Using a Compact Flash (CF) to IDE (ATA) Adapter in an IDE-Based Macintosh...

First and foremost, thanks to the mostly anonymous forum posts which guided me to the correct setup. This article will cover what you need, where to get it, how to do it, and where to go from there!

The Background

Understanding what type of Macintosh this guide covers is key to your sucess. THIS IS NOT INTENDED FOR SCSI or SATA (extremely recent) BASED MACINTOSHES! 

Beginning in 1994, Apple came out with the Quadra 630 line of Macintosh, branded along with the LC 630 and the Performa 630, this was the first Apple computer to use an ATA type hard disk controller. The ubiquity of IDE hard disks that had been established due to IBM's endeavors, along with the target audience of educational institutions not needing too much speed, this led to one of the cheapest offerings Apple gave with a Macintosh from that point onward.

            A Performa 630 (Bolha.com)

What You'll Need

You'll need to see if your mac has an IDE type hard drive. Searching your model into google is a good first step, though if your Mac's hard disk has an IDE-type data cable, you're in luck! (sorta). Next you'll want to grab three things:

                                                                1. A Compact Flash to IDE adapter board (The less the board has, the better!) These cheap SinLoon ones work perfrectly for under $10

2. A Compact Flash Card WARNING! DO NOT USE A CARD WITH "DMA OR UDMA"! Find a CF card that is "DOS Compatable" with no "High Speed," or "x166/x233" markings. Just a plain ol' regular CF card. OTHER COMPACT                          An IDE Cable (StarTech.com)         FLASH  CARDS WILL NOT WORK!!! These, for example, from Verbatim, are the only ones that have been tested and actually work. Brand does not matter, nor does                                                                             whether one gets them from Amazon or WalMart. 4GB has been successful, (and is what I used in the Performa 630 w/ Sys. 7.5.1); though, depending on which System version you are using, drive sizes will _^possibly be limited to 2gb.

3. Boot Disk: This may be tricky, as some Macs which have IDE are finnicky with their installation media. For example, a Performa 63(x) (630 in my case) will only boot with a System 7 disc which is marked as "Performa Series 9(xx)" The Repository here contains multitudes of CDs and floppy images at a click. There exists tools which "unlock" other versions of installers to work on any Macintosh, however that is out of the scope of this article. (sorry!)

Installation

    (Unfinished) Installations will vary from computer to computer, however mostly all the Macintosh that are in the "Quadra 900" family are disassembled in the same general way. Simply remove and save (if possible) the old drive and hook up the IDE-2-CF adapter using a "Molex to Floppy" adapter for power, along with insterting the CF card itself and the IDE ribbon cable.

No formatting of the card itself is needed. If using a System 7.x.x boot disk/disc, the included SC HD Format utility will be enough to format the drive itself.

(Troubleshooting)

(Acknowledgements)

(Fun Stuff)