What IDE adapters are you using?

BespokeMan

Well-known member
I used a generic Compact Flash to IDE adapter but it doesn't work in my PowerBook 3400c. What adapters are you using in your pre-G3 PowerBooks? Have yet to try an mSATA to IDE adapter.

IMG_7954.jpg
 

MacUp72

Well-known member
when you tested the 3400c with normal IDE HDD and it worked, try first to change the jumper settings on the IDE adapter.
I had problems with my 3400c with IDE/CF adapter together with the CD drive, so try to remove he CD drive and try again, when it's booting with the CF and without the CD, there's an IDE conflict.(the CD drive is internally set as master)
 
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BespokeMan

Well-known member
when you tested the 3400c with normal IDE HDD and it worked, try tochange the jumper settings on the IDE adapter.
I had problems with my 3400c with IDE/CF adapter together with the CD drive, so, try to remove he CD drive and try again, when it's booting with the CF and without the CD, there's an IDE conflict..the CD drive must be set as master.

Thanks for the tip! However, I don't have a CD drive. Anything else I should be considering?
 

MacUp72

Well-known member
oh then it's easier. it must boot as master or no settings( cable select) on the adapter, because the Mac is looking for bootable devices on startup.
You also can boot from the CF card inserted in an PCMCIA adapter in the PCMCIA card slot on the side.
Bildschirmfoto 2024-08-27 um 09.33.29.jpg

I also use IDE/SD adapters with the IDE Powerbooks ( 1400/2400/3400/5300)
but the IDE implementation on these early IDE machines are not great, CF actually is more IDE genuine.
 
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BespokeMan

Well-known member
oh then it's easier. it must boot as master or no settings( cable select) on the adapter, because the Mac is looking for bootable devices on startup.
You also can boot from the CF card inserted in an PCMCIA adapter in the PCMCIA card slot on the side.
View attachment 77536

I also use IDE/SD adapters with the IDE Powerbooks ( 1400/2400/3400/5300)
I used the default jumper when it arrived. I'll try removing the jumper and see if that works. I prefer something that's inside the PowerBook but if all else fails I might just buy a PCMCIA card reader. On a different note, what SD to IDE adapter/s are you using?
 

MacUp72

Well-known member
any of these tiny fellas ( on ebay or amazon , about 12 bucks)
Bildschirmfoto 2024-08-27 um 09.39.08.jpg

I had some problems with my old and cheap 16GB CF card, it produced errors, so a good card is key I think.
 

Big Ben

Well-known member
Almost all SD to IDE adapters like the one above are actually SD to CF adapters (CompactFlash has an IDE mode)
They use the same chip and are limited to 25 MB/s transfert rates due to the protocol supported.

IDE/Sata don’t play nice with pre-G3 machines due to adapters having only ATA-66 (or more) compatibility, EIDE is not properly supported and leads to data corruption.

CF to IDE is the way to go most of the times because it’s a passive adapter but some machines can be picky, and require a CF that have true IDE mode, those are usually sold as « industrial ».
 

BespokeMan

Well-known member
Almost all SD to IDE adapters like the one above are actually SD to CF adapters (CompactFlash has an IDE mode)
They use the same chip and are limited to 25 MB/s transfert rates due to the protocol supported.

IDE/Sata don’t play nice with pre-G3 machines due to adapters having only ATA-66 (or more) compatibility, EIDE is not properly supported and leads to data corruption.

CF to IDE is the way to go most of the times because it’s a passive adapter but some machines can be picky, and require a CF that have true IDE mode, those are usually sold as « industrial ».
That's what I thought as well but unfortunately the CF card adapter isn't working for me. It does play well in my iBook G3 clamshell, though.

The SD to IDE adapter should be good enough since these machines aren't exactly powerful.
 

Big Ben

Well-known member
As I mentioned it’s probably not the adapter itself, but the CF card that don’t play well with the IDE controller.
I used the some adapter board in my 3200 and it went well, but I used an industrial card.

