Mac-Compatible Hard Drives, CD-ROM, etc.


This Web page last updated Dec 8 2024

To email me, see see my ordering Web page for my email addresses.

Directions

We sell several kinds of hard drives, ZIP drives and CD-ROMS for your Mac. This Web page assumes you know about SCSI drives versus IDE/ATA drives, and external versus internal drives, and active termination versus resistive termination. If not, go to my detailed and technical discussions of my hard drive and CD-ROM inventory. If you want an old Apple brand drive like a HD20 or HD 20 or HD20 SC they are also in my collectables Web page. Our floppy drives & diskettes are on another page. Sorry I maintain many pages, but there's a lot to say and I have a lot to sell!

Go to our Mac home page for links to the other Mac systems and accessories I have available. Follow this link to contact me and to see ordering information and terms and conditions of sale.

Introduction

[drives]

We sell hard drives and CD-ROM drives for vintage Macs. We have both Apple brand and non-Apple brand drives. We have internal drives, and external SCSI drives (which are just internal SCSI drives in a case with power supply). We also offer external SCSI cases without drives. We don't provide "how to install" instructions or technical assistance beyond the notes elsewhere on our Web site. Check my more detailed drive page as mentioned above for links to technical info.

Items on this page of SCSI drives, and links to other pages, are:

Internal Mac-formatted hard drives

Internal Mac-formatted SCSI hard drives

[hard drive] I have internal SCSI hard drives available for the Mac, from 80Mb to a few Gigabytes. Typical drives from several manufacturers are immediately below. Newer, larger drives are in the next section. Shipping weight 2 lbs for one drive, add one pound per additional drive. "1.5 inch tall" drives are a little taller physically than the typical 7/8" high drives like the one pictured here, they are also older but they are cheaper. Drives below are all 5400RPM drive; if we have 7200RPM drives they are in the next section.

More information

For laptop drives, check my page of Mac Laptops drives.

Apple "branded": The drives I sell are Mac tested, partitioned and initialized. Mac hard drives require "initialization" and "partitioning", some call this "formatting". There's issues about doing this under System 7 and earlier, with drives not purchased from Apple which I call "not Apple branded", and about partition sizes. Check my Mac Frequent Questions, about drive partitioning and init, for details.

Don't forget a drive bracket carriers or sled if you need one. For more technical information and pictures, check my SCSI drive technical page. See this Web page for descriptions of SCSI connectors.

As of 2020, we only have a HANDFUL of working SCSI drives. They are getting old and scarce to be in working order. Be prepared to accept a larger or smaller drive than you request. Also consider whether you need an "Apple brand" drive or not. If you want a specific brand and model I charge more, if I have it.

Internal SCSI-1 Hard drives by capacity and "brand"

As of 2014 our minimum price for a SCSI hard drive for Macs (no case for internal use) is $69 for Apple-branded. We may have non-Apple-branded drives, ask. All these are scarce in working condition and take considerable time to test and prepare.

for additional SCSI drives by brand and feature, see specific drives below. For larger capacity SCSI 2 drives, follow this link.

advanced SCSI hard drives

The SCSI drives listed below are NOT "Apple branded"; we will init or format them for System 7 or OS 8 or OS 9 use. Drives at 7200 RPM provide data FASTER than the more typical 5400 RPM drives. All drives are used, tested and Mac formatted. All of these have the Apple/Mac typical SCSI drive connector: 50-pin flat cable. For technical specifications, use the brand name and model in a Web search to get that information. Only a few drives available per description. When you order, please copy the description below into your email order; and make TWO choices so I can more likely provide one of them!

Western Digital 4.3GB WD Enterprise WDE4360 7200 RPM 8-9ms avr seek 512K buffer
-- w/ 50 pin SCSI connector, see this PDF for jumpers
Seagate 1GB Hawk ST31051N 5400 RPM 11ms avr seek 256K buffer
Seagate ST51080N Medalist SL 1GB 5400RPM 10ms seek 128K buffer *thin drive*
Seagate Hawk 1GB-1.2GB, various models like ST31230N ST31200N 5400RPM 11ms seek

We'll price these based on condition and size, starting at $59 plus shippping.

advanced SCSI-2 hard drives and Apple controllers

The following drives are for use with Apple's SCSI-2 drive upgrade, which provided higher performance than Apple's on-board SCSI-1 controller and SCSI-1 drives of the era. The upgrade consisted of a PCI SCSI-2 card and SCSI-2 cable, to these SCSI-2 drives. The SCSI-2 drives below are used, tested and Mac formatted. All have the SCSI-2 drive connector: 68-pin D-shaped connector. See this Web page for descriptions of SCSI connectors.

