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Hall Trice

Q: 300 mgz powerbook pc card recommendations.. USB, USB & Firewire?

I have a wallstreet 300 mgz powerbook and am trying to get a pc card to at least get usb, and firewire too if possible. The cards I have tried are not working (2 belkin...) the compatible powerbook list on one of the pc cards from Belkin said it was compatible with all but my 300 version? Thought this was odd...?
Any insight here?
Several say they will work and haven't. Does anyone know of one that will work on this unit? Several has shown USB icon on desktop but unable to read or open contents or get chooser to ID the printer. Chooser did show Drivers installed as did extensions show and were selected... uurrrg!
It would be nice to have USB & Firewire, but would at least like to have USB.

powerbook G3 300mgz Wallstreet, Mac OS 9.2.x, OS 9.2.2

Posted on Jan 8, 2006 4:42 PM

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Q: 300 mgz powerbook pc card recommendations.. USB, USB & Firewire?

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  • by jpl,Solvedanswer

    jpl jpl Jan 8, 2006 8:31 PM in response to Hall Trice
    Level 7 (28,285 points)
    Jan 8, 2006 8:31 PM in response to Hall Trice
    Hall,

    USB PC cards work just fine on all of the Wallstreets. I did notice you were running OS 9.2.2 and that may be the problem. When Apple released OS 9.2.x, a bug was introduced which created problems with USB CardBus PC cards, but there is a workaround.

    Also, PC cards do not supply sufficient bus power to run bus-powered devices like portable HDs. You will either have to get a PC card that has its own power adapter or buy USB devices that have their own power supply.

    Some users forget to install the necessary USB Adapter Card Support software; it is not automatically installed by the OS since you have no USB hardware. You can custom install the software but it would be the wrong set of extensions anyway.

    Go to Other World Computing and download their custom set of USB extensions; this is the same software Apple uses but it is a combination of different version numbers.
    http://eshop.macsales.com/tech/ftp/usb/usbextensions.sit

    Once expanded on the desktop, you will see these extensions:

    USB Support v1.4.1
    USB Software Locator v1.5.6
    USB Device Extension v1.5.6
    USB Mass Storage Support v2.0.4
    USB Mass Storage Extension v2.0.4

    Now open your System Folder > Extensions folder and remove all the extensions with the same name (don't worry about the version numbers)...drag the extensions in the Extensions folder to a new folder on the desktop for storage and name it whatever you wish. Now close the Extensions folder and System Folder. Please make sure you do not have two extensions with the same name.

    Next, drag all five extensions from OWC on top of the closed System Folder icon...they will be placed in the correct location.

    Before restarting, go to your Energy Saver > Advanced Settings and uncheck 'allow processor cycling' for both Battery and Power Adapter, otherwise your 'book will freeze in the presence of the USB PC card...another bug.

    Now restart and test.

    Any FireWire PC card should work as long as the three FireWire extensions are installed:
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58642

    FireWire Support
    FireWire Enabler
    FireWire CardBus Enabler

    The above are not the latest versions (I believe FireWire 2.8.7 is) but this will get you going. The latest versions are contained in 9.2.1 or 9.2.2 and I will have to examine the tomes to see where they are.
  • by Hall Trice,

    Hall Trice Hall Trice Jan 9, 2006 11:57 AM in response to jpl
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jan 9, 2006 11:57 AM in response to jpl
    JPL,

    Thanks for the feedback. Would have been easier if I just left 9.1 on my powerbook?
    I will try your suggestions,

    Hall
  • by Hall Trice,

    Hall Trice Hall Trice Jan 9, 2006 12:19 PM in response to jpl
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jan 9, 2006 12:19 PM in response to jpl
    Hello again,

    I was looking thru the exrensiona and 9.2.2 does show several USB drivers, are these the buggy ones that caused the conflcit? What is the purpose of keeping the old extensions in another folder? Are there USB cards or company you prefer; Macally, AADS, Belkin, Adaptec(heard they were getting out of Mac business)...?
    When I tried to open OWC download on my Imac G-5 wouldn't open, but did open when I burned copy on CD and opened on powerbook, so many questions, so few brain cells dedicated to this...

    Thanks again for taking so much of your time to help me!

    Hall
  • by jpl,Helpful

    jpl jpl Jan 9, 2006 7:10 PM in response to Hall Trice
    Level 7 (28,285 points)
    Jan 9, 2006 7:10 PM in response to Hall Trice
    Hall,

    - I don't know what USB extensions you have in your Extensions folder. All you need to do is remove any with exactly the same name as the OWC extensions and then follow my instructions for placing the new ones in the Extensions folder.

    - There is no need to keep the USB extensions you removed, if any; the new folder you create is just a way to keep the removed extensions in one place.

    - Belkin makes a good product as does Macally...no need to get a different card.

