Restore Macintosh 6400-200

Question

Hello all,
               I have 2 Macintosh Performa 6400/200, 1 of them is working ok, the other one is showing  a Floppy disk with a question mark this is the one I'm trying to fix and I need some help.
I google searched for solutions, found this site:
Check spec of 6400/200:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac/specs/powermac_6400_200.html
Boot Disk:
http://main.system7today.com/articles/tutorials/disktools.html
I have an external floppy drive, If I save Disk Tool 2 to the floppy disk, load it to MAC 6400/200 floppy drive and power on, will this help me going theough the Mac system, I need to know what is in that Mac computer before proceeding re-installation OS 7.5.3?
thanks,

Answer 1

Hello,
>does that mean the batteries are ok?
Try to use a multimeter. The real battery voltage should not be much lower than the nominal 4.5 V DC.
>I'm using windows for all internet conncetions, download, etc.., the Mac machines are not connected to internet.
No problem, providing that you keep any downloaded Mac application files unaltered MacBinary (.bin), BinHex (.hqx) or StuffIt (.sit). Do not try to decode or decompress the files on the Windows PC. Wait until on the Performa. Once on the 6400/200, use StuffIt Expander to decode/decompress the encoded/compressed files (drag the files onto the StuffIt Expander program icon). If you do not have an appropriate version of StuffIt Expander for Mac, you may want to try this:
With access to a Windows PC (capable of running a DOS program) with a floppy drive: Prepare an empty PC-formatted  1.44 MB HD 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 the MACDISK.EXE (DOS) program on the Windows PC. Follow the  instructions on screen. The result will be an automatically Mac-formatted (sic!) floppy  that can be used in a Macintosh computer. This floppy contains a StuffIt Expander installer.
>Probably need your guidance on where-about is the Disk Tools 6.3.3 located?
It was a typing error. Sorry! Should have been Disk Copy 6.3.3 (see the second direct link in my previous message).
>can I use a Floppy disk that was previously used on a windows PC?
For plain transfers of downloaded files from a Windows PC to a Performa 6400/200, you can use PC-formatted 1.44 MB diskettes. Just copy any files as they are to the diskette. The Mac should have a PC Exchange control panel (in the Control Panels folder inside the System Folder), which will allow the computer to see a PC disk (a PC floppy icon will appear on the Desktop).
If you later need Mac-formatted floppy disks, you can easily reformat PC diskettes on the 6400/200 (via Erase Disk under the Special menu).
>I have downloaded "Disk_Tools_PPC.img" into a floppy disk with an  external floppy drive connected to this win7 PC, can I then use this  floppy disk and load it in to Mac 6400 floppy drive?
It should have been Disk_Tools_PPC.img.bin from the beginning, but Windows may have truncated the name (that does not normally matter; the main thing is that you have not tried to alter the file). Once on the Mac, copy the file as it is to the hard disk. Then, drag the file onto the StuffIt Expander icon. When decoded, you could launch Disk Copy 6.3.3 and create a bootable floppy from the (.img) disk image file.
Jan