The PCI ultrawide SCSI-2 PCI cards and cable are available via this link.

See Apple's Web page for a description of the SCSI upgrade. For additional technical specifications on these drives, search on the Web for these brands and models. Only a few drives available per description unless noted below. When you order, please copy the description below into your email order; and make TWO choices so I can more likely provide one of them!

SCSI-2 Quantum Atlas AM318000TD or TD18W011, 17GB, 7,200 RPM, 7.8 ms average seek time,
-- Ultra2 SCSI, SCSI-2 68-pin D connector. 1.5" tall.
SCSI-2 Apple branded IBM drive, DDRS-39130 9Gb 7200RPM 8.3ms avr seek
SCSI-2 Quantum 4Gbyte Viking II, 655-0501 7200 RPM 7.5ms avr seek
SCSI-2 Seagate Baracuda ST34371W, 4GB 7200 RPM 8ms avr seek
SCSI-2 WD Enterprise 2170, 2.17GB, WDE2170. 7200RPM Single ended SCSI-3 but with 68-pin connector.
SCSI-2 Seagate ST34572W Barracuda, not Apple branded. 4.5Gb, 7200 RPM, 9.4ms avr seek

These drives are not in demand and are less scarce, and they are of more recent manufacturer and less likely to fail. We'll price these at $39 plus shipping, powered up to determine condition but not tested on a Mac.

Internal Mac-formatted IDE drives

For laptop drives, check my page of Mac Laptops drives

I have 3.5-inch internal IDE, ATA or EIDE hard drives available for desktop and tower Macs. Many of these are Apple-branded, and so the OS "drive test" will recognize these. Caution: these drives are decades old and failing due to age. My supply of working drives is limited. Drives below 10Gb are particularly old and limited, and I have few below 1GB. Drives at or above 40GB are newer and more are available.

Shipping weight 2.5 lbs for one drive, add 2 lbs per additional drive. All drives are tested and formatted on Mac equipment - that effort sets a minimum price of $49 plus shipping and up. Requests for specific drives by brand and model: add to price.

The drives I sell are Mac tested, partitioned and initialized. Mac hard drives require "initialization" and "partitioning", some call this "formatting". There's issues about doing this under System 7 and earlier, with drives not purchased from Apple, and about partition sizes. Check my Mac Frequent Questions, about drive partitioning and init for details.

Don't forget a sled carrier or bracket if you need one. For more technical information and pictures, check my (mostly) SCSI drive technical page. See this Web page for descriptions of SCSI connectors.
Older Macs (or Macs running OS 7.X) may not be able to handle drives above 2GB unless "partitioned" into 2GB or less partitions. You may wish an "Apple branded" drive for some early systems.

Example IDE hard drives:

IBM DTLA-307045 - 40.9GB hard drive: 7200 RPM, ATA-66, 2MB buffer, 8.5ms seek time
Western Digital WD400, EIDE 40GB 5400RPM 8.9ms avr seek 2MB buffer
Seagate Barracuda ATA II ST320420A 20GB 7200RPM 8.5ms avr seek
IBM DTTA-371440 14.4GB hard drive: Ultra DMA 33 drive, 7200 RPM, IDE.
IBM DTTA-351290 12.9GB IDE drive ATA-33 5400 RPM 8.5ms avr seek 512K buffer
Maxtor 51024U2 10.2GB IDE UDMA 66 7200RPM 9ms avr seek 2MB buffer
-- apple number 665-0861
Quantum 6Gbyte Fireball EX, EX64A013 ultraATA 33 5400RPM 9.5 avr seek
-- Apple number 655-0659
IBM DCAA-34330 4GB IDE drive, 5400 RPM, Ultra DMA 33, 4.3GB.
Seagate ST34342A Medalist 4GB IDE 5400 RPM 12ms avr seek

Sleds, carriers, rails, bezels, brackets to mount drives and CD-ROMs

[Mac drive sleds]

Most Apple computers have a sliding base for the hard drive or floppy drive or CD-ROM drive. That plastic part is screwed to the drive, and is generally called a carrier or sled because it slides in and out of the Mac case. Here's an image of some floppy drive and CD-ROM plastic sleds. Some Macs used a metal frame to hold drives, so did the G4's and G5's. Or, a drive may have rails on either side which slide into the computerf rame. We have those too. Brackets are typically sheet metal cages which form a cage around the drive. These are more common to older, pre-PowerMac systems. Please tell me the model Mac you have if you order these parts. If you can, look for the Apple part number molded onto the part, if you have the part.

