[DominikHoffmann]

What is the largest 50-pin SCSI hard drive that I will be able to format with Drive Setup? Will Drive Setup format any hard drive, whether Apple or third-party?

Dominik Hoffmann

[hempcamp]

Originally posted by DominikHoffmann:
<STRONG>What is the largest 50-pin SCSI hard drive that I will be able to format with Drive Setup? Will Drive Setup format any hard drive, whether Apple or third-party?

Dominik Hoffmann</STRONG>

Not sure what the largest handled by Drive Setup is, but it's rather easy to find third-party software for this task should you need it. Drive Setup will indeed format just about any hard drive, Apple or third party. Many have reccomended using third party software for third party drives, but I have never run into any problems.

--Chris

PM 7500/604e 200Mhz
4 gig/16MB
OS 8.5

PM 4400/603ev 200Mhz
2 gig/64MB
YellowDog Linux 2.2 (once I solve the numerous installation errors!!!) & OS 8.6

[jeromep]

I have to disagree with the most previous post. Drive Setup will not format just any drive. You can resedit drive setup so that it will not check for the ROM on the drive to verify if it is an Apple OEM drive, but otherwise it will probably identify a third party drive as just that and not allow a format. So, purchasing third-party formatting software is an absolute necessity, unless you want to look that resedit hack for drive setup. I like and actively recommend FWB Hard Disk Toolkit.

A 7500 should be able to handle just about any drive upwards of at least 10g. Often times the OS is a limiting factor more than the individual model's rom, so the newer the OS installed, the larger the drive the computer can recognize. Of course, if you hit a top end, partitioning the drive should resolve any top end size issues.

[Gregory]

Older drives maybe not. Older versions of DRive Setup, probably not. The most recent DS 2.07 should. There is only one 50-pin drive currently being made. I'd avoid older models, anything that has a SCA 80-pin adapter, and just get the Seagate Barracuda. no problem with heat, work great and hassel free - and no adapter. And it will format with DS. If you don't tell us what OS that makes a little difference. Get a copy of OS 9.1 (CD or update) or later.

Mac OS X 10.1 Disk Utility WILL put an OS 9 driver on any SCSI drive, but there is no low level option, however it does let you partition and is easy to use.

[hempcamp]

Originally posted by jeromep:
<STRONG>I have to disagree with the most previous post. Drive Setup will not format just any drive.</STRONG>

I didn't claim *any* drive, but the latest version of Drive Setup does format most mainstream hard drives. I have had success with Western Digital, Quantum, Seagate, IBM, and that about covers the whole gauntlet of drive brands.

There is an occasional drive that DS will not work with. Usually, if you boot off of an OS 9 CD though, it will change its mind and decide to let you format the third-party drive. If that doesn't work, then yes, you will need Hard Disk Speed Tools or SoftRAID or FWB or whatnot.

I use SoftRAID drivers even on drives I don't have in an array. It is downright speedy, gives you plenty of options, and deals with just about any drive. With SoftRAID you could theoretically make over 2 Terrabytes available to the Mac OS.

Right now, OWC has good deals on 9 and 18 gig IBM drives. The former are native 50-pin for about $50, the latter are 68- to 50- adapted 10k rpm for about $130. For the love of Steve stay the hell away from 80- to 50-pin adapted drives!!!

--Chris
PowerMac 7500/200
18 GB Ultra2 Wide
256MB
OS 8.6, 9.1