Help PowerBook 150 not Run disket flash Question mark System 7.5.3 - 18 parts.

Hi,

First of all, in order to verify whether the 7.5.3 system software files are of the type earlier downloadable from Apple (with one large image file split onto floppy-sized segments), could you confirm that the first of the eighteen files has a file name with ".smi" at the end (before .bin or .hqx), and that the remaining seventeen files each include ".part"? The US version had totally nineteen files (one. smi and eighteen .part), but as I indicated above, this was different depending on language version.

If the PowerBook 150 is empty (without an operating system), you will need a startup floppy. Do you have access to a Disk Tools floppy for the PB 150? A Network Access Disk 7.5 floppy would be useful under all circumstances, and can be used as an alternative startup disk (and the system folder could be copied to the hard disk, and would then act as a temporary system). The problem today is that Apple's older software downloads list, which contained the Network Access Disk 7.5, does not appear to be available any more.

If you have the NAD 7.5 file already, the normal way of creating a bootable floppy was via a utility called Disk Copy (on another Macintosh computer with a built-in floppy drive). Disk Copy 6.3.3 can still be downloaded (https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1262). The Make a Floppy command under the Utilities menu is used to create properly sector-copied floppy disks. Please note that the Disk Copy utility is not needed or used to mount a self-mounting image (.smi).

There were special methods allowing an NAD 7.5 floppy to be made through a Windows PC as well (using a Windows version of StuffIt/Aladdin Expander and a utility such as WinImage).

It is also possible to obtain a version of StuffIt Expander for the PB 150 through a PC (but the PowerBook would need at least a temporary operating system first). With access to an older Windows PC (capable of running a DOS program) with a floppy drive, you may want to try the following: Prepare an empty PC-formatted 1.44 MB diskette via FORMAT A: in DOS or the "full" formatting option under Windows. Download the MACDISK.EXE file from http://rrzs42.uni-regensburg.de/Macintosh/files/macftp.html . Run this MACDISK.EXE (DOS) program on the Windows PC. Follow the instructions on screen. The result will be a Mac-formatted (sic!) floppy that could be moved to and used with the PB 150. This floppy contains a StuffIt Expander installer. Once installed, drag downloaded .bin files onto the StuffIt Expander program icon to decode them.

The first picture appears to show a set of floppy-sized file segments similar to the type I talked about earlier (a large self-mounting image). So, these segments would have to be transferred to the PowerBook 150 (1.44 MB floppy disks can be used for the transfers). It is best not to try to decode the MacBinary (.bin) until on the PB 150. Keep all 7.5.3 files as .bin, and then use an appropriate version of StuffIt Expander on the PB 150. The PC method described above is an easy way to get a working StuffIt Expander 4.0.1 (the Mac-formatted floppy with the installer will be automatically created from an originally PC-formatted 1.44 MB HD diskette). Perhaps you could borrow an older Windows PC (running anything between Windows 95 and XP) with a built-in floppy drive for the purpose.

However, before you can do anything else, a boot disk will be needed for the PB 150. Unless you already have one (such as a Disk Tools floppy for that computer), a Network Access disk can be created. I do not know anything about the site mentioned, but according to the second picture you seem to have the disk image file of interest already (Network Access.image). In this case, the best way would be to borrow another working Macintosh computer an then create the floppy from the disk image using Disk Copy 4.2 (the Make A Copy button) or Disk Copy 6.3.3 (the Make a Floppy command under the Utilities menu).

Because of changes in the way later Mac OS X versions handle older file systems etc, I cannot give you any advice about transfers or attempts to create floppies from disk images without having tested methods. Strangely enough, it may sometimes be easier to take the route over Windows. A Windows computer with a Mac-disk utility like TransMac or MacDrive (in a version that still supports floppies) could be used for plain transfers on 1.44 MB HD diskettes (reformatted to Mac). If you on the other hand wish to try to create a bootable floppy (such as the Network Access disk) from a disk image on a Windows computer, the following old discussion may be of interest to you: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5546633?answerId=23801121022#23801121022 (BTW, just noticed that the link there to the Apple download for the NAD 7.5 still seems to be active).

Jan

Hello again,

MacDrive can be used for at least plain transfers, but this is not what you want to do with the boot disk image. In order to convert a disk image to a properly sector-copied floppy on a Windows PC, a special disk-image utility would be needed. I do not know whether MacDrive has that capability for old Disk Copy 4.2-style floppy disk images. A utility such as WinImage can be used, though.

