Member Avatar for jetsetboy

I need to replace the CD-RW drive on a PowerMac G3. Does anyone know where I could get one of the following drives?:

Yamaha CRW4260, Yamaha CRW2260, or Ricoh MP6200

  • 8 Contributors
  • 12 Replies
  • 291 Views
  • 5 Months Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by Cerebral Assasi

Dani AI

Generated

Practical notes for anyone searching this thread for a Power Mac G3 CD‑RW (following ’s original request):

Most Power Mac G3 desktops use an internal ATA/ATAPI (IDE) optical bus, so a true ATAPI unit (for example the Ricoh MP6200 or Yamaha CRW4260 series) will generally match the electrical interface — check the drive manual for “Enhanced‑IDE/ATAPI” to be sure. Confirm your exact G3 model before buying (some factory configs and upgrades used SCSI or different controllers). ()

Installation and compatibility tips (gaps I didn’t see covered in the thread):

  • Verify interface and jumpers: set master/slave correctly and use the proper 40‑pin IDE ribbon and power connector. Early G3 boards (Revision A ROMs) have IDE limitations and may not support a slave device on the same channel — that can cause a non‑booting machine if jumpers/cables are incorrect. (en.wikipedia.org)
  • Physical fit: desktop G3s have standard 5.25" front bays, but you may need to swap bezels or use mounting brackets for a neat fit.
  • Test before final install: try the drive in an IDE→USB adapter or another machine first to confirm it’s functional and recognized by the OS.

Booting and burning caveats:

  • Some third‑party drives will read fine but won’t be recognized as a boot device or as a burner by Apple apps without extra software. On older Mac OS X versions people used utilities such as PatchBurn (or Toast on pre‑OSX systems) to enable burning. If native Finder/iTunes burning doesn’t appear, check System Profiler and consider PatchBurn/Toast as appropriate for your OS. (everymac.com)

Where to look: used marketplaces (eBay/local salvage), specialist refurbishers and parts sellers who list Power Mac G3‑compatible units (examples: PowerBookMedic, DVWarehouse). If the goal is a reliable bootable drive or DVD‑R capability, prefer a tested Apple‑compatible unit or an installer/tech who can confirm boot behavior before you buy. (powerbookmedic.com)

Acknowledgement: ’s ROM warning and ’s note about many Mac drives being standard IDE are both on point; ’s parts offer is exactly the sort of source to check if you need spares. Thanks to for the follow‑up that the original drive data was recovered — useful closure for future readers.

Recommended Answers

All 12 Replies

Member Avatar for extofer

I have ALOT ot old Hardware.. what do you need??
Let me tell you off the top of my head what i got, I can then go home and show pictures too...
but I got OLD 15" monitor
keybords,
old case, with MB, 486 processor, etc.
got Ribbon cables, fans, and new stuff too...
is there something in general you need??

Member Avatar for jetsetboy

I need one of these three CD-RW drives: Yamaha CRW4260, Yamaha CRW2260, or Ricoh MP6200

Member Avatar for kc0arf

Hello,

CAREFUL! Older Apple Hardware had a special ROM chip on the device, so that it would work properly with other apple hardware, and to keep the machine more closed. There are software extensions available to get around this limitation, however.

Christian

Member Avatar for Lightninghawk

How old would you like it? Hmm.. let's see.

Me, " This RAMM chip model is ... "experimental stone-age" version 1 <-- :O --> Wow that's fast Holy smokes it only took 30 minutes to start. "

Friend, " I know like totally dude. I can't wait to see when we can get it to down to 25 minutes "

---
In the market for old hardware. Or more current ?

Member Avatar for jetsetboy

Thanks all for your replies, and sorry for not getting back sooner. As it turns out, one of the hardware techs at my job was able to fix the old drive and we were able to save the data from it. I'll keep your info. and suggestions for future referencet though.
JSB

Member Avatar for alc6379

Just a quick heads-up on the Mac CD drives-- a lot of times, they're just standard IDE drives. I've had luck getting ATA drives (CD and hard drive) working well on just about every model of Mac I've used that's had an ATA connector, from the old LC series Macs, up to B&W G3 machines.

Member Avatar for jetsetboy

Thanks Alex!
JSB

Member Avatar for c0mplicated1987

i have a non used never had anyinformation inside of it., still with its original documents an external 80GB USB2.0 2MB Cache 7200 RPM.

Member Avatar for jetsetboy

Thanks c0mp87. I'm no longer on the search, but i'll keep that in mind for future reference.

Member Avatar for ardentsunshine

what kind of new stuff do you have?

Member Avatar for ardentsunshine

I have ALOT ot old Hardware.. what do you need??
Let me tell you off the top of my head what i got, I can then go home and show pictures too...
but I got OLD 15" monitor
keybords,
old case, with MB, 486 processor, etc.
got Ribbon cables, fans, and new stuff too...
is there something in general you need??

what kind of new stuff do you have

Member Avatar for Cerebral Assasi

what kind of new stuff do you have

Do you have mod stuff like LED fans and cooolers, trans ribbons etc ?

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.