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What should I do with this machine?

LarBob

LarBob

6502
Hey guys. I own a Macintosh SE with an 800k drive. The hard disk has gone bad inside so it won't boot anymore. It does work, just the floppy symbol. I don't have a way to write 800k floppies, but I was thinking I could get the floppy emulator from bigmessowires. I'd like to replace the HD as well. Any ideas on the course of action I should take?

Here is a video of the Mac by the way. Most likely a better description than I've put here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcbKSKE8aTo

 
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Hi LarBob  :)  Welcome to the 68KMLA!

I really recommend you to buy the Floppy EMU. Really happy with it. Makes backup/file transfer really easy!

You can download disk images from the Mac Garden and put them directly on your SD card and then on your Floppy EMU.

Since your SE is an 800k, it will not support 1.44mb floppies. Superdrives and 800k drives are two different kinds of drives. 

There are two Floppy EMU models: one will work on every Apple product with a Floppy drive (Model B) and the older Model A will work with every Mac and some Apple II systems.

Model A is considerably cheaper. 

You can also use the Floppy EMU in Hard Disk mode temporarily, before you replace your internal HD. You can use an image up to 2GB in size! You can start installing the software on that image and then copy over the emulated HD from the Floppy EMU to the HD replacement afterwards on your SE. Hard drive emulation works with both models.

I hope you didn't have really important data on that disk. Won't it boot at all?

Speaking of which, you have a couple of options:

-SCSI2SD: Scuzzy 50-pin to SD card. Have one of those, works great. Michael McMaster's website

-SCSI2CF: Scuzzy 50-pin to Compact Flash card. I know it works great.

Either of them will be a great replacement for your failing HD.

 
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Thanks for all of the info. It won't boot at all. I didn't have important data on it, I wasn't able to put anything on it as I don't have any 800k floppies.  The floppy emu is kind of expensive, but I'm really thinking about getting it. Would you recommend the SCSI2SD or SCSI2CF more? I think it might be easier to interface the SCSI2SD with my Windows computer with something like TransMac(?). Thanks.

 
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I'd recommend the Floppy EMU over the SCSI2Whatever. The Floppy EMU can act as just about any kind of Macintosh floppy drive, as well as an HD20 on most systems that have a Floppy Drive port. Very versatile.

 
Well, I own a SCSI2SD and a Floppy EMU and that's it. I know nothing about the SCSI2CF apart from the fact that I am considering one for my Mac Portable. Wait a couple of days, some people here are using SCSI2CF converters; wait for their opinion before buying. You can go ahead and buy the floppy EMU though. You won't regret it.  :p

If you get the Floppy EMU you won't need transMac anymore, except if the software you're interested in won't come as an image. In that case you'll have to create an image of the software (I personally use sheep shaver and Mini vMac) or use TransMac to transfer the file to a floppy. IIRC, Transmac won't generate a floppy image, right?

You can use HFVExplorer, which will let you edit your own images. Just download a blank image and start editing. I think that will be easier. Just remember to use Disk Copy 4.2 images. The Floppy EMU can't handle DC6 images. System Software install disks are available on the Macintosh Garden and on MacGui.com. With an SE I suggest System 6. 

EDIT: Forgot that HFVEXplorer can only handle 1.44meg floppies. I can't remember the name of the software who can deal with 800k disks.

In the worse scenario, you can create a 1.44meg floppy, mount it in Mini vMac and copy its contents over to a 800k floppy using the Mac OS.

 
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Thanks so much for all of the info. Definitely considering buying the floppy emu.

 
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The Mae SE is a lovely. Which machine is it? Judging that is has a 800K drive, it must be a stand SE (Not a SE FDHD or Superdrive model). In the least, when you get up and going, up the RAM to 4megs (4 X 1mb simms). System 6 is the best way to go, System 7 can work on it but it would be pokey slow but acceptable if you need to go that route.

Like the others stated, FloppyEMU, and SCSI2SD or SCSI2CF is the best thing for it.

 
Would just a FloppyEMU work for a while if I didn't want to use so much cash on it right now?

 
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I waited on buying the FloppyEMU for a while because of the investment, finally got one and I'm so glad I did. It is so useful and versatile.

You could definitely start with the EMU and work up to the SCSI2SD. The main disadvantage of not getting the SCSI2SD right away is that you wouldn't have any hard drive except the HD20 image on the EMU, and you can't use the EMU to be both (emulated) floppy and (emulated) HD at once - they have to take turns. If that doesn't drive you crazy, you can wait as long as you want to get the SCSI2SD. I haven't gotten one yet, though I plan to eventually.

Do you have a source of physical 800K DS/DD (not DS/HD) floppy disks? They are getting harder to find, but having a box or two will give you the flexibility to write physical disks to use in addition to the EMU. I don't think you can write 800K images to 1.44 disks, or at least you shouldn't.

 
Incidentally, if you prefer the authentic experience of listening to your disk drive grind, buying a SCSI drive on ebay is an option too. People like to overcharge for them but I have picked up several in the under $50 range. One seller has an 80MB drive for $35 right now (unless someone bought it); I bought two from that seller already. Only had the chance to test one so far (the other is in the mail) but it works great.

The disadvantage of SCSI is that any original SCSI drive is bound to fail sooner or later (possibly sooner) and the capacity is smaller than SCSI2SD, plus the price isn't really all that much cheaper (what is SCSI2SD, $70 plus shipping?). I tend to pick the SCSI drives up when I can only because I like the way the original drives sound and work, it just feels more authentic.

 
I'm not sure if the board has been recapped or not, but I'm fairly certain it hasn't. Though it hasn't failed yet, I'm guessing I should do that soon?

 
I think I've decided my course of action. Getting 800k System 6.0.8 install disks from RescueMyClassicMac, a SCSI2SD/CF or SCSI hard drive, and eventually a floppyemu. Does this sound reasonable?

 
Do you just offer the boot disk or the installation floppies as well? I don't see the install floppies there.

I could also just get the floppy emu and load the install disks from there.

 
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There hasn't really been interest in a full set of System 6 installer floppies, so I just have the one bootable System 6 disk. I can't recall what else is on the 4-disk set that's not on the bootable floppy, but I think it's mostly extras like printer drivers and such. But if you're thinking about getting a Floppy Emu or a SCSI2SD, then you can set up a complete disk image ahead of time on the SD card and not have to bother with floppies at all. For the Emu, I also have an SD card that includes a pre-built System 6 hard disk image with a bunch of other vintage software.

 
Thanks, I'll probably get the emu and just prepare the SD myself.

 
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In my humble opinion, I'd vote Floppy Emu first and then either the SCSI2SD or the cheaper solution: a 68-pin SCA SCSI server drive with one of max1zzz's adapters. The Floppy Emu (I own 2) is perhaps the one device single-handedly preserving these old Macs as fully functioning machines - so much added value. (No, I was not paid by BMOW to give this glowing endorsement - just a very satisfied customer).

 
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