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Questions about upgrading my 1400cs G3 (OS, 2 identical machines, only one G3) Help! [message #332668] Sun, 06 November 2016 17:48 Go to next message
Gil Bavel is currently offline  Gil Bavel
Messages: 3
Registered: November 2016
Karma: 0
Junior Member

For 16 years, I've had a Powerbook 1400cs 133, which I upgraded to a G3
from the then-Wichita based NewerTech/NuPower, which I understand has gone
one to achieve legendary status; I've seen posts that claim it's so rare
that the G3 passed into the realm of myth, they were so rare, they never
existed at all, it seems.

I took the Powerbook to my local computer "we fix anything" store, where,
when they finally got around to my machine, the tech copied the hard drive,
wiped it, and then couldn't copy the contents back over (he forgot to copy
it first). When I came back in, I was confronted with either buying a new
hard drive (through them) and they would install the OS for it, and it was
prohibitively expensive. The paperwork said something about running
without any extensions or with all the extensions off, and I wouldn't know
how to put them back.

This had been the computer I wrote on (I'm still a professional writer, but
now also an editor and publisher), used to browse the Internet/web and was
generally happy with that models that would do that as portables brand new
were also prohibitively expensive. My first one came with the CD-Rom drive.

When seeing how much time I spend on trying to revive this computer
recently, my roommate said he'd bring one back from work (where someone had
left it since the 90s), and I figured he just meant an Apple laptop. I was
surprised when, he not only brought me back a 1400cs 133 _exactly_ the same
as my first one (this one with the floppy drive, which I needed, as I still
have lots of things on my 3.5" floppies from then) running OS 7.6.1, and in
nearly brand-new condition. It has some software I've never seen on it.

My understanding is that to upgrade the OS on my Powerbook 1400cs, I must
begin with an earlier version of the OS (I have CDs of 8.0, 8.5, 8.6 and
9.0--I can only boot from 9.0, but that's all it will let me do). My
question is, how do I copy the earlier (7.6.1) OS onto my first Powerbook
1400cs, and how far can I upgrade the OS once I've done so (They both have
32MB of RAM).

My next question is, how do I get the OS (7.6.1) off the second one, and
once I have, how do I get it onto the first one--having had no luck with
hard drives of any kind, I removed it, and replaced it with an adapter and
32 GB Compact Flash Card--which I tried to copy what I could from the 9.0
CD-Rom, and now, I need to purge--somehow--because all it does is tell me
that what I did was bad, it won't work, and makes me shut it off. I've
been using the flat off/on button on the back quite a bit.

Although I haven't had luck with the floppy drive, I see there is a "clean
floppy drive" function in 7.6.1--which I guess requires a cleaning floppy
to work--and maybe some cassette cleaning fluid? Anyone know where I can
get one of those?

So, I have a non-functioning Powerbook 1400cs 133 w/G3 (no OS/HD)
a functioning Powerbook 1400cs 133 that is as tight as the day it came from
the factory
and need to copy the OS from the one w/out the G3 onto the G3 so I can boot
it again
and need to know how and how far I can upgrade the OS from each one, and in
what order

Worst-case scenario, I'd be willing to take apart the machine with OS 7.6.1
on it and upgrade it with the G3, and
sell the other one as a parts machine, or just keep it around for parts,
but I don't remember what the upgrade process is--
it's possible that I sent in to NewerTech/NuPower in Wichita to have it
upgraded. I contacted them recently about it, but
they don't have anyone from that era, and suggested I go online to the
Powerbook forums (and thus, here I am). I'm also
curious if there is a cable that runs between the two that might help. I
guess I'd have to have 2 square SCSI interfaces?

Any help?

Thanks to my Powerbook Brethren,

--Gil

P.S. I realize this isn't going to win me a lot of points, but after my
Apple days I got into Amiga computers (big time), and noticed
that the proc--133Mhz PowerPC 603e also ran some Amigas, and was curious if
anyone new whether the Amiga OS could be run natively or emulated on it.

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Re: Questions about upgrading my 1400cs G3 (OS, 2 identical machines, only one G3) Help! [message #359861 is a reply to message #332668] Sun, 31 December 2017 12:51 Go to previous message
adrianking732 is currently offline  adrianking732
Messages: 4
Registered: December 2017
Karma: 0
Junior Member
HI. I'm new to this group and notice your post is now over a year old. I
have two PB1400s and may be able to help if you still have problems. Old
versions of Mac OS are not hard to find, and I have most of them...

