Help with external apple cd300

[agent_js03]

I paid a pretty penny for an external SCSI CD-ROM drive on eBay. It was listed as working. I have had one of these in the past and I don't remember the setup being that difficult, just plug it in and it works. But for some reason I can't get it working with my LC III. I noticed there were two SCSI ports on the back of the CD-ROM, I have tried them both. It just spins up, blinks for a little, then goes dark. No CD on the desktop.

Before I go back to eBay and report that the item is not working, I wanted to check and make sure there is nothing I am missing here. I don't need to install drivers, do I? I am using Macintosh System 7.5. I remember plugging one of these into my SE in the past and I didn't need drivers then.

Any help appreciated!

 

[ArmorAlley]

Is it terminated? If there is no stumpy thing sticking out of the other Centronics (blue SCSI 50-pin port) port at the back of the CD-300, then it probably isn't.

Download the utility SCSI-Probe 4.3 from the Macintosh Garden and it will let you know as to whether it is or not.

Terminators are easy to get and they are not expensive.

Something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ACTIVE-SCSI-TERMINATOR-50-PIN-CENTRONICS-MALE-SCSI-1-TERMINATOR-ACTIVE-50-PIN-/282477893471?hash=item41c4fe975f:g:5RQAAOSwBt5ZGH5z

 

[BadGoldEagle]

I don't know for sure if 7.5 has CD software built in (maybe you need to tick the "CD" box when installing 7.5?), but when I bought my AppleCD SC, I had to install drivers to get it to work properly.

There are a couple of extensions, including one that mounts HFS volumes so apparently, you'll need those.

Here's what I installed on my SE/30 (running 7.5.1). This is for all Apple branded drives.

If you can't get it to work with the drivers, then I suggest taking it apart and cleaning the lens.

I also have a CD300 (caddy version, what's yours?) and it didn't work when I got it. 

It kept ejecting the caddy... Turns out that if the lens is dirty, it won't pick up the CD and therefore it'll spin down, thinking that there is no CD in there. Having a clean lens is key here.

I cleaned the lens with isopropyl alcohol and that fixed it.

Good luck!

 

[agent_js03]

Mine is a tray  loading one.

There isn't a terminator on the second port.

I will try the drivers and the terminator, then I will get back. Thanks!

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

IIRC, you've gotta use the funky keyboard combination to boot from CD.

 

[agent_js03]

I'm not trying to boot, just load the actual cd when mac os is booted and at the desktop.

 

[Unknown_K]

Without a terminator the system will not see the drive. Use a real pressed CD for tests and not a CDR.

http://lowendmac.com/2014/system-7-5-and-mac-os-7-6-the-beginning-and-end-of-an-era/

OS 7.5 features"

"•Built-in CD-ROM support saves the trouble of installing driver software for Apple’s CD-ROM drives."

 

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

What was the first Apple Drive that could read CD-R? CD-RW?

 

[Unknown_K]

Don't recall. I am not saying the old drives won't, but as lasers age they might have problems with CDR because they reflect a lot less then a pressed silver CD.

CDRW is worse.

 

[Johnnya101]

The 600e works great with me and CD R. I'm guessing the 300 would too. The other older one... forget the name but it's square and is caddy doesn't read them very good if at all.

 

[BadGoldEagle]

"•Built-in CD-ROM support saves the trouble of installing driver software for Apple’s CD-ROM drives."

If you have a clean install of 7.5 then yes. The old install from 1995 on my SE/30 didn't come with the drivers installed. 

 

[agent_js03]

I looked in my extensions folder and saw that there was a CD-ROM extension, though I have not updated it. I also ordered a scsi terminator on eBay and installed it on the drive. Turned the drive on, booted up, inserted an original Lunicus CD from 1992ish, and nothing happened. I will try updating the CDROM driver when I get the chance. I could also try booting from it, I shouldn't need a driver for that.

 

[ArmorAlley]

Some SCSI drives may need to be manually mounted.

Is the drive recognised by a utility like SCSI Probe? Also, there are a myriad of CD utilities like FWB's CD-Toolkit that will provide third-party support. I use these to put later drives into earlier Macs. Still, it should work with the Apple CDROM extension. The CD300 is Apple's second CD-ROM drive.

If you have keep on having no luck, I can send you a known working Apple CD-drive for that case. I'd have to get it up and running on my SE first though.

A part of the problem with this is the number of things that may be working:

- the SCSI on your Mac might not work no more. That happened with me with my IIfx. A recap solved it.

- the SCSI cable might be defective. Unlikely, because these things are usually very well made, but possible.

- something in the CD-ROM case might be defective.

- the CDROM might be defective.

- if there are multiple SCSI devices on the chain, it may have the same SCSI ID as another device.

- the CD-ROM may not be terminated.

- if there are multiple SCSI devices on the chain, the last device on the SCSI may not be terminated.

- if there are multiple SCSI devices on the chain, several devices may be terminated.

- the driver may be conflicting with another extension, not supported by the OS version or not support the drive in question.

- the terminator might be defective, again, unlikely - these things are robust and well made.

I'm sorry if this doesn't help you with your immediate problem. This is the methodology I use when tracking down SCSI drives that won't appear. I have several Macs and several cables so that I can usually eliminate the possibilities one by one.

 

[agent_js03]

Some SCSI drives may need to be manually mounted.

Is the drive recognised by a utility like SCSI Probe? Also, there are a myriad of CD utilities like FWB's CD-Toolkit that will provide third-party support. I use these to put later drives into earlier Macs. Still, it should work with the Apple CDROM extension. The CD300 is Apple's second CD-ROM drive.

If you have keep on having no luck, I can send you a known working Apple CD-drive for that case. I'd have to get it up and running on my SE first though.

A part of the problem with this is the number of things that may be working:

- the SCSI on your Mac might not work no more. That happened with me with my IIfx. A recap solved it.

- the SCSI cable might be defective. Unlikely, because these things are usually very well made, but possible.

- something in the CD-ROM case might be defective.

- the CDROM might be defective.

- if there are multiple SCSI devices on the chain, it may have the same SCSI ID as another device.

- the CD-ROM may not be terminated.

- if there are multiple SCSI devices on the chain, the last device on the SCSI may not be terminated.

- if there are multiple SCSI devices on the chain, several devices may be terminated.

- the driver may be conflicting with another extension, not supported by the OS version or not support the drive in question.

- the terminator might be defective, again, unlikely - these things are robust and well made.

I'm sorry if this doesn't help you with your immediate problem. This is the methodology I use when tracking down SCSI drives that won't appear. I have several Macs and several cables so that I can usually eliminate the possibilities one by one.

Thanks ArmorAlley.

It just so happens that I have acquired a Performa 6300, so I was able to test the drive on that machine as well. Unfortunately still no go. I tried the CD in the internal CD-ROM for that machine and it loaded up fine. I am thinking something is wrong with the drive at this point.

 

[ArmorAlley]

You still have a SCSI case. It's not that difficult to replace it with another SCSI CD-drive. Just pay attention to the jumpers at the very back of it. These set the SCSI ID, termination and a few other things.

I have a drive that I can sell you but I'm in Switzerland and there are cheaper ways of getting a CD drive.

Try a post in the Trading Post. I expect that the shipping will cost more than the drive.

 

[xboxown]

I am having the same issue with mine. can you recommend a replacement cd drive for my apple cd? Do you know of a model name or something i can get in eBay. I am in the exact same boat.

THANKS.

 

[techknight]

I would say the laser is weak and needs a slight adjustment otherwise youll need to replace the drive.