Using SD to IDE is fine but be sure to get a good quality SD card, even if the adapter won’t be able to get the most of it you‘ll get better performance than an old card.
 

LaPorta

Well-known member
+1 on SD to IDE. Used the one pictured above with my 1400 for years without so much as one issue.
 

finkmac

NORTHERN TELECOM
I used a generic Compact Flash to IDE adapter but it doesn't work in my PowerBook 3400c. What adapters are you using in your pre-G3 PowerBooks? Have yet to try an mSATA to IDE adapter.
Strange, I've used one of those in a 3400c without issues... Although I was having issues with one in a 2400c. What do you mean by "doesn't work"?

Try a different adapter and different CF card.. Maybe a Transcend or SanDisk

The SD to IDE adapter shown above is a bit sketchy IMO but seems to work...

1724760472139.png
These uber-common IDE-m2 adapters do NOT work. Don't bother with them


This Ableconn adapter is confirmed to work with 2400c, so it should work in a 3400c no problem.
 

3lectr1cPPC

Well-known member
any of these tiny fellas ( on ebay or amazon , about 12 bucks)
View attachment 77537

I had some problems with my old and cheap 16GB CF card, it produced errors, so a good card is key I think.
These work in the 3400c with one issue - file transfers like to freeze in OS 8.5. Other versions don't seem to have the problem. Regardless, I have a 64GB card in mine and it works great. Cheaper than CF.
 

BespokeMan

Well-known member
Strange, I've used one of those in a 3400c without issues... Although I was having issues with one in a 2400c. What do you mean by "doesn't work"?

Try a different adapter and different CF card.. Maybe a Transcend or SanDisk

The SD to IDE adapter shown above is a bit sketchy IMO but seems to work...

View attachment 77542
These uber-common IDE-m2 adapters do NOT work. Don't bother with them


This Ableconn adapter is confirmed to work with 2400c, so it should work in a 3400c no problem.
I've used the same adapter and CF card in a Firewire enclosure and inside an iBook G3 clamshell. No problems whatsoever on both.

Doesn't work meaning I get the flashing ? when it boots.
 

BespokeMan

Well-known member
These work in the 3400c with one issue - file transfers like to freeze in OS 8.5. Other versions don't seem to have the problem. Regardless, I have a 64GB card in mine and it works great. Cheaper than CF.
Interesting. I plan to use 8.6 so I should be safe.
 

3lectr1cPPC

Well-known member
I'm not sure if 8.6 is affected, I remember 7.6.1 wasn't. It was usually large transfers that froze so during the few times that I had to do that, I'd just boot into 7.6.1
 

MacUp72

Well-known member
I'm not sure if 8.6 is affected, I remember 7.6.1 wasn't. It was usually large transfers that froze so during the few times that I had to do that, I'd just boot into 7.6.1
yes thats it, probs copying with big files and then freezing, but maybe thats because of the cheap CF cardin my IDE machines both, SD and CF are working as standard boot devices.. but in two there is a good, fast Toshiba IDE drive again.
 
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LaPorta

Well-known member
FWIW, I primarily run 8.6 in my 1400 and I have never seen one issue copying files with that thing. Then again, it isn't the 3400.
 

Big Ben

Well-known member
I had really strange behavior with disks (floppies or cds) on a 6100 with 8.5,
I wouldn’t trust it without the 8.5.1 or 8.6 update. (Free updates)
Same for 8.0, I have seen some Macs just crash without the 8.1 update.

So that might highly be OS related.

Another strange case is my Powerbook G3 Pismo with an SSD that freeze after suspended activity under 10.4.11 (likely SSD not waking up for some reason), not tested under 9.x yet. But I think it’s more hardware related (cheap ssd)
 

Snial

Well-known member
FWIW, I primarily run 8.6 in my 1400 and I have never seen one issue copying files with that thing. Then again, it isn't the 3400.
OK, encouraging. What's the RAM requirement for 8.6 on your PB1400? Oh, and what's the PB1400c's spec?
 
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