Quadra/Performa/LC 630 Software Restoration Process

If you have a Macintosh Performa/Quadra/LC 630 with a failed (or failing) hard drive that you wish to replace then you may have a long job ahead of you. But you get it easy… because I already did (most of) the hard work.

Here I present a thorough process for restoring one of these machines.

What I Did

I have read all of the important documentation, parsed all the dialog boxes, found all the software I could find and fully experienced the trial and error – all so you don’t have to. If you have a DOS Compatible variant then you’re in luck – I have instructions for that too.

It goes without saying: If you have all of the original software media for your particular Mac, use that. It’s easier.

What I Didn’t Do

I did not manage to test networking functionality on DOS Compatible machines, as none of my applicable machines has a network card and I was not able to find the complete original software package for the DOS Compatible systems.

Supported Models

This process should generally work to restore the system software to any of these following computers:

  • Macintosh Quadra 630
  • Macintosh Performa 630
  • Macintosh LC 630
  • Macintosh Performa 630CD
  • Macintosh Performa 630CD DOS compatible
  • Macintosh LC 630 DOS
  • Macintosh Performa 631CD
  • Macintosh Performa 635CD
  • Macintosh Performa 636
  • Macintosh Performa 636CD
  • Macintosh Performa 637CD
  • Macintosh Performa 638CD
  • Macintosh Performa 640CD DOS compatible

Required Software

All Models
DOS Compatible Models

Required Hardware

  • Suitable storage device for the Performa. (I used a IDE to CompactFlash converter with a 2GB CompactFlash card.)
  • An external SCSI CD-ROM drive if your Mac doesn’t have an internal drive.

Required Tools and Materials

  • A #2 Phillips screwdriver – you’ll have to take the Macs apart.
  • Disassembly guide for the Performa: [http://tim.id.au/laptops/apple/legacy/performa_630_series.pdf]
  • 1.44MB Floppies! You’ll need a maximum of twelve of them.
  • Blank CD-RWs – you’ll need exactly three.
  • You’ll need a combination of one of these:
    • Super Easy Way: A Mac running OS 9 and a 1.44MB Floppy Drive the Mac supports.
    • Easy Way: A PowerPC Mac Running OS X, a USB-To-IDE adapter the Mac supports and a 1.44MB Floppy Drive the Mac supports.
    • Hard Way: A Mac running MacOS 9 with IDE and a 1.44MB Floppy Drive the Mac supports.
  • CD burning apparatus – a drive and software on one of the above computers that can write ISO files.
  • If you have a DOS Compatible model, you’ll also need a PC running Windows with a functioning 1.44MB floppy drive that supports RawWriteWin (or a way to low-level write raw floppy images to disks on a Mac – whatever suits your fancy).

Process

Preparation
  • Download all of the software you’ll need.
  • Burn the ISO files to disks and label them.
  • For DOS Compatibles:
    • Use DiskCopy 6 on a Mac (Mac OS 9 works best here) to write PC Compatibility 1.6.4, Disks 1 and 2 to floppies and label them. (You may be able to use Drive Utility in OS X, but it will be a roundabout process)
    • Use RawWriteWin on Windows to write all three DOS 6.22 disk images and six Windows 3.11 for Workgroup disk images to floppies and label them.
  • Keep one floppy handy – you’ll need it during Mac Software Installation.

Here’s where it gets weird. These steps are necessary because I have not found a way with any combination of OS, software or tools to get the Performa itself to see a blank IDE device and initialize it consistently. Sometimes it will see the device, other times it won’t. To be certain of success, you have to initialize the device on another Mac in order to proceed.

  • Drive Prep: Super Easy Way
    • Just hook up the drive move on. It might just work. If it doesn’t, come back here and try Easy Way or Hard Way.
  • Drive Prep: Easy Way
    • Attach the device through your USB-to-IDE adapter.
    • Boot your Mac OS X machine. Launch Disk Utility. Select the CompactFlash Device. Click Partition. Uncheck “Install MacOS 9 Drivers”. Partition it as Mac OS Standard. Eject the disk, close Disk Utility and skip to installing the device in your Performa. If you do this, the disk may not be bootable, so you may have to use a Mac OS 8.0 CD’s Drive Setup on your Performa to “Update Drivers” on the device.
  • Drive Prep: Hard Way
    • Open up your MacOS 9.0 Mac. (I used a Power Macintosh 5500/225 because it’s easy to get to the innards.)
    • If you have a free IDE port on your MacOS 9.0 Mac
      • Connect your new storage device to it.
      • Use the Drive Setup tool on this Mac to Initialize your new storage device. The tool should be in the Utilities folder on the root of the hard drive.
      • Shut down, disconnect the storage device and put the Mac back together.
    • If you don’t have a free IDE port
      • Connect your new storage device to the Mac’s hard drive cable.
      • Boot to the MacOS 8.5 CD
      • Use the Drive Setup tool on the CD to Initialize your new storage device. The tool should be in the Utilities folder on the root of the CD.
      • Shut down, disconnect the storage device and put the Mac back together.

