Best Mac OS version for Color Classic?

[EvilCapitalist]

Have you changed anything on the jumpers for the drive?  Even if it wasn't terminated properly (where the caps might be at fault) it still should spin up, it just wouldn't load anything and you'd sit at a blinking question mark.  Do you have a different drive you could try in the CC?

 

[jefframsey]

You were right. I took the Quantum ProDrive 80S out, and installed the Quantum Fireball 1280S that I had in the external enclosure and it booted! I'll have to see if the machine continues to boot from it reliably, but so far, you were right about the stiction.

Thanks,

 

[jefframsey]

Would this RAM work in the Color Classic?

https://www.oempcworld.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=AIDAVX&Store_Code=oem&gclid=CjwKCAjwq_vWBRACEiwAEReprHMgYWtuYxfJK5rIt4d8Rtoc6g1BU_D-rP7jEFErgnreZbZtfr0ppxoC4UQQAvD_BwE

 

[jefframsey]

This morning, the drive that worked for two hours yesterday is starting to act up again. It will boot, but I cannot write to it. I can read everything. I can open files. I cannot delete, or write to the disk or initialize it either.

Caps are in the mail. We'll see what happens...

 

[olePigeon]

If the caps don't work out, I might have a 40MB or 80MB drive you can have for free + cost of shipping.

 

[ArmorAlley]

A SCSI2SD might also be an option for you. You'll need another machine to get it started up though.

It's not cheap (USD98) but it is quiet and surely more respnsive than the drive that's in there at the moment.

 

[jefframsey]

I figured out a way to make these hard drives work - set the termination jumper to ON. I thought that internal drives in Macs didn't need this because the Mac would provide termination. I checked the drive that it shipped with (which I believe does have stiction) and it does not have any jumpers on it. Is there some drives that are software/firmware terminating and some that have old-fashioned jumpers on the drive to set this?

 

[mraroid]

I think you found your issue with termination.. 

But just in case....
 
I had a heck of a time getting mechanical hard drives to work as well as SCSI2CF and SCSI2SD drives to work until I used a 3rd party formatting software called LIDO.
 
Here is a place in the US that sells a boot floppy with LIDO and other tools installed on the disk.  When I used this tool on my CC with a SCSI2CF card, it worked perfect.   Here is the link:

https://www.bigmessowires.com/shop/product/mac-scsi-tools/
 
I have this disk but it is in a shipping container in the pacific ocean someplace at the moment and I can't get to it.  If I had it in hand I would mail you a copy.  The Superdrive in your CC will read this 800K disk (well, at least mine did).
 
Do you have a network card for your CC?  This is the network card I use:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Macintosh-Color-Classic-Ethernet-Card-Apple-LC-575-PDS-Farallon-New-Networking/231332620598?epid=1431958381&hash=item35dc7fa936:g:zSgAAOxyyFhTeL5i
 
The price is right and it comes with the needed software.  I do not know the seller.
 
Keep us updated.
 
mraroid
 
 

 

[jefframsey]

Yeah. I was able to go back to the 1.2GB Quantum Fireball that I first used in the external enclosure and it now works internally. Hopefully, I can still use the external SCSI port with this setup. I want to use the 4.3GB external drive and a Zip 100. I just use the hacked version of Apple HD SC Setup for all of my drives. Works well. http://lowendmac.com/2007/format-any-hard-drive-for-older-macs-with-patched-apple-tools/

I changed out all of the caps for Tantalums, but the pads under C4 were so badly gone I could not save them. Right now, I have a new cap soldered to the exposed traces leading up to the old pads. It's not held on there very well, but at least the gobs of solder look like what a dog hides under his tail... We'll see if the machine will hold up. So far, it's been rock solid performance-wise since last night. About two hours of installing software and it has not shown any signs of instability.

For a free machine, I can't complain...

 

[jefframsey]

Do you have a network card for your CC?  This is the network card I use:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Macintosh-Color-Classic-Ethernet-Card-Apple-LC-575-PDS-Farallon-New-Networking/231332620598?epid=1431958381&hash=item35dc7fa936:g:zSgAAOxyyFhTeL5i
 
The price is right and it comes with the needed software.  I do not know the seller.

I do have one. It came to me with an Asante MCLC TP card. I downloaded AsanteTalk 5.?? (can't remember in my head) but I had to go to work. Rescuing old Apple hardware doesn't pay the bills...

 

[mraroid]

 Rescuing old Apple hardware doesn't pay the bills...

  So true!

mraroid

 

[mraroid]

jefframsey.......
 
How about an update re your CC?
 
Were you able to install a ethernet card and go on line?  Did you max out your RAM?  Still running a mechanical hard drive?
 
I am a big fan of SCSI2CF or SCSI2SD.  I like the fact that you are drawing less current from your power supply.  I think it puts less stress on your entire system.  It is not a young puppy any more.  Also it gives you plenty of headroom to add more hardware. And better yet, it will make your CC quite a bit faster.
 
My CC came alive after I installed a web browser and started visiting web sites that hobbyist had built that would work with out issue.  Here is a link to this topic:
 
https://68kmla.org/forums/index.php?/topic/27572-web-sites-your-68k-mac-can-still-surf-os-6-to-os-7/
 
I did one other thing to make my CC useful....  I installed a modern (and free) FTP client on my windows 10 box.  Then I installed some older free FTP software that would run under 7.5 in my CC.  I would surf the web on my windows box for older Mac software and then down load it to my windows box.  Then I would run the software on my CC and ftp it over to the CC.  This works great if you have files larger then a floppy disk can hold.
 
I do have a DVD reader drive hooked up to the external SCSI port. 
 
My CC is still in a shipping container arriving in the US in a few days.  I will be happy to get my CC out of storage and set it up again.
 
My last big project with my CC is to find a way to read and write my gmail with it. On this forum is a fellow who uses a raspberry pi to strip away the SSL issue.  The pi strips away the security stuff so that you can port email to the CC.  It is way over my head at the moment.  But I hope to fix that some day.  I just need to sit down and do a lot of reading. Some other software issues are also available, but again, over my head at the moment.
 
Post an update when you can and let  us know of your progress.
 
mraroid