What hard drive to purchase?

I need to replace the internal hard drive on my 20" iMac G5, which has become damaged. I've removed the hard drive, but don't know where or what to purchase to replace it. The computer other than that works fine. I can boot from a CD or in Target mode from my Macbook. I've had no success figuring out how to get an external drive to be the start up drive.
I was running the latest version of Tiger when it crashed and did manage to backup all of the data on it using Disk Utilities Restore function to an external hard drive. Disk Utility, nor Disk Warrior were able to repair the internal hard drive.

If you have an external drive now (that you can erase), and it is FireWire, you can install a system now and boot from it (until you replace the internal drive). In fact, if you used the Restore tab in Disk Utility to duplicate the internal drive to the external drive, you may already have a bootable system.
So, if that external drive is FireWire, connect the external drive to iMac, power it up, and start up iMac with the Option key held down. This will give you the Startup Manager screen, that lists your startup disk options. If one of them is the system on the external drive, select it and continue the startup sequence. Since it's a duplicate, it should act like your main system on the internal drive.
As for the replacement internal drive, the iMac G5 has a 1.5Gb/s SATA interface. A 3.5-inch 3Gb/s SATA drive should be compatible, which is a common type.
If you start here at OWC's web site
http://eshop.macsales.com/MyOWC/?StartOver=1
you can identify your iMac model and the type of "upgrade" you want. The site will list compatible products, in this case hard drives. You don't have to buy the hard drive from OWC; you can look at the specs and models listed there, and do some comparison shopping. Newegg.com often has good deals on hard drives.
You may want to keep the replacement 1TB or lower (in storage capacity), just to make sure the replacement drive you get does not overstress the old iMac's power supply.

Similar Messages

What size ATV hard drive to purchase

Is it worth paying an extra $100 for the 160GB ATV versus going with the 40GB. I am about to purchase my first ATV and am wondering which size hard drive to purchase? I have a lot of available disk space on my MacPro and room to add more if needed. Currently, I have 90GB of music and another 40GB of movies on my computer's hard drives.

It's all about how you intend to use the Apple TV. You don't have to sync anything from your computer to your Apple TV if you so choose. As long as you keep iTunes open when you use your Apple TV you can stream from your computer to your Apple TV. In this case the 40GB model is all you need. But if you want to be able to play music and watch movies without having your computer on then you'll need to sync things over to the Apple TV. If you look at the manual sync menu in iTunes you'll find that you can have the Apple TV only sync recent content, the latest five movies for example. You can manage what gets synced and what doesn't.
It's your choice. Personally I think the 160GB model is the way to go. That's what I have.

I Mini with an i7 processor. I would like to use Boot Camp to install windows based CAD software on my MAC. Would it be better to use a plugin external hard drive to load my software on and if so what hard drive would you recommend?

I Mini with an i7 processor. I would like to use Boot Camp to install windows based CAD software on my MAC. Would it be better to use a plugin external hard drive to load my software on and if so what hard drive would you recommend?

Thank you for your quick response. I can then use a ZIP drive for data storage. I want to keep as much of my hard drive free of data as possible.

What hard drive can I upgrade with on iMac intel early 2010

what hard drive can I upgrade with on iMac intel 27 inches early 2010

You can install any 3'5" SATA hard drive on a Late 2009 iMac. Have a look at OWC > http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/internal_storage/hard_drives_and_SSD
Note that Late 2009 and later iMacs have got the temperature sensor inside the hard drive. If you install a hard drive without a sensor, fans won't work correctly. Read > http://blog.macsales.com/2751-proprietary-cable-can-put-the-brakes-on-upgrading- late-09-imacs

What hard drive would be best for a 2009 or 2010 I-mac

I have an I-Mac that is from either 2009 or 2010. latly it has been freezing and laging. what hard drive would be good to increase speed and add more space, that is compatible with my model Mac?

Here are two that seem to be favorites among users:
http://www.crucial.com/
http://www.macsales.com/

HT1923 what hard drive changes are made when downloading i-tunes 10.6 upgrade

what hard drive changes are made to my computer when downloading the i-Tunes 10.6 upgrade / update?
what registry changes does it make, if any?