Caution: these plastic sleds are FRAGILE! These are used plastic parts almost 40 years old. They are fragile due to age, and may break if handled roughly, and may break in use anyway. This is a common problem with Macs of the 1980's and 90's. While I try to avoid selling very fragile parts, I can't test them all to breakage. These are priced modestly but I cannot warrant these in use.

Apple Mac sleds, carriers, rails, bezels

Here's an image of some floppy drive and CD-ROM plastic sleds. I do not guarantee the system lists below for each carrier sled, look at parts on your own system to buy duplicates, etc. These are fragile from age, see my notes above.

plastic CD-ROM sled 5.25-inch drive sled for most Macs, stamped 815-1122, Apple part number 922-0850, are $8 each.
Plastic 5.25 sled with mounts for 3.5" drives (see photo above), found in PM 6400 and 6500 systems, stamped 815-2501 or 815-2730 - ask if available.

plastic 3.5" hard drive sleds:

---sled with 1.5 inch wide "wedge" or stop, 815-0446, 922-0621, $6 each
--- used for 7000, g3, 6100, 8100, 9500, etc.

---sled with 1-1/8" wide "wedge" or stop with square hole, 815-1688 $8 each
---used for grey G3 model ATA drives near motherboard

--- rectangular sled 922-0445 $10 each
--- no wedge, drop-in and lock. for 8100, 8500, 9500, 610 systems.

CD-ROM rails (for 7100 Macs and others) are $15 a pair.
metal brackets to hold or encase a drive (Mac II series and compact Macs) vary in price, specify your Mac model.
G3 tower, 8600, 9600 bracket for ATA drive: 805-1464-B $8
G3 tower, 8600, 9600 metal shelf for drives: $5
g4, g4 metal sleds: $5

carriers, brackets: Some hard drives are held in a metal carrier, case, or bracket. I describe these on my Mac Parts Web page under floppy drive carriers, as most Macs use these cases for floppy drives. If your Mac hard drive needs one of these, tell me the model Mac you have, and I'll see what I have available. Generally these carriers have a stamped part number on them, if you have one to reference.

[Mac drive bezel]

SCSI CD-ROM bezels: Macs which have internal CD-ROM drives, have a front plate or "bezel", to provide access to insert CD-ROMs. Some older Macs came with either no CD-ROM, a "caddy" or a "tray" type CD-ROM. Caddy and trays are discussed on my SCSI drive technical page. So the Mac cases came with different CD-ROM bezels, with slots of different sizes, to accomodate either the extended tray, or the inserted caddy. (There's other bezels for ZIP drives and floppy drives.) here's a photo of a Powermac 7100 pair of CD-ROM bezels. The narrow slot is for caddy drives, the wide slot is for tray drives. For your Mac model, ask about the correct bezel with the correct slot width for the CD-ROM drive of your choice.

screws and standoffs

In external drive cases or enclosures, there may or may not be "sleds" or "brackets" - there are no standards, every brand and case is unique. In many cases, drives are screwed directly to some surface or to some raised platform. It's generally a good idea to make sure the "bottom" of a hard drive (usually the top of its circuit board) is not in direct contact with a metal surface. Such contact limits air flow for cooling, and increases the chance of shorting out electroni components. Consider the use of screws with "standoffs" or with short lengths of metal or hard plastic rod, to provide some "air gap". That screw hardware may be available from large hardware stores.

Be sure that any screws used to hold drives are of the right "size" - diameter and thread pitch. Again, there's no sandards. Don't "force" a screw, that suggests it's the wrong size. I cannot provide further information on the general use of screws, standoffs and fasteners. I cannot guarantee that drives and cases I provide will include all needed fasteners.

CD-ROM wiring adapters for 6300, 630, etc.

Some Mac models (630 series, 6300 series, 6400 series, 6500 series) used a wiring scheme that required two "adapters" on the back of a CD-ROM to "plug into" the cabling. One adapter has a 50-pin and a four pin adapter for SCSI and power (Apple number 613-0312). The other is a four pin connector for audio (unnumbered). Here's a photo of some in a baggy. $10 for a set of these.

When ordering, please follow this link for ordering information, terms and conditions, and info about orders outside the USA.


