Resolved iBook G3 HDD Replacement

[ApplePearGrapefruit]

Hello everyone, I have a 500MHz iBook G3 Snow that I have recently acquired. It didn't come with a hard drive so I bought the same mSATA to IDE adapter that I put in both of my PowerBooks but when I tried to connect it to the iBook ribbon cable, there were little white blocks in some of the holes that won't allow it to connect (I will attach a picture below). So am I just dumb or is there something special about the iBook HDD that I haven't considered? Thanks in advance!

 

[Doq]

That one in the middle looks like the pin 20 fill for drive keying. Not sure about the edge fills. They might not be necessary. Try lining up your adapter with that pin 20 hole; there should be a missing pin on it that'll match.

There should be, but if the pin is present you may need to remove it.

 

[ApplePearGrapefruit]

That one in the middle looks like the pin 20 fill for drive keying. Not sure about the edge fills. They might not be necessary. Try lining up your adapter with that pin 20 hole; there should be a missing pin on it that'll match.

There should be, but if the pin is present you may need to remove it.

I can line it up with that but the ones on the edge are blocking the connector still

 

[Doq]

I can line it up with that but the ones on the edge are blocking the connector still

I see. If your adapter has the four extra pins used for supplementary power (I have circled them in the attached image), you may need to remove those instead; they shouldn't be necessary for your iBook anyway.

If you're not comfortable with that modification, obtaining an adapter with 40 (39) pins instead of the 44 (43) will get you going.

 

[ApplePearGrapefruit]

I see. If your adapter has the four extra pins used for supplementary power (I have circled them in the attached image), you may need to remove those instead; they shouldn't be necessary for your iBook anyway.

If you're not comfortable with that modification, obtaining an adapter with 40 (39) pins instead of the 44 (43) will get you going.

I see. I'm just curious why I haven't seen anything about this online?

 

[Doq]

I see. I'm just curious why I haven't seen anything about this online?

I'm not sure. I didn't even know the iBook's HDD cable blocked the supplementary power pins, especially since the iFixit guides for these models show a hard drive with these pins installed in the system.

I wonder if your drive cable is 3rd party.

 

[ApplePearGrapefruit]

I'm not sure. I didn't even know the iBook's HDD cable blocked the supplementary power pins, especially since the iFixit guides for these models show a hard drive with these pins installed in the system.

I wonder if your drive cable is 3rd party.

That's what I was wondering. I have another iBook I just need to take it apart and see if it has the same connector. Thank you!

 

[AphoticD]

Curiously, I pulled out one of my dismantled iBook G3 700MHz units and have the same findings as @ApplePearGrapefruit. I've never actually upgraded to SSD in these models, so I hadn't come across this incompatibility before.

The HDD/CD-ROM ribbon cable pin arrangement from the 700MHz iBook G3 appears to match the 500MHz model in first post, however the pins are filled from factory rather than being plugged with a putty as also shown in first post. It doesn't make a difference, but just an observation.


The pin block is accommodated for on a regular 2.5" IDE HDD from this era...


But attempting to connect an mSATA to IDE adapter shows the board/housing are obscuring the pin block.



Let's mod!

You could modify your adapter/housing, but I opted to mod the pin block because those two outer pins are clearly unused, and just getting in the way...


Carefully cut the last two (blocked) pins of the plastic block away. Do not damage the ribbon!


I discovered there are two inaccessible pins under the block here. I bent them down in the photo here.
Be careful not to cut into the adjacent cells.


Bend the superfluous pins back and forth a couple of times and they'll cleanly snap off.


We can now connect the mSATA to IDE adapter!

​

Let us know how you go

 

[ApplePearGrapefruit]

Curiously, I pulled out one of my dismantled iBook G3 700MHz units and have the same findings as @ApplePearGrapefruit. I've never actually upgraded to SSD in these models, so I hadn't come across this incompatibility before.

View attachment 2257741
The HDD/CD-ROM ribbon cable pin arrangement from the 700MHz iBook G3 appears to match the 500MHz model in first post, however the pins are filled from factory rather than being plugged with a putty as also shown in first post. It doesn't make a difference, but just an observation.

View attachment 2257743
The pin block is accommodated for on a regular 2.5" IDE HDD from this era...

View attachment 2257742
But attempting to connect an mSATA to IDE adapter shows the board/housing are obscuring the pin block.



Let's mod!
View attachment 2257749
You could modify your adapter/housing, but I opted to mod the pin block because those two outer pins are clearly unused, and just getting in the way...

View attachment 2257751
Carefully cut the last two (blocked) pins of the plastic block away. Do not damage the ribbon!

View attachment 2257752
I discovered there are two inaccessible pins under the block here. I bent them down in the photo here.
Be careful not to cut into the adjacent cells.

View attachment 2257753
Bend the superfluous pins back and forth a couple of times and they'll cleanly snap off.

View attachment 2257754
We can now connect the mSATA to IDE adapter!

​

Let us know how you go

Thank you so much!! I cut off the last 2 pins just like you said and then reassembled the iBook and now it has Tiger running smooth!

 

[AphoticD]

Thank you so much!! I cut off the last 2 pins just like you said and then reassembled the iBook and now it has Tiger running smooth!
View attachment 2258023

So good!

I have a few of these iBook G3s (4x 12" and 1x 14"), and the only one still fully functioning is the first-gen 500MHz. All later units failed due to the well documented GPU solder issue found with the Mobility Radeon [7000/7500] series.

Enjoy your Icey-book!