Ok, so as far as the hard drive goes, go for the biggeset one you can afford/need. 500 gb, should be plenty big for just about anybody. But as for the speed of the drive.... Yes, a 7200 rpm drive will drain the battery life much quicker than a 4200 rpm drive or even a 5400 rpm drive. Apple has been shipping 4200 rpm drives as a standard for ever practically, and recently made the 5400 rpm the new standard with the 7200 as an option. More important than the physical speed is the buffer size. A nice big buffer will provide quicker access to data and not eat into your battery life. Then there is also the option of an SSD (solid state drive), but those are still crazy expensive.
I've read any Serial ATA drive is compatible with the drop sensor. I upgraded my hard drive with a Seagate, and it works great. Apple generally ships Toshiba drives in their laptops.
replacing a hard drive can be a bit of work. First of all it will void your warranty (But your is obviously expired anyways) It is pretty complicated and takes a lot of patience. iFixit has great step by step instructions. here's a link : http://www.ifixit.com/Device/MacBookPro_15%22_Core_2_Duo_Models_A1226_andA1260
Hope this helps

What Hard Drive is in my Time Capsule

What Hard Drive is in my Time Capsule? Is there a way through System Profiler to find out what model and make my Time Capsules Hard Drive is?

You are correct in that Apple used and uses different drives even in Time Capsules with the same model number. I think you are correct on the WD Green disk, If I remember the test reports that I've read...but don't have handy at the moment.
But, it is not true "server grade", as Apple advertises. The "server grade" models require more power and run warmer. Apple is trying to limit heat on the Time Capsule.
If you really need to know what drive you have, the only way to find out is open up the Time Capsule.....very carefully. It's not hard to do. This will void the warranty, of course, but who will know?
Use a hairdryer on "high" to heat up the rubber pad on the bottom for about 10-15 minutes so that it will peel from the metal case neatly. Remove the 10-12 screws and you are there.
Don't touch anything near the power supply capacitors

What hard drive does a Presario CQ57 notebook PC use?

What hard drive does a Presario CQ57 notebook PC use?

Hi,
Have you tried to look it under Device Manager ?
Click Start > Control Panel > Device Manager > Disk drives
Regards.
BH
**Click the KUDOS thumb up on the left to say 'Thanks'**
Make it easier for other people to find solutions by marking a Reply 'Accept as Solution' if it solves your problem.

What is the best external hard drive to purchase for a Macbook Pro with OS X 10.7.5?

I'm looking into purchasing a new external hard drive for video editing purposes. I own a Macbook Pro which operates on OS X Lion (10.7.5). I would like at least 1TB of memory (2TB maximum) and a FireWire 800 port for a reasonable price. Any suggestions of brands or specific models?

LaCie is a good brand name.
Avoid WD "combos" ... the pre-packaged boxes with WD drives. WD tends to pick controller/interface cards that fail and scramble the disk data.
But you can go to macsales.com and buy a "OnTheGo" enclosure and add "bare drives" from WD as their drives are good.
I ahev this "toaster" that allows easy chaning of "bare drive": http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/FWU3ES2HDK/

What hard drive enclosure to purchase for HP Pavilion dv6000?

I am trying to find a hard drive case/enclosure for my 2005 HP Pavilion dv6000 laptop. I want to retrieve all of the data from my hard drive because I can no longer charge the laptop. I have tried two different types of hard drive enclosure, but neither worked. Can you tell me the proper model to order?

Hi:
One of them will work.
You need to remove the hard drive connector interface that connects the hard drive to the motherboard.
This thing pulls off the drive. You should be using a SATA to usb notebook hard drive enclosure.

Need advice on what external hard drive to purchase-

hello everyone-
i couldn't find a similar topic so i thought i'd post this.
i'm looking to buy a hard drive to support my laptop but as usual trying to buy something can be quite a fuss with all the choices and reviews.
anyway, i'm assuming that Lacie is a good option for the Mac.
can anyone recommend any other brand? i've read both amazing and nightmarish things about the brand.
also, how good is Firewire 800? i thought it would be good to get something that hosted this option since my laptop can support that speed.
any help would be greatly appreciated.

