PowerBook 180c / DiskLock

[deepdarkmail]

Hello:

This is my first post here and I am hoping someone will be able to suggest what I should do next. Sometime ago I was given a 180c without a power supply. I am not a Mac person but something about this unit kept me from chucking it. Instead I put it away and forgot about it. A few days ago I found a low-current charger @ 7.5VDC with the correct plug. After 24 hours on it there was enough oomph in the battery to get it to boot up. Unfortunately there is password protection and I can do no more.

The security is DiskLock, David Shayer 1988-91, Performance Improvement, Cooper & Lybrand if it matters. What I would like to do is reformat the hard-drive and install a new operating system. I don't however know enough about the operation of these to go any further. If this was your machine, what would you do next? I would truly like to get it up and running with some sort of writing program and use it as a text-only machine. It may sound odd but I really want to type on it. That is getting a bit ahead of things however.

I will greatly appreciate any advice or insight at all on this.

 

[JRL]

It may sound odd but I really want to type on it.

It's not odd at all! The PowerBook 100 series are great Macintoshes to type on.

First, I'm assuming you do not own or have any access to other Macs, right? If not, we'll go on from there.

 

[deepdarkmail]

It may sound odd but I really want to type on it.

It's not odd at all! The PowerBook 100 series are great Macintoshes to type on.

First, I'm assuming you do not own or have any access to other Macs, right? If not, we'll go on from there.

Outstanding, I was hoping for exactly that kind of feedback and thank you for replying to my question!

I do have a Macintosh ~SE30 I think (been a long time since I looked at it). It has been years since I had it out but it did indeed work. If that isn't a viable path, I do have many friends fully immersed with modern Mac's and can surely find logistic help there.

 

[JRL]

The Macintosh SE/30 is one thing that will make the process easier if if it works well.

First thing first, try disabling extensions (basically INIT code that enhances functionality) by holding the Shift key during startup. Some security software will disappear this way. After you've done so, track down the software in the Extensions folder in the System Folder (click on the hard drive icon, then system folder, then Extensions, then find the software, drag it into the trash, and then click on Special->Empty Trash.

If that doesn't work, booting off a System disk will almost always solve the case.

I assume you have a PC with a floppy drive, right? If so, you need to stop by http://68kmacwin.googlepages.com/winmac, a very useful page made by a fellow soldier who goes by the UN benjgvps.

First things first, download the Floppy Image Writer program. I'm pretty sure this works better with an internal floppy drive, but an external one will suffice.

Then, download the PC Exchange and the Stuffit Expander 4.0.1 links in the page. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP!

Unzip the FLW (what the image writer will now be referred to at this point), and open it up. Have a floppy disk on hand; PC floppies are A-OK.

Click Load Image

-Desktop (or wherever else the image is)

-click on the PC Exchange image

-Open

Then, stick your floppy in and press Write Image.

The following is quoted from benjgvps himself:

Now go to your mac and put the disk in, go to your hard drive and find the system folder, then go to the control panel folder, then drag the "PC Exchange" file into the folder. Now your mac can read PC formatted floppies
Open the floppy writer program on your PC and put a floppy in. Click "browse" in the "write floppy" section and find the "stuffitexpander" image. Click "Open", Then "Start", Then "Yes".

Now on your mac go to the floppy and drag the "stuffit expander 4.0.1" folder on your hard drive (Do not drag onto the desktop unless you drag it into a folder on your desktop). To use stuffit expander go into the folder and click stuffit expander, click file and then expand (or "apple key" and "E"), then find the file you want to expand.

cont.

 

[JRL]

The Macintosh that is being referred here is in this case, your Macintosh SE/30.

Now, you will be able to read PC-formatted disks on your Macintosh SE/30.

Then, download the SuperBooter 7.5 image here. (first link) This is a customized System 7.5 boot disk that is very useful for reformatting the hard drive and starting fresh.

Next, download Disk Copy 4.2 here. IMPORTANT STEP #2!

Now, copy those two to two separate PC floppies and mark which one is which with a Sharpie or floppy label.

Now, on your Macintosh SE/30, put the Disk Copy floppy in first, copy Disk Copy to the HD, and click on Disk Copy when it's on the hard drive.

Disk Copy will self-uncompress and turn into the real program. Feel free to trash the compressed files now.

Now, put in the SuperBooter 7.5 floppy and copy the compressed image file. Then uncompress it with Stuffit Expander and reformat the floppy disk by highlighting (clicking once) the floppy icon and clicking Special->Erase Disk. Make sure the drop down box is changed from DOS 1.4 MB to Macintosh 1.4 MB. IMPORTANT STEP #3!

You will know the disk is formatted correctly when you see no "PC" graphic on the disk icon's label.

Wait a bit for the Macintosh SE/30 to format the disk. Eject the disk, but don't take it out yet.

Now, since the SuperBooter 7.5 image is ready, open it, and Disk Copy will start up. There will be four buttons and the disk image you selected (SuperBooter 7.5) will show. Click Write Floppy, and a prompt will appear telling you that says:

"Please insert a disk to COPY ONTO"

Insert your freshly formatted disk. Another prompt will pop up saying:

"Are you sure you want to erase all data on the disk named ?"

Click yes, assuming that the floppy disk is blank at this point.

Wait for the disk to format. Eventually, your finished disk will eject! If you run into any copying problems, eject the disk, put it in again, and try to copy again.

Now, insert the disk in your PowerBook 180c and turn it on.

Wait until you hear the PowerBook 180c's disk drive operating and the Happy Mac appear. The "Welcome to Macintosh" splash screen will appear and you should have access to the desktop! Next, look for any "Disk Lock" control panels/extensions in the System Folder.

Trash them and click Special->Empty Trash. Say Yes to the prompt.

Now click Special->Restart, and the disk will eject and the PowerBook 180c will restart.

Wait until the Happy Mac, then the "Welcome to Macintosh", and then instead of a password screen, the desktop!

Tell me if that doesn't work! Hope this post helps.

Oh yeah, IMPORTANT STEP #3: Enjoy your Macintosh SE/30 and your PowerBook 180c and have fun!

Regards,

JRL.

 

[deepdarkmail]

Thank you for the replies.

Dealing with a cranky car right now and won't be able to dive in on this until the weekend.