CD-ROM drives

For laptop drives, check my page of Mac Laptops drives

INTERNAL CD-ROM drives

Tell us your Mac model (and CD-ROM model if replacing one) when ordering. Don't forget sleds or mounting hardware, we have that stuff too. Shipping weight of these drives, 3 lbs. Drives are tested again before shipping. For more technical information and pictures, including "caddy" pictures, check my SCSI drive technical page. cable and terminator sold seperately. If you are trying to "upgrade" your Mac to a faster drive, please note that very old Macs using System 7 *may* not accept the newer drives such as 8X or 12X. However, due to age and increasing rarity, the oldest Mac CD-ROM drives will cost more than newer models. Be sure what you buy will work with your particular OS and Mac.

Most of these Apple CD drives are physically similar, but they have some differences. The oldest "caddy" drives have different locations for the SCSI and DC power connectors. Also: some drives have a manual volume control, a headphone audio jack. Some have a manual eject button but it may or may not be connected internally! In the following photos for reference: the pairs of CD drives are:
top - Sony CDU561-25 caddy-type, sold as Apple CD300. Note it has a manual volume control.
bottom - Matsushita CR-503-K tray-type sold as Apple CD300i plus. Note there's no volume control.
The fronts of the caddy (top) and tray drives;
The backs of the caddy (top) and tray drives;
The lables of the caddy (top Sony) and tray (bottom Matsushita) drives.

SCSI CD drives:

These drives use a caddy, a removable holder for the CD.

all the drives below use a tray, like modern CD and DVD drives.

ATA or IDE CD drives:
Apple 24X internal IDE drive: CR-585 or CR-587: 678-0136 $19 plus ship, tested.

When ordering, please follow this link for ordering information, terms and conditions, and info about orders outside the USA.

EXTERNAL CD-ROM drives

[Mac cd drives]

We have/had a number of external CD-ROM drives, Apple and non-Apple brands. But they are gettingharder to find, so prices rise as demand continues. Ask for details and include the model of your Mac. If you are replacing an external drive tell us its model and manufacturer. Typical shipping weight of external CD-ROM drives is 8 lbs. SCSI cables, terminators and CD-ROM caddies are sold seperately.

Notes: 1) The actual CD-ROM drive determines the speed and function, not the case. The case is only a box. 2) "Caddy" versus "tray", note the differences.

Apple CD150, with CD150 case and 1X Apple drive 150, requires caddy. SCSI-1 connector. ask if available.
Apple CD300, with CD300 case and Apple drive 300, requires caddy, SCSI-1 connector. ask if available.
Apple CD300e PLUS, with CD300 plus case and 2X Apple drive 300+, uses tray, SCSI-1 connector. $ask if available
Apple CD600e, with CD600 case and 4X drive 600e , uses tray, SCSI-1 connector, ask if available.
Apple CD drive in non-Apple external case IF BOTH AVAILABLE. Cost would be case + SCSI drive, figure this is not a discount.

CD-ROM caddy or caddies: $9 each. You do not need these with tray-type CD-ROM drives. Caddy and trays are discussed on my SCSI drive technical page.

The Apple CD SC or AppleCD SC is described and priced on a seperate page; follow the link.

When ordering, please follow this link for ordering information, terms and conditions, and info about orders outside the USA.


IOMEGA ZIP 100 or 250 drives, disks, hardware

The 2010's were the last use of ZIP drives. I've been asked about ZIP drives versus CD-writing drives so much, I wrote something up. Here's some "advice" about ZIP and CD-ROM drives.

ZIP drives may offer you a way to move megabyte-sized files from old Macs to new. There are USB ZIP drives available for iMacs, eMacs and so on; and SCSI ZIP drives for PowerMacs and older. If you don't have a CD writer, ZIP disks are good for backups. Pentium/Windows PC's can read ZIP disks, we have some parallel-port external ZIP drives for those systems as well. You may also need a sled, bracket or screws to attach internal drives.

We have a number of IOMEGA external 100MB SCSI ZIP drives. These are complete with cable (DB-25 to your Mac) and AC power supply. Used but tested and working OK. 1.4M Mac floppy with ZIP drivers V4.3 included, check the Web for other software. $49 plus shipping, shipping weight 8 lbs. (Note: we will not sell "ZIP Plus" drives because they are known to have problems.)

We also have a number of IOMEGA external 100MB parallel port ZIP drives. These are for Windows and PC systems, not for Macs. 1.4M windows/DOS diskette with ZIP drivers included, check the Web for other software. These are complete with cable (DB-25 to parallel port) and AC power supply. Used but tested and working OK. $29 plus shipping, shipping weight 8 lbs.

