[geeks] Need advice on an incoming Mac SE/30...

[Geoff Reed]

At 07:16 AM 11/9/01 -0500, you wrote:
>The HD is small, and I have a large selection of 1 and 2 Gig SCSI drives -
>will this take 1.6" (HH) tall 3.5" SCSI drives, or only 1" tall? Is there
>any concern with heat if I put in a 1 or 2 Gig drive?

NO real heat concern for 1 or 2 gig drives unless they're like the old HP 
1.6" 5400 rpm drives that you could almost burn yourself on.  IIRC a SE/30 
has room for a 1" drive inside (about the same space as a floppy)

>If I do upgrade the drive, can I transfer the OS/software to the new drive,
>then swap the drives? If so, how - would I attach the new drive external,
>then copy, or put the new drive inside, the old would be external, and then
>copy over?

Get a MAC HD utility (Micronet HD utility or the like) put the drive on 
external, and format / partition it :)  then just drag the system folder 
and data from the old HD to the new one, then perform your surgery to swap 
the drives around.  it matters not if the boot drive is internal or 
external.  I've had a 5 1/4" full high 20 gig seagate as the boot for a mac 
(externally natch) here on and off :)

>Ethernet cards are available for this box, right? Any leads on one other
>than eBay? Is this a HW-only upgrade, or are drivers typically needed?

HW and drivers, there are 2 types I've put into SE/30's, one goes into the 
PDS? (Processor direct slot) and has a ethernet aui/bnc connector that goes 
into the back of the case, the other type I've used is an Asante SCSI<-> 
Ethernet adaptor....

>Finally, if I am going to upgrade this box, I guess I will need a special
>tool to open the case, right? Any leads/loaners possible?

IIRC it's just a Torx T-15, or T-20, extra long I have one herer that is a 
monster, it's 24" long :)  it's the only long torx driver of the right size 
that a local shop had ~ 9 years ago...