-
Hello MLAers! We've re-enabled auto-approval for accounts. If you are still waiting on account approval, please check this thread for more information.
USB support impossible with System 7?
- Thread starter Syntho
- Start date
I had my TAM running with a USB card using System 7.6.1. The HDD corrupted recently, so I installed a CF card for quick and reliable booting. I now can't get USB working on System 7, although I know for certain that I had it working.
I asked for advice on this last month, but wasn't able to get the info I needed. I tried manually copying the files from 8.6 to 7.6.1, but no dice. Stuffed if I can remember how I did it, but it was not through hackery. I plug and play to get things working, so I must have done it relatively easy - just need to remember the steps!
I asked for advice on this last month, but wasn't able to get the info I needed. I tried manually copying the files from 8.6 to 7.6.1, but no dice. Stuffed if I can remember how I did it, but it was not through hackery. I plug and play to get things working, so I must have done it relatively easy - just need to remember the steps!
That's what I thought, because although I don't remember exactly how I did it, it would have been something like that. Hmmm?
Are you sure it was't FireWire you were thinking of? FireWire is first supported in Mac OS 7.6.
No, I have a USB 1.1 card with two slots, one of those Opti cards that seem to work so well in the TAM. Never had anything FireWire.
And before anyone says it, I know it sounds very unlikely, but I am OCD on using System 7 on the TAM and definitely had this working.
And before anyone says it, I know it sounds very unlikely, but I am OCD on using System 7 on the TAM and definitely had this working.
Hi jsarchibald and Syntho,
A thought has come to mind: if ye can get your hands on a development installer ISO of Mac OS 8.0, it might very well have proto-versions of the USB extensions. If my Mac history is correct, what became Mac OS 8.0 was in development as Mac OS 7.7 or 7.8 (which is still System 7 and therefore might be usable in Mac OS 7.6). The extensions are not in the Mac OS 8.0 release, so they may been still buggy at the time. They were released with the Bondi blue iMac and 8.1, so the drivers were around in 1998.
When I thought of proto-USB-drivers, i also wondered whether haplain has any lying in his wonderful collection. He might be a good person to ask.
A thought has come to mind: if ye can get your hands on a development installer ISO of Mac OS 8.0, it might very well have proto-versions of the USB extensions. If my Mac history is correct, what became Mac OS 8.0 was in development as Mac OS 7.7 or 7.8 (which is still System 7 and therefore might be usable in Mac OS 7.6). The extensions are not in the Mac OS 8.0 release, so they may been still buggy at the time. They were released with the Bondi blue iMac and 8.1, so the drivers were around in 1998.
When I thought of proto-USB-drivers, i also wondered whether haplain has any lying in his wonderful collection. He might be a good person to ask.
Another idea, especially for those with old magazines: what was the first USB possibility for the Mac? I had thought that it was the iMac. But now that I think of it, there may have been a third party card *with their own drivers* that came out in 1997 or 1998. I was a diehard SCSI/ADB man at the time and I had learnt about FireWire in the reviews for Mac OS 7.6.
If there was a very early USB card with mac drivers, then eBay et al is the place to scour. Also, it might be worth looking out for the PowerMacs of the day (e.g. PM 7300 | PM 9600 | Beige G3 etc) that may have been equiped with them when they were bought. You would need to find a buyer that bought the machine to be sure.
If there was a very early USB card with mac drivers, then eBay et al is the place to scour. Also, it might be worth looking out for the PowerMacs of the day (e.g. PM 7300 | PM 9600 | Beige G3 etc) that may have been equiped with them when they were bought. You would need to find a buyer that bought the machine to be sure.
jrsarchibald had it running but lost files, is trying to get it working again too
https://68kmla.org/forums/index.php?/topic/13600-usb-pci-card-into-tam-running-system-761/
https://68kmla.org/forums/index.php?/topic/13600-usb-pci-card-into-tam-running-system-761/
Aaaaaaah! Tell me about it!
If I could do it, it isn't that hard. Surely someone here will know how to do it?
If I could do it, it isn't that hard. Surely someone here will know how to do it?
There's gotta be some third party USB drivers for System 7. I don't know how they wouldn't have tried to capitalize on USB. Microsoft had it implemented in Windows 95 versions early as 8/1996.
I'm really thinking there's gotta be something, since the first PCI Macs debuted around (earlier) than this time too.
I'm really thinking there's gotta be something, since the first PCI Macs debuted around (earlier) than this time too.
I'm determined to get this working...
Admittedly, from what I test, I didn't test with a USB thumb drive. I think you've got to have those USB Mass Storage drivers in order to get thumb drives to show up but correct me if I'm wrong. I only tried with a USB mouse, so maybe I should try again but this time with a USB drive.
Admittedly, from what I test, I didn't test with a USB thumb drive. I think you've got to have those USB Mass Storage drivers in order to get thumb drives to show up but correct me if I'm wrong. I only tried with a USB mouse, so maybe I should try again but this time with a USB drive.