As of Feb 2021 we are out of IOMEGA external 100MB USB ZIP drives. These are for Windows and PC systems AND for Macs. Most computers which have USB will have an operating system which will accept USB ZIP drives. Check the Web for other software. These are complete with USB cable and AC power supply. Used but tested and working OK. $ask if available and price, shipping weight 8 lbs.

We also have Zip 100 internal 100Mb drives, either SCSI or IDE (ATA).
Working, pulled from Mac and PowerPC or Pentium systems. shipping weight 4 lbs.
1.4M Mac diskette with ZIP drivers V4.3 for $2 more, or check the Web or your OS disk for other software. Windows will find its own drivers for IDE/PATA and USB ZIP drives. SCSI controllers for SCSI ZIP drives, those need drivers.

ATAPI or IDE ZIP 100 internal drive, Apple branded, good used, white face (old G3's): 678-0136 or 665-0560. $29 plus shipping.
ATAPI or IDE ZIP 100 internal drive, Apple branded, good used, dark face (G3 G4 systems): 665-0657. $35 plus shipping.
ATAPI or IDE ZIP 100 internal drive, NEC brand FZ110A for PC/Windows, good used, not for Macs. $29 plus shipping.
SCSI ZIP 100 internal drive, good used, Apple branded 661-1331 or similar. probably OUT and NOT CHEAP, ASK.
Unused ZIP drives are on my new parts page. (Note: ZIP drives don't need to be "Apple branded" to work with older Mac OS's, as do hard drives.)

ZIP 250 drives: Pulled primarily from Windows/PC systems, internal or external. ask about price and availability, will cost more than 100MB drives of similar connections.

ZIP disks: Used ZIP 100 disks, $3 each plus shipping. UNUSED sealed ZIP disks, $5 each. Specify if you want "MAC" or "PC" disks, these are pre-formatted for Mac or PC use. Generally you can reformat (init) a ZIP disk on a Mac or a PC - some customers prefer not to do that.

For specific Mac models, we have ZIP drive mounting hardware and front panels. PLEASE name your specific system model! Price depends. You may also need a drive mounting plate or screws; drive sleds and related information are in another section of this page.


Imation brand 120MB "superdisk" and Fujitsu MO drive

I have a few Imation brand "superdisk" drives. These are external "floppy" drives which support Imation 3.5 inch 120MB LS-120 floppy diskettes, as well as 1.44MB 3.5" floppy diskettes. These drives were also sold for PC-compatibles (Windows computers). I've had no recent call for these Imation drives so they won't be expensive. Here's what I have as of 2021. I may be able to test some of these, certainly power up and insert/eject disks. I'll include the AC power plug or adapter of course.

one external drive USB connector on it, so USB of course.

six external drives USB-SD-M or USB-SD-M2. These have a narrow-D connector maybe 36 pins on the back, with a "dongle" that connects to it. the dongle has a USB cable. Translucent cases with blue or silver fronts. One more, is in the Imation box with install CD.

two external drives SD-120-PPD2. These have a dongle to a PC / Windows parallel port cable. I won't try to connect this drive to some ancient PC.

And, I have a dozen Imation 120MB disks or carts, about half still sealed in their individual cases. In 2021 these seem to be worth several dollars or less; I may choose to sell these with drives.

I also have, one Fujitsu brand DynaMO 230 external drive in the Fujitsu sales box. Includes SCSI cable, AC supply, drive, manuals, Mac support diskette. Claims SCSI-2 interface, for PC and Mac, cable ends in the SCSI-1 Centronics Mac SCSI connector. Supports 128 and 230 MB media. This media is I believe 90mm 3.5-inch MO or Magneto-Optical, not the same as the Imation 120 disk media. I have two 230 MO disks but I can't guarantee they are compatible with this drive. All untested. Box weighs 7.5 pounds, 14 X 13 X 8 inches as shown. Ask if interested.

External hard drives

When ordering, please follow this link for ordering information, terms and conditions, and info about orders outside the USA.

EXTERNAL SCSI-1 hard drives and cases

We have a variety of external SCSI hard drives, mostly one or two of a kind. Drives are tested and inited/formatted on early Macs. All have A/C switches and outlets for A/C cords (cords included); and cooling fans for the internal power supply. They may have other features, we'll list those individually. Some of our stock is described below by model and capacities. A description of some common cases we have follows that list.

See this Web page for descriptions of SCSI connectors. For more technical information and pictures, check my SCSI drive technical page. SOme drives are described as not "Apple branded" drives that means System 6 and 7 Apple utilities won't "init" these drives, you need other programs to do that. Please follow the Web link for further descriptions.

