First thing I would like to know is what revision your G3/ Beige is.....
So do I. How does one figure that out?
Launch Apple System Profiler and scroll down to "Production information".
If "ROM revision" shows $77D.40F2, then it's a Rev. A ROM, irrespective of the mobo revision (I know ... I'm presently using a Rev. A ROM in a Rev. C mobo).
If "ROM revision" shows $77D.45F1, then it's a Rev. B ROM.
If "ROM revision" shows $77D.45F2, then it's a Rev. C ROM.
Thanks. I'm on a "c." Should I cellebrate? ;-)
Seriously, where does this lead me?
In good shape.
That means you'll have no problems with adding more drives to your mac.
drives are pretty much standardized now, as for mounting holes, although they do use a couple varieties of thread sizing; if you get a new drive, that isn't a problem since a packet of screws should come with it.
If you're replacing an existing drive, this is the simplest.
Unplug the wide gray cable from the back of the existing drive (be careful if it's in tightly you can pull the cable out, leaving the connector behind) and the power cable (again, carefully, they're *always* tight, and I've left more dna in computers in the form of knuckle scrapings than I can count).
The next step depends on which model you have, desktop or mintower, but this manual for the desktop <http://manuals.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Manuals/desktops/0340221APMG3DTSETUP.PDF>
has a good picture on page 40 showing the placement of the original drive, down in the bottom of the case.
Once the cables are removed, the small tab under the other end (left hand side as you're looking toward the computer) of the drive can be lifted slightly, allowing the drive to slid to the left a bit. The whole drive can then be lifted out.
The drive needs to be removed from the plastic mount it's on (pay attention to the orientation!), and the new drive attached.
On the back of the drive will be a set of pins, with a small rectangular jumper. It will likely be set for either' master' or nothing at all (set horizontally in the pins. There will be a label on the drive somewhere detailing this.
Set the jumper on the new drive the same way. (The manual that comes with it will give the details)
Re-installing is largely a reverse of the removal process: attach the drive mount to the new drive (making sure it's in the same orientation), sliding it into the catches in the case, and re-attaching the cables. The cables only go on one way, and the wide data cable should go on easier than it came off.
Be very careful to line up the connector and the pins, and note there's a key on the connector that fits into a gap in the middle of the pins on the back of the drive. (While the manual that comes with your drive won't mention Macs at all, it will have illustrations of how to attach the cables.
Boot from a CD, you should be able to use drive setup to initalize the disk, then install whatever OS you want on it.
If you are contemplating installing OSX at some point, this is the time to partition the drive. Get into Drive setup and follow the help for setting up partitons.
You want the first partition to be less than 8 GB; 7.97 is a good value (due to the differences in the way drive setup displays (and rounds off) partition sizes and the way they are actually calculated in OSX, 7.99 does not work, 7.97 was the largest in my case) the remaining space can be one large partition.
Format the drive (and partitions)
Replacing the original drive in a mini-tower is different, and I"ve not actually done this, so I'll defer to others for instructions on that one...
-- Bruce Johnson University of Arizona College of Pharmacy Information Technology Group
Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs
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