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User profile for user: re_plays
re_plays Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

Apple IIc external 5 1/4 floppy drive / Mac book pro compatibility

I have an old Apple IIc that has a 5 1/4 internal floppy drive. I want to print some things from the AppleIIc but the image writer select button will not stay illuminated.


I have thought of trying to find an adapter that will connect the eight pen printer port from the 2C. I have also thought of buying a 5 1/4 disc Dr. for my MacBook Pro to print the files.


From what I have read, it has been suggested that the data on the discs is not readable by the Mac regardless if I find an external drive. I am very open to suggestions that do not involve taking the discs to some recovery center.

Posted on Nov 20, 2024 7:40 AM

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5 replies
User profile for user: Limnos
Limnos
User level: Level 10
418,777 points

Nov 20, 2024 8:05 AM in response to re_plays

I was going to suggest trying to see if somebody in an Apple User Group might help, but even they do not appear to have an undated group database. User Groups - Apple

You might find that doing a general web search would help.


I still have a G3 that I have kept because it would connect to anything spanning a 20 year range. Not a 5" floppy though. I haven't seen one of those in the past 25 years. Your other issue will be even if you can get the files off the drive, can you still find anything that will open them?



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User profile for user: D.I. Johnson
D.I. Johnson
User level: Level 7
24,071 points

Nov 20, 2024 7:57 AM in response to re_plays

It is correct that the MBP will be unable to read the data from the 5.25" floppy disk.

Those old Apple II computers used a storage protocol that was very much different than that what the current macOS uses. I don't recall that any Mac ever could read disks produced by the Apple II, but it's been a very long time since I played with any of those.


I'll be following this thread and wish you 🍀. But don't get your hopes up. It's almost impossible to get a modern Mac to read even the 3.5" floppy disks produced by older Macs, let alone disks produced by machines with a completely different architecture.

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User profile for user: varjak paw
varjak paw
User level: Level 10
177,784 points

Nov 20, 2024 8:10 AM in response to re_plays

Not only will your Mac not read that old disk format, any current or recent Mac lacks the drivers necessary to access any floppy disk drive. So you will not be able to get directly from those disks to your MacBook. Here is one possibility:


https://www.virtualii.com/A2V2Help/A2V2Help.html


though I know nothing about it myself, even if it's still available. You may be able to find other workarounds by searching the web for "apple II copy files to mac" though what I've found are pretty old suggestions. You might find something that would work, though.


Of course once you get the files transferred there's the issue of being able to actually read the files, but that's an issue you can address once you are able to get the files onto your Mac.


Regards.

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Apple IIc external 5 1/4 floppy drive / Mac book pro compatibility

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