have a 50-pin flat cable connectorl the IDE drives use 40 pins.)These hard drives measure 4 inches wide, about 6inches long, and about an inch tall (unless noted) and are generally called'3.5 inch drives'. Laptops use smaller '2.5 inch' drives, checkmy Mac laptop section for stocks of those.
Internal Mac-formatted SCSI hard drives
I have internal SCSI hard drives available for the Mac, from 80Mb to a few Gigabytes. They fit inside your Mac or in an external SCSI drive cabinet. (If you need some explanation about 'SCSI', please check my brief Tech notes.All SCSI drives have a 50-pin flat cable connector.)Mac Hard Drive Cleaner
Shipping weight 2 lbs for one drive, add one pound peradditional drive. '1.5 inch tall' drives are a little taller physically;some Macs don't have the extra space needed but most do. We pricethem a little lower but they can perform well. All drives are tested andformatted on Mac equipment, we may be able to test them on YOUR model if you inform us.Some older Macs may not work with more recent SCSI drives above about 500MB,because newer drives use 'SCSI active termination'; ask for details.All drives subject to availability but we have good stocks of drives below1GB.
Some Macs require a sled or bracket to attach the hard driveto the Mac cabinet. Specify your Mac model and we can generally identifywhat you may need to attach and connect the drive. Check my sled and caddy section for prices and descriptions.But if you are replacing an internal drive, you can reuse thathardware and cabling.
Prices and sizes of SCSI internal drivesare on another page.
Internal Mac-formatted IDE drives
I have internal IDE or EIDE hard drives available for the Mac. (If you need someexplanation about 'IDE', please check my brief Tech notes.All IDE drives have a 40-pin flat cable connector.) These drives fit inside your Mac.Shipping weight 2 lbs for one drive,add one pound per additional drive. All drives are tested andformatted on Mac equipment, we may be able to test them on YOUR model if you inform us.Some Macs require a sled or bracket to attach the hard driveto the Mac cabinet. Specify your Mac model and we can generally identifywhat you may need to attach and connect the drive. Check my sled and caddy section for prices and descriptions. But if you are replacingan internal drive, you can reuse that hardware and cabling and sled. If youwant a specific brand and model number of drive, we charge an additional$5, of course assuming we have that particular drive in stock.
Prices and sizes of IDE internal drivesare on another page.
Sleds, rails, brackets for internal drives
Prices and types of sleds, rails, etc.are on another page. Check there and specify your Mac model when you order.Check the info below if you are not sure what these are.
PLEASE SPECIFY a Mac computer model when ordering these, not an Apple part number.
When ordering, please follow this link forordering information, terms and conditions, and info aboutorders outside the USA.
SCSI connectors
CD-ROM drives information
The CD-ROM drives I sell are used, tested, and pulled from other Macs. The internaldrives are intended to be replacement drives and do not include cables,mechanical parts, and additional OS system CD-ROM extensions - I sell someof those seperately. ExternalCD-ROM drives will need a SCSI cable and generally a SCSI terminator,which we can provide at additional cost. Prices for CD-ROM drives, caddy or caddies,and trays to hold the drives are listed on my drives Web page.
Some of the older CD-ROM drives require a caddy, which is a plastic box that youinsert the CD-ROM disk into, then the caddy goes into the drive. Here's one ofthose caddy-supporting CD-ROM drives. 'Caddyless'drives have a tray that pops out of the drive, you lay the CD disk ontothe tray and it retracts into the drive.
CD-ROM caddies are priced on another page. You do not need caddies with tray-type CD-ROM drives.
Because some early Macs used CD-ROM drives with either caddies or trays, some Macs have differentcase panels or bezels, with slots of different sizes to accomodate either a caddy-drive or a tray-drive. Here's a photo of two PowerMac 7100 bezels, one for each type of CD-ROM drive.The wider-slot is for the tray; the narrow slot is for a caddy.
The speed of a CD-ROM drive is described as a multiple of the speed ofan audio CD: '2x' means twice as fast, '8X' eight times as fast, etc.For many older Macs, an older or slower CD-ROM drive is adequate; many of these Macsdo not have the performance or features to take advantage of faster CD-ROM drives. Note:the Apple CD150 external drives (1X speed) may not provide audio via the SCSI connector to your Mac;these drives are probably best used with Compact Macs and other older Macs without extensiveaudio capabilities.
Apple used the following SCSI external CD-ROM models, with CD-ROM drives inside them.
Don't be confused. The drive case has a model name; the CD-ROM drive inside has a brand and model too.
for the CDSC: Sony CDU-8001 caddy-based CD-ROM drives
for the CD SC+: Sony CDU-8002 caddy-based CD-ROM drives
for the CD150 (1x): Sony CDU-8002, Sony CDU-541-25 caddy-based CD-ROM drives
For the CD300 or 300i (2X): Matshita CR-8004; Sony CR-503C, Sony CR-503K;
- also Sony CDU-561-25 AKA CDU-8003 caddy-based CD-ROM drives.
for the CD600 or 600i (4X): Sony CDU-75S with an internal tray.
for the CD300e: ?
for the CD600e: ?
for the CD300 plus: ?
for the CD600 plus: ?
I have not identified every internal drive for each Apple external CD-ROM model. Sorry.
If you are upgrading a Mac with a faster CD-ROM drive, please note that System 7 onlyrecognizes a limited number of Apple drive models. CD-ROM drives such as the 8X or 12X drives were sold AFTER System 7, and so these drives may not be recognized as 'Apple' drives by System7. There are some 'aftermarket' or 'third party' software programs which allow Macs to use non-Apple drives,including packages which were sold with drives by other companies. Those software packages MAY, orMAY NOT, recognize the later Apple drives. There was an article about Apple's CD-ROM supportin 'C't Magazine' years ago; as of Sept 2005 a copy of that article is on this Web site. The article isby Andreas Beier, 'The MacOS & third-party CD- and DVD-ROM drives'.
