RAM upgrade for Macintosh SE30

[surfer150]

I’m looking for upgrading my SE30 from 4 to 32 MB of RAM. But I’m uncertain which type of RAM i need. There seem to be to types of 30pin SIMM modules: FPM and EDO.

I found this modules, will they work?

https://ebay.us/m/u2GWpM

Does the SE30 support parity?

 

[jasonfortheworld]

Those should work just fine. The SE and SE/30 aren't very picky about what type of RAM you get and parity doesn't matter.

 

[surfer150]

Thank you very much. I ordered this modules now.

 

[surfer150]

The RAM arrived and I upgraded it today. Additionally I put in a new HDD with 4 GB and a ROM-Inator II in order to be able to address the entire RAM without MODE32.

But I’m not able to install Mac OS 7.5.3. Even though it should support up to 4 GB partition size, the installation does not work. It says that 29619 KB are needed, but -35371 KB are available. What can i do? I already initialized it with patched HD SC Setup 7.3.5.

My Classic II has a 4 GB drive too using the entire drive as a single partition was not an issue at all.

 

[Byrd]

On your 4GB drive, partition to < 2.0 GB x 2, this is a limitation of the file system

 

[surfer150]

But why it works on my Classic II with 7.6 then?

 

[mikes-macs]

On System versions before 7.5, try to avoid handling volumes that are larger than 2GiB (2,097,152KiB, 2048MiB) because HFS in these versions cannot address more than 2GiB volumes. 7.5 has support for 4GiB volumes, and 7.5.2 (which was mostly for PowerPC machines, most people won't see it) supports up to 2TiB.

 

[croissantking]

But why it works on my Classic II with 7.6 then?

Because you’re trying to install while booted to System 7.1 and it always thinks the partition is full if larger than 2GB. You should start up from System 7.5 or later to do this install.

 

[obsolete]

You're going to want this too: https://www.bigmessowires.com/mac-se30-with-upgraded-rom/

 

[surfer150]

Because you’re trying to install while booted to System 7.1 and it always thinks the partition is full if larger than 2GB. You should start up from System 7.5 or later to do this install.

Okay, that makes sense.

You're going to want this too: https://www.bigmessowires.com/mac-se30-with-upgraded-rom/

So the only way to use 4 GB partition size is to insert the stock ROM, install Mac OS 7.5, then install the ROM-inator II and perform the necessary changes in ResEdit?

If I boot from the 7.5 floppy with ROM-inator II installed it freezes at the “Welcome” screen.

It’s a shame that such workarounds are needed on a ROM that is sold for $50. They should’ve designed it that all officially supported OS versions boot without a workaround.

 

[Byrd]

So .... the simple fix is use multiple 2GB partitions for 68K Macs, it's not like you're going to fill it and there are less headaches trying different OSes new and old. Also consider the bigger the HFS partition the larger the default file size; once you get to 4GB the minimum file size is 64K (for anything - even a 1K text file); at 2GB it's 16K per file.

 

[surfer150]

Thank you, i will go for two partitions á 2 GB then.

What to select for the second partition in HD SC then? Scratch or Additional Mac partition?

 

[croissantking]

Okay, that makes sense.

So the only way to use 4 GB partition size is to insert the stock ROM, install Mac OS 7.5, then install the ROM-inator II and perform the necessary changes in ResEdit?

If I boot from the 7.5 floppy with ROM-inator II installed it freezes at the “Welcome” screen.

It’s a shame that such workarounds are needed on a ROM that is sold for $50. They should’ve designed it that all officially supported OS versions boot without a workaround.

What you would do is create a 7.5 floppy with the ResEdit patch applied.

 

[croissantking]

Additional Mac partition

This

 

[mikes-macs]

So the problem was that you booted the Mac SE/30 with Mac OS 7.1 to do a Mac OS 7.5.3 Install. The good thing is that Mac OS 7.1 doesn't need the ROM Hack when using an upgraded ROM. The bad thing is Mac OS 7.1 won't use a Mac OS partition larger than 2GBs which is what you want to accomplish.
Mac OS 7.5 will use volumes larger than 2 GBs.
You must perform the Mac OS 7.5.3 Install while booted with a patched Mac OS 7.5 system folder if you're performing the install with an upgraded ROM.
A Mac OS 7.5 system with the ROM Hack either on a floppy disk or some other disk to boot the Mac from to run the Mac OS 7.5.3. Installer. You could either use the Disk Tools floppy disk which is part of the Mac OS 7.5.x Installer set, or the Network Access Disk. Both need the hack. Trying to squeeze Mac OS 7.5 onto a floppy isn't easy.
Because I don't like using floppies, I used an 120 MB External SCSI as a utilities disk to perform the same function. This utilities drive has more room than a floppy so I included all the tools necessary to perform the task even the Mac OS 7.5.3 Install disk image(s). If you boot the Mac with the hacked Network Access Disk, then you'll have access to an AppleTalk share from another Mac on your local network where you could have a Utilities folder with the tools needed just like the external SCSI drive that I use or you'll need access to the utilities needed from another disk and they won't all fit on one floppy.
Since a Mac running Mac OS 7.5 or higher with an upgraded ROM needs this hack ROM Hack Instructions done to it, some of these are the tools needed to perform this Hack.
Note: Once the ROM Hack has been done to a Mac OS system with an upgraded ROM it will freeze a Mac at boot if you remove the upgraded ROM and revert back to the stock ROM. You'll need separate system folders for the two types. One with the hack and one without.
Note: By formatting the Internal HDD larger than 2 GBs you will not be able to access it from a different drive later that has a Mac OS version lower than Mac OS 7.5. So the suggestions of keeping 2GBs partitions are wise. You can split the drive in two and have multiple system folders where you can switch between the OSes using system picker.
Disk Copy
Apple HD SC Setup
Apple HD SC Setup the Hacked version to support non Apple SCSI drives optional
Wish I Were
CD-Sunrise v2.2c optional
ResEdit
System folder Uniquely named, with Mac OS System 7.5, with custom Install for every Mac, with ResEdit hack to boot the Mac with an upgraded ROM
System folder Uniquely named, with Mac OS System 7.5, with custom Install for every Mac, without ResEdit hack to boot the Mac with a stock ROM
Mac OS 7.5.3 Install disk Image(s) to do the install with to another drive
ROM Hacking Instructions.txt
Simple Text
System_Picker 1.1a3 For choosing between the two different Mac OS System 7.5 system folders to boot from. For instances when you're installing to a Mac without an updated ROM.

When it comes to your Mac Classic II you probably didn't use Mac OS 7.1 to boot the Mac Classic II to do a Mac OS 7.5.3 Install to it. Most likely you used a Mac OS 7.5 boot disk to perform the Installation so there wasn't an issue with it using 4 GB Mac OS volumes at all.