Take a look at my message under the aforementioned old discussion https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5546633?answerId=23801121022#23801121022. The section in italics describes how to handle a Network Access image on a Windows computer. Please note that this may or may not work with newer Windows versions and with an external USB floppy drive. It could possibly become necessary to locate an older PC, with a built-in floppy drive and something like Windows 95, 98 or XP.

Jan

You could check whether there is any difference after having tried a PRAM reset (the article is for Mac OS X, but the procedure is the same in this case): https://support.apple.com/us-en/HT204063

You may also want to try resetting the Power Manager: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT1781

1. To begin with, create the floppy with StuffIt Expander (see description above) on your Windows XP computer. Move that floppy to the PB 150 and try to install StuffIt Expander on the hard disk.

2. Make another Network Access (NAD 7.5) floppy (using the same method as earlier) on the Windows XP machine.

3. Download Internal HD Format (http://download.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Apple_Software_Updates/English -North_American/Macintosh/Utilities/Internal_HD_Format_1.3.sea.bin) onto the Windows XP machine. Do not decode or decompress. Keep the .bin as it is. Copy the .bin file onto a PC-formatted 1.44 MB floppy. Move the floppy to the PB 150. If the PB 150 recognises the PC floppy, it should be possible to drag copy the file to the hard disk.

4. Drag the .bin file onto the StuffIt Expander program icon on the PB 150. This should decode/decompress the file.

5. Insert the new Network Access disk in the PB 150 when the computer is running from the 7.1 system on the hard disk. Open the System Folder of the Network Access disk. Move all files in the three folders Apple Menu Items, Control Panels and Extensions on the floppy to the Wastebasket (Papelera). Empty the Wastebasket (Vaciar Papelera) from the Special (Especial) menu. This should make room for a small utility on the floppy.

6. Drag-copy the Internal HD Format application to the base level of the modified Network Access floppy. If everything is OK, you should now have a bootable floppy with a disk/formatting utility.

7. Shut down the PB 150 and remove the 7.1 hard drive. Install the other hard drive (the one you began with). Try to start the PB 150 from the modified Network Access floppy. Does the Internal HD Format application detect the (previously invisible) hard drive?

Addendum

To clarify:

>That way you will get a working StuffIt Expander installer for the PowerBook 150.

The MACDISK.EXE file under the link provided is a small DOS program that is using a "built-in" disk image to produce a Mac disk. That is why you can start with an empty PC-formatted 1.44 MB diskette and as a result get a Mac-formatted floppy complete with software. It is important to properly format the PC diskette before you start; the disk must be without defects. Once the operation under the DOS program has been completed on the Windows (XP) PC, immediately eject the floppy and move it to the PowerBook 150. When you open the floppy on the PB 150, it is a good idea to copy the StuffIt Expander installer to the hard disk first, and then carry out the installation. If StuffIt Expander has a generic application icon instead of a special one after the installation, rebuild the Desktop (https://support.apple.com/us-en/HT2344) on the PB 150.

>I have also taken into consideration that PC Exchange is on the PB 150 (allowing the transfer to take place on a PC-formatted floppy).

This has nothing to do with the StuffIt Expander floppy (which in the end is a Mac-formatted disk). It was referring to transfers in general. Your photo shows a "PC" floppy icon on the PB 150, so PC Exchange is working.

Hello again,

Good to hear that you successfully installed the operating system.

This is merely one example of a web site with older freeware and shareware applications:

http://archive.info-mac.org/

PC Exchange is part of System 7.5.3, so downloads and transfers could be carried out directly on PC-formatted 1.44 MB floppy disks, if necessary. As always, copy downloaded MacBinary (.bin) or BinHex (.hqx) files unaltered to the PB 150, and decode using StuffIt Expander there.

Next, I suggest that you look for an external SCSI CD-ROM drive as well as an external SCSI Zip drive (and SCSI cables and terminators). That would make future transfers much easier. On a modern computer, you could create and burn an .iso CD-R (at a low speed) containing .bin or .hqx files, and then read these files on the PowerBook 150. See the pages 96-100 in the manual (https://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/0/MA853/en_US/0305538APWRBK150GS.pdf) for details about SCSI.

Jan

Also, it is not a bad idea to have Disk First Aid (http://download.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Apple_Software_Updates/English -North_American/Macintosh/Utilities/Disk_First_Aid/Disk_First_Aid_7.2.2.sea.bin) on a modified Network Access disk (use the previously described technique to make room on the floppy).