My apologies for all these "technical" details. But the fact is, these drives are no longer made, and few technical people today know these details. YOU, THE VINTAGE MAC OWNER will have to be your own "tech support" and know what you are buying, to keep your vintage Mac in use. That's our policy, informed customers. - Herb Johnson

external SCSI hard drives

I have assorted external SCSI drives from a few hundred Mb to a few Gb. All are tested and working, in clean external drive cases, with AC cords (not "wall warts"). They have SCSI-1 connectors on the back unless noted, and will need SCSI-1 cables and possibly terminators, sold seperately.

At any time I may have several external SCSI drives in cases. We have also have drives, and cases without drives. Contact me for what I have available and prices. Items below are examples based on recent stock, not all may be available and we may have others. Prices due to rarity of good working SCSI hard drives AND the difficulty of installing drives in cases to match internal cabling.

The Apple HD20, HD 20 and HD20 SC are described on our "collectables" page; follow the link. Check our hard drive technical section for a review of the HD20 and its use on 128K's and 512K's. The HD20 SC cannot be used on 128Ks and 512s.

OUT Apple HD 40SC Apple 40SC drive case with 40MB drive. Tested and working, case is clean. *not available, example.*

OUT, an example onlyMac Bottom: 20 meg drive sits under compact Mac, includes fan to cool Mac via its bottom vents. Includes 25-pin SCSI cable. *not available as of June 2012, case w/o drive may be available*

OUT, an example only"Club Mac" brand, small external SCSI drive and case about 6" X 8". One case with 350MB (yellowed front, not Apple-branded drive), one case with 700MB drive (grey front, not Apple-branded drive).

available "MDS" brand, external SCSI case with 140MB drive. Grey case about 10" X 11". Non-apple brand SCSI drive formatted and working under System 7. Two AC outlets on back. $89 plus shipping and packing. Shipping wt 5. lbs

OUT, an example only1GB: external drive drive and case about 12" X 12" with Seagate ST31230N 1GB drive (not Apple-branded), size about 10" X 10" by 3.5": Shipping wt 5. lbs

OUT, an example only 1GB: external drive, Club Mac case IBM DPES 31080 drive (Apple branded), 1GB. Case is 9" X 11" X 3", about 5 lbs.

Other drives may be available. Specify capacity/storage size desired. Look at these examples and tell me what you are looking for, or select an available drive. Contact me for what I have available and prices.

When ordering, please follow this link for ordering information, terms and conditions, and info about orders outside the USA.


External SCSI-1 hard drive cases, internal cables

I have a number of various small and large external SCSI drive cabinets, without SCSI hard drives or CD-ROMs. Many have a SCSI-1 connector, a few have the older DB-25 connector. They all have an internal SCSI cable and power cable that's compatible with older Mac SCSI-1 hard drives. We test the power supplies on these and can run a hard drive to test the SCSI cable. That's the limit of our testing. Shipping weight typically about 8-10 lbs with drive and SCSI cable, 4-6 lbs for case only - we will quote shpping based on actual weight and size.

Sold with tested and working power supplies, and in acceptable or better cosmetic condition. Some have open fronts for CD-ROM drives, most are closed and so for "internal" SCSI hard drives only.

What's involved in putting a SCSI hard drive in a case?

You might use these to power and contain SCSI hard drives or CD or DVD drives. YOu will also need external cables to connect them to your Mac's SCSI controller; we have SCSI-1 to DB-25 cables for these, and some DB-25/DB-25 cables too. See this Web page for descriptions of SCSI connectors.

If your Mac does not have a SCSI controller, you will need one. See my Mac Web page of Mac cards for SCSI controllers. You may also need a sled, bracket or screws to attach internal drives.

Note on SCSI addressing: Drives in external enclosures have cables to the SCSI drive address jumpers, which connect them to the case's "SCSI address switch", a numeric switch which allows you to change the SCSI address of the drive without opening the case and changing these jumpers. The problem is that the drive's SCSI jumpers are not "standard" for all SCSI drives. So a connection for one kind of SCSI drive's address switch may not fit another drive. The alternative is to put physical "jumpers" on the drive's jumpers and ignore the SCSI address switch and wires. See this section to see photos and buy jumpers.

There's a similar issue for the case's LED "drive ready" light - it needs a cable with a connector to match the drive's. No standards for that.