If you don't need the portability of having the data remotely with you, I'd suggest you get an external firewire drive (you'll want FW if you want to boot from an external drive). Further, I'd recommend you assemble your own. Here are some considerations using a 320gb drive as an example:
A Western Digital 320 gb external enclosure (USB/FW) goes for around $200. However, all have one year warranties.
Assemble your own, requires the hard drive and case: A 320 gb Western Digital, with a 3 year warranty, 7200 rpm ultra ATA interface, cost for the drive around $106. I prefer Western Digital drives over Seagate drives, as I've found them to run cooler.
Add a Rosewill RX30 external case (includes power supply and USB/FW 400) $60. This brushed aluminum case looks like it was made to sit right next to our PB's (I've got one). You can see it at their web site at http://www.rosewill.com/product/product.aspx?productId=80. So for $166, you can have a 320gb hard drive with a 3 to 5 year warranty, and a stunning case. If you want, the Rosewill case also comes with FW800 for another $35.
Assembling it is very easy - you can read the directions on Rosewill's site at http://www.rosewill.com/RosewillSoftware/RX30_eng.pdf , for example. You disassemble the case by taking out 4 screws on the bottom of the Rosewill case, plug the included plug into the hard drive, secure the hard drive with 4 screws to the case, and reassemble it.
I used a 320GB drive as an example....a 160gb drive is a little less expensive. Once you start gathering video and sound files, they gobble up space quickly. If you start out larger than you think you'll need, you'll have space for growth, and if you choose, multiple levels of system backup.
And I would recommend FW800, to get maximum transfer speed.

What hard drives are compatible with OSX Snow Leopard Boot Camp?

Recently when the video card in my desktop Mac died, I decided to make some upgrades, one of them being the hard drive. After doing some research, I fixed on the Western Digital 3TB Caviar Green 3.5-Inch and had it installed at the same time as the new video card. I installed OS 10.6.8, opened up Boot Camp Assistant, set the partition sizes: 2.5 TB for my Mac side and 500 GB for the Windows. XP wouldn't install so I ordered Windows 7 and began trying to set up the Windows partition. Each time I tried, I got the same error -- Windows 7 couldn't install on the 500 GB partition since it was formatted GPT which was strange since when I looked at the partition inside of Disk Utility, it said NTFS. While troubleshooting, I came across the following:
・Mac users should know that WD's new drives do not support Boot Camp, therefore they cannot be used as a dual-boot hard drive.
・The MBR part of the hybrid partition table cannot work with 3TB hard drives. MBR is limited to 2TB.
・In a 32-bit MBR world, a disk larger than 2TB is probably invalid, and different OS's and tools react wildly differently when this is forced beyond 2TB.
I called Western Digital to confirm which of their drives were in fact compatible with Boot Camp and they replied since Boot Camp was a third-party application, they have no information on compatibility. They told me to call Apple to get the information. Before purchasing a new drive and sending back the 3TB WD, I want to be sure I know which specs to look for in a hard drive in deciding whether it is compatible with my machine. Any helpful advice or a point in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
Here are the specs for my Mac:
2006 24" iMac 6,1 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
OS 10.6.8
Boot Camp Assistant 3.0.4

Thanks for responding to my question. I guess I'm not sure I understand your reply though. I had no problem installing OS X on the 3TB WD Caviar Green and WD assured me that if I wanted to install only Windows 7 on it, there would be no compatibility issues. The problem lies with wanting the drive to be dual-bootable I guess via using Boot Camp (I know of no other way to go about it). The tech at OWC (where I bought the drive) said he had never heard of any problems with being able to install both Mac and Windows OS on the drive. In fact, he gave the same reply as yours: most hard drives should be able to work perfectly fine with your Mac. It's just that I can't get XP or Windows 7 (32 bit or 64 bit) to install on the 2nd partition, making the drive I have now not dual-bootable. The tech said 2TB hard drives were different and should solve the problem but when I asked him for any discernible spec I could look for in shopping for a replacement drive, he couldn't give me one, i.e. most drives should be okay. I have paid to have the 3TB installed and will have to pay to get the drive taken out and a replacement put back in -- I want to make sure whatever drive I put in this time allows me to have 2 partitions: one for my Mac OSX system and the other for my Windows enviroment (either XP or Windows 7).
If there is a work-around not involving Boot Camp, please let me know. I thought the reason for using Boot Camp as opposed to Disk Utility to create the dual-bootable drive was the benefit of using Mac drivers on the Windows side.
If there is another way, I don't understand why PC world made this blanket statement:
"Mac users should know that WD's new drives do not support Boot Camp, therefore they cannot be used as a dual-boot hard drive."