Prices and sizes of internal CD-ROM drivesare on another page.
Prices and sizes of external CD-ROM drivesare on another page.
CD-ROM caddies are priced on another page. You do not need these with tray-type CD-ROM drives.
Here's an older Apple product: AppleCD SC model M2850 is apparently anearly Apple external CD drive. It uses the Sony CDU-8001 or 8002 drive. It requires a caddy but is older and larger than the CD150 above. I have a few of these: check ourMac collectables section for details.
Access Hard Drive On Mac
Follow this link for SCSI cables.
IOMEGA ZIP drives
Iomega ZIP drives are on another Web page. We have external and internal ZIP drives of many kinds.
The last several years (2014) have been the last use of ZIP drives. I've been asked about ZIPdrives versus CD-writing drives so much, I wrote something up.Here's some 'advice' about ZIP and CD-ROM drives.
When ordering, please follow this link forordering information, terms and conditions, and info aboutorders outside the USA.
Apple brand external hard drives
Apple brand HD20 and HD20 SC drives are described on this Web page. Prices and conditions for the HD20 and HD20 SC are alllisted in my collectables section.External SCSI-1 hard drives: non-Apple brands
We have a variety of non-Apple brand external SCSI hard drives; we have some stocks of a fewmodels, and some are one-of-a kind. All are Mac compatible. TheMac drives page lists a few we keep in stock by brand, model, capacityand prices.External SCSI-1 hard drive cases
I have a number of various small and large external SCSI drive cabinets,These have some of the features of our complet external SCSI drives but theyare one-of-a-kind, sold with tested and working power supplies, and in acceptable or bettercosmetic condition. Some have open fronts for CD-ROM drives, some are closedand for holding 'internal' SCSI drives of the common '5.25' inch size.
When ordering, please follow this link forordering information, terms and conditions, and info aboutorders outside the USA.
External SCSI drive, 25-pin connector, no AC outlets
Check my drives sales page to see if I have any external SCSI drives with a DB-25 connector on them. Some of the oldest external SCSI drivesused that connector. Otherwise obtain an external drive with SCSI-1 connector and use a SCSI-1 to DB-25 cable to your Mac.SCSI-2 cabinets, drives
note: my SCSI-2 cabinet list has been moved tomy SGI/Sun/DEC Web page.
Music samplers, synthesizers
We discuss Roland sampler use of Apple SCSI drives on another Web page. Some of thosesamplers also use Apple CD-ROM SCSI drives. I can't test drives on a sampler but I test drives on Mac computers.
Apple HD 20 (floppy connected) hard drive
Apple brand HD20 and HD20 SC drives are described on this Web page. Prices and conditions for the HD20 and HD20 SC are alllisted in my collectables section.
Iomega ZIP drives are on another Web page. We have external and internal ZIP drives of many kinds.
The last several years (2014) have been the last use of ZIP drives. I've been asked about ZIPdrives versus CD-writing drives so much, I wrote something up.Here's some 'advice' about ZIP and CD-ROM drives.
When ordering, please follow this link forordering information, terms and conditions, and info aboutorders outside the USA.
Apple brand external hard drives
Apple brand HD20 and HD20 SC drives are described on this Web page. Prices and conditions for the HD20 and HD20 SC are alllisted in my collectables section.External SCSI-1 hard drives: non-Apple brands
We have a variety of non-Apple brand external SCSI hard drives; we have some stocks of a fewmodels, and some are one-of-a kind. All are Mac compatible. TheMac drives page lists a few we keep in stock by brand, model, capacityand prices.External SCSI-1 hard drive cases
I have a number of various small and large external SCSI drive cabinets,These have some of the features of our complet external SCSI drives but theyare one-of-a-kind, sold with tested and working power supplies, and in acceptable or bettercosmetic condition. Some have open fronts for CD-ROM drives, some are closedand for holding 'internal' SCSI drives of the common '5.25' inch size.
When ordering, please follow this link forordering information, terms and conditions, and info aboutorders outside the USA.
External SCSI drive, 25-pin connector, no AC outlets
Check my drives sales page to see if I have any external SCSI drives with a DB-25 connector on them. Some of the oldest external SCSI drivesused that connector. Otherwise obtain an external drive with SCSI-1 connector and use a SCSI-1 to DB-25 cable to your Mac.SCSI-2 cabinets, drives
note: my SCSI-2 cabinet list has been moved tomy SGI/Sun/DEC Web page.
Music samplers, synthesizers
We discuss Roland sampler use of Apple SCSI drives on another Web page. Some of thosesamplers also use Apple CD-ROM SCSI drives. I can't test drives on a sampler but I test drives on Mac computers.
Apple HD 20 (floppy connected) hard drive
Apple brand HD20 and HD20 SC drives are described on this Web page. Prices and conditions for the HD20 and HD20 SC are alllisted in my collectables section.Copyright © 2020 Herb Johnson
Mac derriere lipstick on dark skin. From another source:
I would highly recommend that you perform a total system backup using Carbon Copy Cloner.
Carbon Copy Cloner does support restoring to a case-insensitive system from a case-sensitive one - see this.
In fact, I would recommend CCC over TM, but you should use what you feel comfortable with. I would also boot the CCC image and make sure all my stuff was there before I wiped my internal drive and did the restore. CCC makes a bootable back up (which is another reason it's awesome).
External Hard Drive For Mac
Nov 9, 2017 2:59 PM