SO, because there's no standards for SCSI addressing cable or drive-ready LED cables, we can't guarantee a case will "fit" those connectors on your drive. But the SCSI-1 cable and power connectors ARE "standard".

If the above is technical gobbley-goop (makes no sense to you), please don't buy a SCSI case from me. This is not "plug and play" technology. Check some of my "frequent questions" on my Mac frequent questions page and some of my other SCSI Web pages for more information.

Typical external SCSI-1 drive cases

I work on photos and descriptions of our SCSI-1 external drive cases, but they come and go. Some examples are below. Ask me what I have and current prices - but be specific about your needs, read what's below for clues. I won't sell a case for less than $35 plus shipping, probably more. That includes a BRIEF amount of help, for questions about use and installation. But these are used cabinets not kits with instructions. If you want a SCSI external case with hard drive, I have those listed seperately. - Herb

The low-profile cabinets are 2.5" to 4" tall and about 10" by 12" or so, and hold one 3.5" SCSI hard drive of about 1" height. High-profile cabinets are about about 10" by 12" or so by several inches tall and will hold a full height (2" or so) SCSI drive. Some narrow cabinets are 10"-12" deep by 6"-8" wide by 5" tall and hold one hard drive. And I have much larger cabinets, for two much taller drives, 10-12 inches tall.

The back of cases often have a SCSI ID switch. Some have *AC outlets* to switch both your Mac and another AC device. Most of these cabinets do not have a switch for SCSI active termination, the drives in them have passive termination (good for very old Macs) or you can use a SCSI-1 terminator.

Here's some quick photos of cabinets I have, as of March 2018:
These weigh 4 to 6 pounds, more with drive, and have 10 X 12-inch or 5 X 12-inch footprints.
APS brand and back panel
Club Mac brand and back panel
DataStor model and back panel
No brand name and back panel UNDER REPAIR
NPI brand or other label and back panel
Storage Dimensions model and back panel OUT

[Mirror drive] Here is a Mirror brand external hard drive cabinet, which requires a 50 pin SCSI-1 cable. It is typical of some of the SCSI cabinets.

Single CD-ROM drive cabinets, various manufacturers. THey will have SCSI-1 connectors and may have SCSI address selectors on the back - but I cannot guarantee those selectors will exactly "fit" your CD-ROM drive. Most have audio/RCA plugs on the back for audio connections. YOu can use these for hard drives, but you'll have that big opening in the front. Possibly you can find an old "faceplate" from an old PC for that use. Ask for price and availability, shipping weight 8 lbs.

HEre's a photo of a stack of CD-ROM drive cabinets, as of March 2018:
stack of CD-ROM cabinets
LaCi CD-ROM cabinet and back panel

And here's a DAT tape drive cabinet: SUN brand, DAT tape cabinet

When ordering, please follow this link for ordering information, terms and conditions, and info about orders outside the USA.

external SCSI-1 cases - internal cables

[hard drive]

Inside an external drive case, are SCSI-cables. The following are flat 50-pin cables with SCSI-1 Centronix 50-pin connectors at one or both ends, and IDC 50-pin flat-cable connectors along the way. These connect the SCSI drives to the external cable. None of these are standard by length or details. They are simply "pulls" from old SCSI cabinets. Possibly I can add IDC connectors to suit. All will be AS IS no returns. Ask for prices for specific cables; be prepared to describe what you want by length and features. But the more I have to fuss or work, the higher the cost. OK?

Here's two short cables with a SCSI-1 connector.

Here's a mix of long and short cables with a SCSI-1 connector.

SCSI-2 external cases

"SCSI-2" refers to the SMALL narrow D-shaped 50-pin connector. (NOT the LARGE 50-pin Centronics SCSI-1 connector!) Some Mac controller cards, and USB to SCSI controllers, have a SCSI-2 connector and so these cases support that connector. See this Web page for descriptions of SCSI connectors.

The following are small white cabinets, measuring about 10 or 11 inches wide by 10 or 11 inches long, 3 inches tall for the one-drive cabinets. They include an AC power supply, and they use a standard "computer" A/C power cord. While these held 5.25 inch SCSI-1 drives, you can add "rails" to fit 3.5-inch SCSI drives. Cabinets have SCSI address switches but the wiring for these may not fit your drive's SCSI address jumpers. Prices do not include shipping. Shipping weight for single-drive cabinets is about 9 lbs; for double-drive cabinets about 12 lbs.

See my note on SCSI address switches and jumpers, for a discussion about connecting SCSI drives inside SCSI cases. You may also need a sled, bracket or screws to attach internal drives.

