Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Level 1

4 points

How to transfer Windows 3 data from a G3 with a bad floppy drive

My first Mac was a PowerMac G3 beige tower (233 Ghz) in 1998. At that time I installed VirtualPC running Windows 3.0 to use a genealogy program that didn't run on a Mac and input all my family data. I have a 5 inch floppy disk with the data but when I tried to use it to transfer to a newer computer, I got a message that one of the files (of course it had to be the biggest!) was corrupted. Now the floppy disc drivenon the G3 has failed. I bought a "new" drive off the Internetn but it doesn't work either. Windows 3.0 doesn't recognize USB, so I can't use my external floppy drive. Is there any way I can transfer the data via a direct connection to another Mac? I have a eMac (educational version of the original iMac, vintage 2002) that still works, also a PowerPC iMac and an Intel iMac. I will be extremely grateful to anyone who can keep me from having to input all that family info again!

PowerMac G3 beige tower-OTHER, Mac OS 9.2.x

Posted on Jan 31, 2012 6:10 PM

Best reply

BDAqua

Level 10

239,351 points

Posted on Jan 31, 2012 10:27 PM

Whew Mary, I feel your pain, but I think your only option is finding an older PC with a 5.25" drive, (likely free at GoodWill, etc), and trying to use that to repair or at least IMAGE the 5.25" floppy to an ISO/DMG... oh, is the Floppy HFS or FAT16?

View in context

34 replies

MaryRB Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 28, 2012 6:57 PM in response to MaryRB

Dear BDAqua and others who have responded to this issues in the past:

I am now four weeks past my second hip surgery in 4 months and slowly healing. Just now getting back to my G3 data extraction problem. Tonight I talked to the friend I mentioned earlier, who used to have a computer store. When I mentioned the transfer gadget you suggested, he said he has several but they only work on ATA IDE drives and he thinks my G3 may have a SCSI drive. The problem solving book that came with the computer talks about SCSI conflicts, so he may be right.

So, my latest questions for this forum are:

1) Does anyone know for sure whether the beige G3 towers had SCSI drives? Since mine will not longer boot up, I can't check the "About this Mac" info, and my original purchase paperwork doesn't specify.

2) If it is a SCSI drive, is there a similar gadget to transfer data or have I finally hit a brick wall? I just did a quick and dirty search on Amazon and didn't come up with anything but I may not have worded the search properly. I saw external SCSI drives for Macs but they don't look like they would work for what I need, i.e. one time transfer of data to a different computer.

Of course I am way beyond my depth of understanding in this whole thing, so I'm sure my ignorance is showing in my questions. As always I will be deeply grateful to anyone who can provide any guidance.

Jeff

Level 6

12,058 points

Mar 28, 2012 9:06 PM in response to MaryRB

Although some beige G3s had a Build-to-Order configuration option that included a faster SCSI-3 hard drive, the majority of them shipped with an IDE/EIDE hard drive. You can use the adapter that converts the drive for direct connection to a USB port, but as I wrote before:

I don't know that this would solve your problem, as it seems to me (in your other Topic) that it was determined that VirtualPC creates a "virtual" hard drive, the image of which is a single file stored on the computer's physical hard drive. A direct connection of the hard drive via the IDE/PATA-to-USB adapter will not reveal the contents of VirtualPC's imaged "virtual" hard drive, from which the G3 runs the Windows 3.0 environment.

Once connected to another Mac, I still think you'll only see the single file representing the "PC" virtual hard drive, which may preclude copying individual files from the physical hard drive.

MaryRB Author

Level 1

4 points

Mar 29, 2012 11:55 AM in response to Jeff

Thanks, Jeff. I know about the VPC virtual drive issue but I'm hoping that if I can transfer the VPC program, the files will come along with it. If not, I'm willing to transfer the entire contents of the hard drive and then run VPC on another computer.

I just found another piece of documentation for the G3 that says it has an Apple ATA hard drive. That should mean the adapter should work. I'm going to let my friend know about this and see what he can come up with.

Again, many thanks for all responses. Macs are awesome when they work, which is 99.99% of the time, but when there is a problem it is so reassuring to know there is help available.

BDAqua

Level 10

239,351 points

Mar 29, 2012 12:30 PM in response to MaryRB

It should say on the drive if it's SCSI or IDE.

How to transfer Windows 3 data from a G3 with a bad floppy drive