old mac scsi drives

If you have SCSI external case, USB to SCSI adapter could work.

http://www.amazon.com/Adaptec-1856600-USBxchange-Kit/dp/B000067OHN/ref=pd_sxp_f_ i

Kaz-k,

that connector would probably be used for external.

Phabadaly,

You mentioned internal which makes it perhaps a little more tricker to set something like this up depending on your hardware skills. if I am not mistaken the connector is an IDE even though most Mac desktops at the time were "SCSI" based hard drives.

What you probably need is one of those bare bones external hard drive kits (from Newegg) so can be read on your newer macs. I can't speak to more details, because I had just learned earlier this year on this forum that SCSI and IDE drives are seperate - but only the same in the connector, you might need need some driver or something, but don't fully quote me.

Theoretically if you get a proper setup, it should be able to read just fine on your modern Macs. IIRC: Mac OS X can mount and read HFS formats and files dating back to System 7.

Hope this helps

Steven

stevena1:

"If I am not mistaken the connector is an IDE even though most Mac desktops at the time were "SCSI" based hard drives."

SCSI I/II hard drives and IDE (E-IDE, Parallel ATA) drives do not have the same hardware interface. The former have multiple 50-pin connectors on a 50-conductor ribbon cable, while the latter have a pair of 40-pin connectors on a 40-conductor or 80-conductor (Ultra ATA) ribbon cable. The Power Mac 8500 has a 50-conductor ribbon cable for internal SCSI-based devices, with the hard drive and CD-ROM drive sharing the same cable and bus (SCSI-2 — max. 10 MB/sec).

Phabidaly:

"I would like to read the info from them but the Macs do not want to cooperate."

The Adaptec adapter previously linked is discontinued, so an ebay search may locate one. Depending on the nature of the problems that your SCSI-based Macs are having, a new internal PRAM battery may eliminate startup issues. Because the 8500 has PCI slots, it could accommodate a USB PCI card. It would have to be running at least OS 8.6 (with a software modification to the OS 8.6 officially supported USB Mass Storage Support drivers) or OS 9.1. With USB ports, the hard drive's data could be transferred to a flash drive. The SCSI hard drive from the other Mac could be temporarily transferred to the 8500, not as a replacement for the existing, internal hard drive, but as a second internal hard drive. This would require changing the drive's SCSI address and removing its termination jumper.

For clarification, my previous post should have read: "SCSI I/II hard drives and IDE (E-IDE, Parallel ATA) drives do not have the same hardware interface, as each type connects to a bus that's incompatible with the other type. The former uses 50-conductor ribbon cables with multiple 50-pin connectors, while the latter uses a 40-conductor or 80-conductor (Ultra ATA) ribbon cable, each of which has a pair of 40-pin connectors."

Jeff,

Wouldn't be easier for Phabidaly to connect it to some extrenal drive via USB? We don't even know if s/he has an operating system that can support what you are suggesting.