On Monday, 21 November 2016 20:12:13 UTC, Gil Bavel wrote:
>
>
> For 16 years, I've had a Powerbook 1400cs 133, which I upgraded to a G3
> from the then-Wichita based NewerTech/NuPower, which I understand has gone
> one to achieve legendary status; I've seen posts that claim it's so rare
> that the G3 passed into the realm of myth, they were so rare, they never
> existed at all, it seems.
>
> I took the Powerbook to my local computer "we fix anything" store, where,
> when they finally got around to my machine, the tech copied the hard drive,
> wiped it, and then couldn't copy the contents back over (he forgot to copy
> it first). When I came back in, I was confronted with either buying a new
> hard drive (through them) and they would install the OS for it, and it was
> prohibitively expensive. The paperwork said something about running
> without any extensions or with all the extensions off, and I wouldn't know
> how to put them back.
>
> This had been the computer I wrote on (I'm still a professional writer,
> but now also an editor and publisher), used to browse the Internet/web and
> was generally happy with that models that would do that as portables brand
> new were also prohibitively expensive. My first one came with the CD-Rom
> drive.
>
> When seeing how much time I spend on trying to revive this computer
> recently, my roommate said he'd bring one back from work (where someone had
> left it since the 90s), and I figured he just meant an Apple laptop. I was
> surprised when, he not only brought me back a 1400cs 133 _exactly_ the same
> as my first one (this one with the floppy drive, which I needed, as I still
> have lots of things on my 3.5" floppies from then) running OS 7.6.1, and in
> nearly brand-new condition. It has some software I've never seen on it.
>
> My understanding is that to upgrade the OS on my Powerbook 1400cs, I must
> begin with an earlier version of the OS (I have CDs of 8.0, 8.5, 8.6 and
> 9.0--I can only boot from 9.0, but that's all it will let me do). My
> question is, how do I copy the earlier (7.6.1) OS onto my first Powerbook
> 1400cs, and how far can I upgrade the OS once I've done so (They both have
> 32MB of RAM).
>
> My next question is, how do I get the OS (7.6.1) off the second one, and
> once I have, how do I get it onto the first one--having had no luck with
> hard drives of any kind, I removed it, and replaced it with an adapter and
> 32 GB Compact Flash Card--which I tried to copy what I could from the 9.0
> CD-Rom, and now, I need to purge--somehow--because all it does is tell me
> that what I did was bad, it won't work, and makes me shut it off. I've
> been using the flat off/on button on the back quite a bit.
>
> Although I haven't had luck with the floppy drive, I see there is a "clean
> floppy drive" function in 7.6.1--which I guess requires a cleaning floppy
> to work--and maybe some cassette cleaning fluid? Anyone know where I can
> get one of those?
>
> So, I have a non-functioning Powerbook 1400cs 133 w/G3 (no OS/HD)
> a functioning Powerbook 1400cs 133 that is as tight as the day it came
> from the factory
> and need to copy the OS from the one w/out the G3 onto the G3 so I can
> boot it again
> and need to know how and how far I can upgrade the OS from each one, and
> in what order
>
> Worst-case scenario, I'd be willing to take apart the machine with OS
> 7.6.1 on it and upgrade it with the G3, and
> sell the other one as a parts machine, or just keep it around for parts,
> but I don't remember what the upgrade process is--
> it's possible that I sent in to NewerTech/NuPower in Wichita to have it
> upgraded. I contacted them recently about it, but
> they don't have anyone from that era, and suggested I go online to the
> Powerbook forums (and thus, here I am). I'm also
> curious if there is a cable that runs between the two that might help. I
> guess I'd have to have 2 square SCSI interfaces?
>
> Any help?
>
> Thanks to my Powerbook Brethren,
>
> --Gil
>
> P.S. I realize this isn't going to win me a lot of points, but after my
> Apple days I got into Amiga computers (big time), and noticed
> that the proc--133Mhz PowerPC 603e also ran some Amigas, and was curious
> if anyone new whether the Amiga OS could be run natively or emulated on it.
>

--
--
-----
You received this message because you are a member of the PowerBooks list, a group for those using pre-G3 PowerBooks.
The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml
To post to this group, send email to powerbooks@googlegroups.com
To leave this group, send email to powerbooks+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/powerbooks
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "PowerBooks" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to powerbooks+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

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