Always take the challenge of making a Classic Mac work again. A satisfying, albeit sorta frustrating experience. I use a Harbor Freight toolkit that uses a thin but tough extending-shaft driver. It accepts bits of which one is a T-15 torx. The driver stretches enough to allow unscrewing the torx screws inside the handle.
To open it, I lay the Mac face down on a tri-folded cotton towel and, after removing the bottom screws first, tap on a loosened partly removed handle screw with my palm on the back of the extending driver until the top of the case splits. It's a tight press-fit. Other folks use a Mac Cracker, a "spreader" resembling a spring clamp. I avoid them as they can mar the seam if too much fumbling occurs. Don't power it on again until you have it open. Loose parts inside can make the damage worse. Jeff ________________________________ From: Bruce Ryan <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, November 8, 2013 3:50 PM Subject: reviving Mac Classic? Hello there vintage Maceteers A shaggy-dog-story and some newbie questions: I've just received a Mac Classic (model number M1420). I should say at the start that it was free, and it came as described: 'It makes the sound of the hard disk running. There are a couple of screws missing at the back of the casing. It has a keyboard and a mouse.' Indeed, when I switch on the power, a sound begins but it seems more like a fan starting up than a hard disk. The screen doesn't change from black. When I moved the unit around, I heard something moving inside the case. So I shone a torch through the floppy-drive hole and had a look. It seems there are bits missing - I can see right to the back of the case and there is plenty of unused space. There's no sign of the floppy drive. There is an actual floppy disk loose inside the machine. So, my questions: * What tools do I need to open the case and see if things really are missing? * If I recall correctly, the CRTs in these macs can retain lethal charge for a while. So how long should I leave the machine disconnected from power before trying to open it? * If bits are missing, would they be easy to obtain? (I'm in the UK.) I don't have a lot of money or time to spend failing to revive an old mac. So I'd appreciate a general opinion on whether it's worth trying. Of course I'm happy to try to supply more information if that will help generate answers. Many thanks Bruce -- -- ----- You received this message because you are a member of the Vintage Macs group. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/vintagemacs.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To leave this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vintage-macs Support for older Macs: http://lowendmac.com/services/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Vintage Macs" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- -- ----- You received this message because you are a member of the Vintage Macs group. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/vintagemacs.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To leave this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vintage-macs Support for older Macs: http://lowendmac.com/services/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Vintage Macs" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
