Error messages on my MAC SE30

One possible explanation could be a problem with the internal SCSI hard drive.

Do you have access to a Disk Tools floppy (or another bootable tools floppy)? What happens if you attempt to boot the machine from a floppy? If necessary, try starting up with the four keys Command(Apple) + Option(Alt) + Shift + Delete(Backspace) depressed.

Which operating system is installed on the hard disk? Does the hard disk contain important files, or would it be OK to erase/reformat it (if required)? Do you have other pre-1998 Macintosh computers to work with (if needed)?

Hello,

>I put a floppy with a disk tool syst7 in,

A System 7 Disk Tools floppy should, normally, be fine for an SE/30.

As you know, all work inside a compact Macintosh computer is dangerous because of high voltages and a fragile CRT, and must be performed by qualified personnel only. Charges can remain for a long time after the computer has been switched off and disconnected from the mains. In this case, someone with the necessary knowledge could open the computer and disconnect the internal hard drive (both power and data). With a closed computer one could then test whether this would lead to a change, that is, whether the computer as such can boot up from a floppy.

>I still have a Mac 125k

Do you mean a Macintosh 128k? I was thinking about an approx. 1991-1997 Macintosh computer (with a built-in floppy drive for both 800K and 1.44 MB), that could be used for hard drive tests (and for the creation of modified tools disks, if necessary).

>i still have de 3,5" drive with its 9 pins connector.

Would this be the external floppy drive for the Macintosh 128k?

The Macintosh Plus can only handle up to 800K (DSDD/2DD) floppy disks. The Macintosh SE/30 floppy drive can handle both 800K (DSDD/2DD) and 1.44 MB (HD).

An A9M0106 Apple 3.5" drive is for 800K (DSDD/2DD) disks. It can be connected externally to the Macintosh Plus or the Macintosh SE/30 (in both cases, the 19-pin port). It is not possible (not even via an adapter) to connect this floppy drive to a modern computer, only to Macintosh machines with the special floppy port.

One could connect a USB floppy drive to a number of modern Macs, but it would only be able to handle 1.44 MB (HD) Macintosh floppies.

Which exact iMac models (and operating systems) do you have?

The 3.5" Macintosh floppy disks that you wish to read, are they 800K (DSDD/2DD) or 1.44 MB (HD)?

The first floppy is a type used for the special 800K Mac format.

The other three floppies are used for 1.44 MB on a Mac.

An SE/30 would have properly recognised the diskette types (HD disks have an extra square hole, and are marked HD). Would it be correct to assume that all four floppies were Mac-formatted 1.44 MB and written on the SE/30?

Please note that only DD diskettes are supposed to be used for 800K. The Plus is not capable of formatting/writing/reading 1.44 MB, and will not properly recognise an HD diskette. If you insert an HD diskette, the Plus would only know how to format it to 400K or 800K (unreliably, because of a different magnetic material).

In order to avoid erasing files by mistake, make sure that all your diskettes are locked (write-protected) before you carry out tests or otherwise continue.

The Plus should be able to read the first (DD) floppy. Since you have an external 19-pin floppy drive, it should be possible to start up from an appropriate boot disk in the internal floppy drive, and then (without floppy swapping) read the first (DD) floppy via this external drive. You may or may not have a suitable application to read files on the floppy, though.

If you can locate a USB floppy drive, you could connect it to the Mac OS X 10.4 Power Mac G4. That way, it should be possible to read the latter three (HD, 1.44 MB) diskettes on the G4.

As indicated earlier, there is no way of reading an 800K Mac-formatted floppy via an external USB floppy drive. This rules out the first (DD) floppy on the G4.

Apparently, the SE/30 has not been tested (starting from a floppy) with the internal hard drive disconnected. We cannot rule out that the computer itself is OK. It could be a good idea to check the logic board battery and the memory modules. A web search for something like 'repair SE/30' should provide further information. So, if you can find someone with the necessary expertise (see the warning earlier) to help you, it may be worth trying. A working SE/30 can act as a bridge machine between 800K and 1.44 MB.

If necessary, there are other possibilities as well, including (serial) null-modem and modem-to-modem transfers.

Correction

>Would it be correct to assume that all four floppies were Mac-formatted 1.44 MB and written on the SE/30?

Would it be correct to assume that all four floppies were Mac-formatted and written on the SE/30?