Re: Question iBook - how to switch hard disk off?
 

Hello readers of this thread,
I recently came to this thread after doing a search on this topic. But after reading the responces I don't think the question was properly answered and it would help me out if I could re address this question.

A) Is it possible to boot an ibook from an external hard disk (preferably in os9)? [I assume this is what Mike was asking, in order to bypasss (i.e. "turn off) booting from his local loud knocking disk.]

my second question but slightly different but still relevant to the ibook HD topic:

B) Is it possible to link the HD from and ibook/Os9 to a powerbook G4/OSX through firewire ports, booting from the OSX on the G4 powerbook? [this is in order to transfer all my old files from my ibook to my powerbook without having to get an external hard drive]

basically my ibook is making this knocking noise too, and from experience with a desktop G3 and an iMac with similar sounds; the bearings and the HD disk arm that were failing, eventually not booting at all. In both cases I was able to opening up the computers and install new HDs. I will eventually open up the above mention ibook to install a new HD, but until then my urgency is in moving 20GB over to my power book asap.


thanks,
muserna


- - - - - - - - -Original post below frim Mike in the UK: - - - - - - -

I know that it seems like a strange question but does anybody knows a way to deactivate the hard drive of an ibook?
I explain why: the hard disk on the ibook is nearly dead - I can hear scary clicking noises and if you turn the ibook upside down you can feel that something is moving (maybe something to do with the heads of the HD?).
I found out that the cost to get the thing fixed by Apple (is out of warranty) will be at least £300 - I thought that that was a bit too much as a new ibook costs £749. So, I decided to use my external firewire drive as the main drive and it seems to work fine (I lost a bit of the portability though).
The question is that the internal HD still starts to turn every now and then, making a few clicks noises - I was wondering if there is a way to switch that off as it is not used?

- - - - E N D - S N I P - - - - - - - -

Yes to both questions.

In the case of transfering the files by firewire, the easiest way is to boot the ibook in target disk mode, though you may also be able to set up a network over firewire.

pre and post the HD surgery.
 

last last question:

In order to avoid the time consuming task of reloading/installing the os9 system and all the apps on the ibook once a new hard disk is installed, is it just as easy to copy the entire iBook HD to the firewire linked powerbook and tranfer it all back once the brain surgery on the iBook is complete?, i.e.:

1.start the powerbook target the disk of the ibook.
2. copy the entire HD of the ailing iBook to the powerbook.
3. install the new HD to the ibook.
4. start the powerbook targeting the new disk in the ibook.
5. copy old 0s9 system and app files back to the ibook.
?

Thanks,
muserna

I hear many good things about carbon copy cloner... you probably want to ceck it out for what you're doing. I have not used it so I don't know if you can clone a drive to a disk image on your other computer, but that's what I would try to do.

I can't think of any reason why you couldn't do what you're proposing, but have not tried it.

Long live the clones
 

Hey thanks for the Carbon Copy Cloner info. I am reading it's how to and related info regarding cloning Os9 and reinstalling it on a new system.

If anyone has experience in this and knows some issue I need to watch out for please post. Otherwise I will assuming it is pretty straight forward proceedure.

Thanks again,
muserna