Photos of the one-drive cabinet:
Here's the outside; here's the inside; here's the back with SCSI-2 connectors.

External SCSI drive, 25-pin DB-25 connector

I have a few external drives with 25-pin connectors on them, like the SCSI connector on the Mac. They mostly have low-capacity hard drives, or the drives have been removed. We don't recommend these. we recommend you buy a case with a SCSI-1 connector and use a DB-25 to SCSI-1 cable. If you insist you want one of these cases, as of Jan 2012 we'll price them from $39 plus shipping. Let me know your considerations and I'll offer a selection - please don't ask for "like new" condition, they are all "old".

SCSI controllers

Check my Mac NuBus section for Apple and other brands of NuBus and PCI SCSI controller cards: these are used pulls from Mac computers. Pentium/Windows SCSI controllers are available from me, ask for specifics and say if you want 8-bit or 16-bit ISA, some PCI, some VESA local bus(!).

SCSI cables and terminators, LED cables

USB (or FireWire) to SCSI "cables" is an incorrect way to describe what is a device or controller. These are not wires or cables but electronic devices. See my USB or FireWire to SCSI controllers Web page for more information. See this Web page for descriptions of SCSI connectors. "SCSI-1" refers to the Centronics or Amphenol large 50-pin D-shaped connector as on these SCSI terminators.

SCSI cables, terminators:

[SCSI terms]


[SCSI 1 SCSI 2]

SCSI-2 connectors are a narrow D-shaped connector, with either 50 pins or 68 pins.

Ask about specific cables by connector type and length. Or adapters which have a connector at each end. Be specific about the desired connector, and the connectors on the devices they will connect to, please!

The Macintosh IIfx apparently had an internal SCSI termination block. Check our Mac II systems page for specifics.

LED drive active cables

[LED]
[led]

Hard drives have an output to drive an LED. The LED is active when the drive is active, it's on a cable to be displayed at the front of the Mac. Macs have a variety of cabled LED's to a variety of hard drives. There's no standard connector on drives for this purpose. I've photographed above, some hard-drive boards and the connecting cables. If you want one of these, select one from the photos. Also tell me the brand and model of hard drive you have; I may have a similar drive. I'll price these based on what's available. It's not like I can buy these, they are all used and pulled from Macs.

As I find Apple part numbers for these, I'll list them here. I may not be able to match a cable to a part number.

When ordering, please follow this link for ordering information, terms and conditions, and info about orders outside the USA.


drive jumpers, straps, shunts

[jumpers]Hard drives and CD-ROM drives are set up at the factory or by installers with particular features; such as a SCSI address, or "master" or "slave" for IDE or ATA drives, and so on. These features are set up by using tiny "jumpers" or "shunts" which short out connections between physical pins on the drive.

At the drive end, these pins are usually in rows of pairs, on the edge or the back of the drive. Older hard drives, and CD-ROM drives, use rows of jumpers that are seperated .1 (one-tenth) inch apart. Newer drives may use jumpers that are 2mm (two millimeters) apart. Here's an image of a drive with .1 inch jumpers in place. Measure the space between your drive's jumpers to determine what size you need. Of course the jumper blocks are wider than the .1 inch or 2mm space between the rows of pins they "jumper".

Drives in external enclosures, often connect cables to the SCSI drive address jumpers, which connect them to "SCSI address switches", numeric switches which allow you to change the SCSI address of the drive without opening the case and changing these jumpers. Look at our section on external SCSI drive cases for further discussion.

[jumpers]2mm hard drive jumpers. The narrow ones on the right are "low profile", the ones on the left are square. Please give a preference. $1 each plus shipping and handling. We suggest you order these with other items.

[jumpers].1 inch hard drive jumpers. 2 for $1 plus shipping and handling. We suggest you order these with other items.

Roland sampler and SCSI drives

Note for music sampler customers: some people buy external Apple brand Mac SCSI drives (hard drives or CD-ROM drives) and cables for their digital music sampler equipment. Roland is one manufacturer of audio samplers samplers. Please do a Web search for your sampler to confirm Mac or SCSI drive by brand compatibility, or for more information. I have a bit of info on this page, and a FAQ (frequent question) reference on my Mac FAQ page. When ordering from me, tell me what kind of SCSI connector is on your sampler so I can possibly offer a matching cable. I don't have your sampler so I can't test and guarantee results. But a number of customers have bought old Apple Mac SCSI drives and seem to use them OK.


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Herb Johnson
New Jersey, USA
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