What hard drive can I put into my powerbook G4 titanium

The hard drive just won't boot up no matter what I do. Even from the repair disk. What can I put into this thing. I don't want to buy the wrong thing.
thanks,
Jon

PATA drive, up to 320 Gig. Look at this OWC link for some candidates. You can filter on your exact machine to narrow down the selections..

What hard drive can I put in a touchsmart iq800? This is the 3rd time it's crashed.

I have a touchsmart iq800 with windows 7, 64 bit. This is the 3rd time I've had a hard drive failure in 2 1/2 years. I am not too familiar with computer lingo and need to know what type of hard drive to get. I called hp and they wouldn't tell me anything because I'm out of warranty. I know I have a seagate. At this point, I want something entirely different. If someone could just tell me what name, #, etc of a hard drive, I can order one. I've installed 2 already and am getting good at it. Not sure if that's good or not! thanks in advance.

The iq800 appears to be a series number and not a model or product number. Please provide the full HP model name and/or product number of the computer in question for accurate assistance.
Frank
{------------ Please click the "White Kudos" Thumbs Up to say THANKS for helping.
Please click the "Accept As Solution" on my post, if my assistance has solved your issue. ------------V
This is a user supported forum. I am a volunteer and I don't work for HP.
HP 15t-j100 (on loan from HP)
HP 13 Split x2 (on loan from HP)
HP Slate8 Pro (on loan from HP)
HP a1632x - Windows 7, 4GB RAM, AMD Radeon HD 6450
HP p6130y - Windows 7, 8GB RAM, AMD Radeon HD 6450
HP p6320y - Windows 7, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GT 240
HP p7-1026 - Windows 7, 6GB RAM, AMD Radeon HD 6450
HP p6787c - Windows 7, 8GB RAM, NVIDIA GT 240

What Hard Drive Can I use?

Ok stupid question time. I want to get a firewire enclosure and put 3.5 hard drive in it for my mac mini. Can I buy any old hard drive and jam it into the box or do I have to buya hard drive that is specific for the Mac? I mean are hard drives mac or pc specific or are the just hard drives and formatted to the pc or mac when you buy them? I am sorry for the dumb question but I have been a PC user for years and am pretty new to the Mac world (only 1 year so far). Thanks for the reponse.

Just curious what should I be looking for with
regards to the enclosure? I mean is the Vantec
Nextstar 355 the only one I can use? I was hoping to
find one a little cheaper than $69.
I'm new to Mac as well. I've only had mine about 2 months. As far as HDD Exclosures, you should be able to find an enclosure for less than $69. A couple things to look out for when buying an enclosure is to look at the drive size capability. I've seen enclosures that at in the $30 price, but some stop at the 200Gb size range, where the ones in the $70 range, will support the larger drives like 500Gb. Now, this isn't always the case, as I have seen some expencive enclosures that don't support beyond 200Gb drives.
Now, if you decide to buy the enclosure, and drive as seperate pieces, you're drive will most likely not be partitioned, or formatted, as this is normally the case with boxed Western Digital, Maxtor, etc... So you'd need to take care of that with the Drive Utility that's part of your Mac after it's in the enclosure and connected to the Mac.
As a side note, I was down at my local CompUSA and they had a 160 Gb External LaCie Firewire drive at $139.00. This was a better buy for me, as I didn't need to buy the components, didn't need to put them together, and was less money than buying a 160Gb drive and enclosure. The LaCie drive was formatted FAT32, which I quicly changed to the Mac Journaled File System.
Timothy N. Couch

What hard drive to purchase?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for