    - I don't know why the downloaded file would not open on the G5; my iBook running 10.4.3 had no problem.
  • by Hall Trice,

    Hall Trice Hall Trice Jan 11, 2006 8:01 PM in response to jpl
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jan 11, 2006 8:01 PM in response to jpl
    jpl,

    Thanks for your help.
    New extensions enabled Belkin cardbus to work great w/ USB device.
    New question, I am considering ext harddrive, sooo wouldn't a combo pc card of USB & firewire be wiser? Will the drivers/extensions on 9.2.2 for firewire work and not cause a conflict with new USB extensions? The firewire link you mentioned in 2 responses prior would not load, error message stating that extensions already in system folder were newer. I was not able to view the extensions for firewire as I was for USB. I left the extensions as they were in original 9.2.2, they(original 9.2.2) were not exactly the same name as you indicated in your email. Do you know of a card(USB/firewire) that will work or am I pressing my luck?
    Would it be easier to just update to 10.?? or would that screw up things at this point?
    Belkin has lifetime warranty, so I am leading there direction if they have a card? Many cards have 2 usb and 2 fw, type 3? not sure if pdq/wallstreet will support that?

    Thanks again,

    Hall
  • by jpl,Helpful

    jpl jpl Jan 12, 2006 10:53 AM in response to Hall Trice
    Level 7 (28,285 points)
    Jan 12, 2006 10:53 AM in response to Hall Trice
    Hall,

    Glad the Belkin is up and running.

    Regarding FireWire/USB combo card: Users have had mixed results with the combo cards under 9.x; usually the USB-side of the card does not work. These cards work just fine in 10.x so it is a software issue.

    If you wish to have both FW and USB available at the same, I would suggest buying a FireWire card with a dongle. Since almost all of your USB and FW PC cards have a large port dock, you cannot use two of them at the same time, but a card with a dongle can sit in the lower slot under the other card. Here is one example:
    http://www.ratocsystems.com/english/products/subpages/cbfw2.html

    FireWire software: You actually have a good situation with not being able to install the FireWire software...this means you have the latest versions already present. The only way these extensions (and USB extensions) could have been already installed on the Wallstreet was via a Custom Install from the CD or having a FireWire or USB PC card present when performing an Easy Install or running one of the 9.x Updaters. If the Installer and/or Updater sees FW or USB hardware, it will install the appropriate software.

    Go to your Control Panels > Extension Manager and see if you have the three FireWire extensions or check in the Extensions folder; if so, you are ready for a FW PC card.

    FireWire Support
    FireWire Enabler
    FireWire CardBus Enabler

    There is no conflict between USB and FireWire extensions.

    Regarding 10.x: Updating to 10.x will not make thing easier for you on the Wallstreet. If 9.x is meeting your needs, I see no reason to update and have a whole new set of problems.
  • by Hall Trice,

    Hall Trice Hall Trice Jan 12, 2006 8:04 PM in response to jpl
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jan 12, 2006 8:04 PM in response to jpl
    Thanks again!!!

    Your feedback is extremely helpful and written so anyone can understand, a true gift. Whoever you work for is lucky to have you!

    The firewire extensions you list do not have the exact same name, but there are three of them... Hope that willd o?
  • by jpl,

    jpl jpl Jan 12, 2006 9:41 PM in response to Hall Trice
    Level 7 (28,285 points)
    Jan 12, 2006 9:41 PM in response to Hall Trice
    Hall,

    Glad to help and thanks for the compliment.

    If the names of the FireWire extensions that I listed above are not the same as yours, please post back with their names. You may have incorrectly identified them or they may be third-party. Ratoc (mentioned in earlier post) has extensions for 9.x and they are these:

    -REX-CBFW Driver
    -REX-CBFW Driver(TI)
    -REX-CBFW Enabler
    -FireWire Enabler
    -FireWire Support

    Having not used this card I cannot explain why the additional extensions are installed, but generic FireWire PC cards require just the three Apple extensions I mentioned earlier. I guess it is also possible a non-Ratoc FireWire card may have a problem with the above extension set.

    If you have any doubts about the extensions, please post back and maybe we can sort it out.
  • by Hall Trice,

    Hall Trice Hall Trice Jan 14, 2006 7:14 PM in response to jpl
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jan 14, 2006 7:14 PM in response to jpl
    jpl,

    Hello, Found only two extensions with firewire as initial term, were some with DVD card bus... don't think they apply here.
    Here are the two;
    Firewire Authoring Support (version 1.1.2)
    Firewire Cardbus Enabler (version1.0.1)
    Many of the firewire cardbus's state; for G3 & 400mgz or better. Does this mean my 300 machine is to slow to use firewire or will work and be to buggy
    even in those cardbus's that don't state this limitation?

    Thanks again,

    Hall
  • by jpl,

    jpl jpl Jan 14, 2006 7:50 PM in response to Hall Trice
    Level 7 (28,285 points)
    Jan 14, 2006 7:50 PM in response to Hall Trice
    Hall,

    FireWire CardBus PC cards work just fine on any powerbook that has a CardBus/PCMCIA card slot and the Wallstreet was the first...no problem here.

    I cannot explain why you have the FireWire CardBus Enabler extension and not the other two. Be sure to check the Extensions Manager and also the Extensions (Disabled) folder in the System Folder for the others. If you looked only in the Extensions folder, they may be turned off and in the Disabled folder; you can turn them on in the Extensions Manager.

    If they are still not found, please post back.