hacking Apple's CD-ROM extensions

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Craigwd_2000 Author

Level 4

1,309 points

hacking Apple's CD-ROM extensions

I have burned a 701.2 MB CD-ROM containing old Macintosh software using my '17 iMac G5. I have tried the downloadable Apple CD-ROM Extension 5.4 & I have extracted version 5.4.2 of the Apple CD-ROM Extension from my Mac OS 8.1 CD-ROM by using TomeViewer. How might I hack one of these two Apple CD-ROM Extensions so they can read large CD-ROMs that are 700 MBs or more in size?

I would also like to know which of the other extensions such as ISO 9660 File Access, Foreign File Access, High Sierra File Access would need to be hacked for this to work properly too. I already have ResEdit. I just need to know what resources to change or manipulate to allow larger CD-ROMs to be read successfully.

Both of my external SCSI CD-ROM drives are Apple external SCSI CD-ROM drives so that shouldn't be an issue either.

Refurbished iMac G5 "17 1.8 GHz and PowerBook G4 "12 1.5 GHz, Mac OS X (10.5.3), 2 and 1.25 GBs of RAM

Posted on Jun 28, 2008 8:54 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Jan Hedlund

Level 7

22,201 points

Jun 30, 2008 8:14 PM in response to Craigwd_2000

Hi,

How do you know that a CD-ROM extension is to blame in this case (BTW, it would hardly be appropriate to discuss such software hacking here)? The problem may be hardware related. An old CD-ROM drive can have difficulties handling certain modern discs (e.g., CD-RW). Are you using 700 MB CD-R? Could this or this possibly be of interest?

Jan

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Answer 2

Craigwd_2000 Author

Level 4

1,309 points

Jul 6, 2008 8:07 AM in response to Jan Hedlund

Because whenever I insert any CD-ROM larger the 650 MBs into the CD-ROM drive it offers to format the CD-ROM for me which is obviously impossible. I've also tried the Freeware CD-ROM driver CD Sunrise & it is unable to read larger CD-Rs too. I burned the 700 MB CD-R using my '17 iMac G5 running 10.5.3 using Roxio Toast 7.0.1.

I had to overburn the CD-R by about 1.2 MBs to make it all fit. Maybe my old Apple CD-ROM drive needs a firmware update... That wouldn't surprise me in the least bit if that's true too.

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Answer 3

Jan Hedlund

Level 7

22,201 points

Jul 6, 2008 2:31 PM in response to Craigwd_2000

Hello,

I had to overburn the CD-R by about 1.2 MBs to make it all fit.

Any chance of somehow creating a smaller fixed-size disk image, copying the files to it (using compression), and then burning it to disc? If not, is it really necessary to have all files on one CD?

Maybe my old Apple CD-ROM drive needs a firmware update...

Unfortunately, I do not think that is possible.

Jan

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Answer 4

Craigwd_2000 Author

Level 4

1,309 points

Jul 7, 2008 7:44 AM in response to Jan Hedlund

The files are a collection of Mac OS Updates, CPU Specific Updates, abandonware & various other odds & ends. If nobody here can help me with hacking the Apple CD-ROM extensions I might just join the m68k Liberation Army forums & ask there too.

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Answer 5

Craigwd_2000 Author

Level 4

1,309 points

Jul 12, 2008 11:10 AM in response to Jan Hedlund

The smallest CD-Rs I have burned with old Mac software on them are about 650 MBs or less in size. Whenever I try inserting the CD-Rs into a Apple external CD-ROM drive connected to my Performa 200 the drive attempts to read the CD-R & then won't eject the disk when I push the eject button. I had to use the emergency eject hole to get it to eject the disk.

Are the CD/DVD extensions included with Mac OS 8.5.1 or Mac OS 9.1 68k or PowerPC? If they're 68k like I suspect could I extract either extension using TomeViewer & use it with a 68k Macintosh...

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