Open up the Performa (!) and install your new storage device, then reassemble it.

Mac Software Installation
  • Boot to the 7.5.3 CD
  • Open the CD from the desktop. Then browse to Disk Images:System Software
  • Double Click on Disk Tools 2.image. Disk Copy 4.2 will launch. Click “Make a Copy”
  • Insert the spare floppy to create the disk.
  • When the process is done, reboot the Mac from the Disk Tools 2 Floppy you just made
  • Insert the Mac OS 7.5 [Performa 630 DOS] CD
  • Open the CD from the Desktop. Then browse to the System Folder:Extensions. Find the aLoadIDE extension.
  • Open the Disk Tools 2 Floppy from the desktop. Then Browse to System Folder:Extensions.
  • Copy the aLoadIDE extension from the CD to the System:Extensions folder on the Disk Tools 2 floppy.
  • Eject the CD and reboot to the Disk Tools 2 Floppy
  • Once you reboot, you should see your new storage device sitting happily on the desktop.
  • Insert the 7.5.3 CD. Find the System installer and install 7.5.3 to your new storage device.
  • Once installed, eject all disks and reboot. You’re now running MacOS from your new storage device!

If your model is not DOS Compatible, you’re done. Have a beverage of your choice.
If it is DOS Compatible, you’re halfway done. Continue reading.

PC Software Installation
~ Prepping the PC ~
  • Insert PC Compatibility Software 1.6.4 Disk 1 and install the software. Reboot the Mac when finished.
  • Inside MacOS, open the Control Panel. Launch PC Setup.
  • Create a new C: image file by selecting the dropdown under the C: box.
  • Ensure that the C: image file you created is showing in the C: dropdown.
  • Close and reopen PC Setup to ensure it saves your settings.
~ Installing DOS 6.22 ~
  • Launch PC Setup (if not already)
  • Make sure all floppies are ejected.
  • Click Switch to PC.
  • Insert the DOS 6.22 Disk 1, preferably before the boot process starts.
  • Allow the floppy to boot up. Install DOS, taking all the defaults and swapping disks when requested.
  • Once DOS setup is completed, eject the floppy, switch back to the Mac and shut down the PC, then restart the PC.
  • Allow the PC to boot.
  • Insert the PC Setup 1.6.4 Disk 2 floppy. Wait for the drive to stop making noise.
  • Type a:\setup.exe and press Enter to install the DOS drivers support drivers. Take all the defaults.
  • Allow the installer to reboot the PC. Eject the floppy before the reboot cycle completes.
~ Installing Windows 3.11 ~
  • Once booted into DOS, insert Windows 3.11 Disk 1.
  • Type A:\setup.exe to begin installing Windows. Take all the defaults.
  • When you reboot the PC, type WIN and hit Enter to start Windows.
  • Once inside Windows, you can use Notepad to edit C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT and add the word WIN on a line by itself at the very end of the file. This allows Windows to start automatically whenever you start the PC.
~ Set up Sound ~
  • Load Windows.
  • Double click on the Main program group, then open Control Panel
  • Double click on Drivers.
  • Select SoundBlaster 1.5 at the left and click Install on the right.
  • Confirm any dialog warnings.
  • When the installer asks you for port and interrupt, give it 220 and 5, respectively.
  • Reboot the PC when requested.

Helpful Links

http://tim.id.au/laptops/apple/legacy/performa_630_series.pdf
http://tim.id.au/laptops/apple/legacy/quadra.lc_630.performa_640.pdf
http://www.chrysocome.net/rawwrite
http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm
https://winworldpc.com/library/
http://pccardfaq.com/
http://www.mug.jhmi.edu/mirrors/InfoAlley/0795/10/dos.html
http://asa.max1zzz.co.uk/English-North_American/DOS-Windows/DOS_and_PC_Compatibility_SW/
http://www.umich.edu/~archive/mac/misc/documentation/houdinifaq1.01.txt