Macbook doen't recognize external hard
- Thread starter Paul Park
- Start date
Hello, first thread by a newbie.First off welcome to the forum.
1. Restart your macbook without the external hard drive first attached.
2. Go to Utilities/Disk Utilities then attach your Hardrive.
3. Have a look in the top left column for a orange symbol of a sparehd to show.
4. If the drive shows and the your drive is empty one nothing important on the format the sparehd MSDOS macos so the computer can recognise.
Hopefully a grownup will correct me.
1. Restart your macbook without the external hard drive first attached.
2. Go to Utilities/Disk Utilities then attach your Hardrive.
3. Have a look in the top left column for a orange symbol of a sparehd to show.
4. If the drive shows and the your drive is empty one nothing important on the format the sparehd MSDOS macos so the computer can recognise.
Hopefully a grownup will correct me.
M
MacInWin
Guest
What MBP? What version of the OS? What external drives? How are they attached? We need a lot of information to be really helpful. However, in general, OSX should mount external drives as soon as they are connected, unless they are not formatted at all. I haven't mounted an NTFS (Windows format) drive in a very long time so perhaps they don't auto mount, either, since natively OSX can read, but not write, to them.
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@OP Are we sure the Finder is set to show external drives on the desktop? if not the disk will be there but not be visible. Here's how to check:
1. While you are in the Finder choose Preferences from the Finder menu.
2. A new "sheet" appears. Click on the button marked "General".
3. Make sure the "External Disk" option is checked.
1. While you are in the Finder choose Preferences from the Finder menu.
2. A new "sheet" appears. Click on the button marked "General".
3. Make sure the "External Disk" option is checked.
Re
Dear All, Thank you very much for your help.
None of what you have suggested me solved the problem.
It is OS X Version 10.7.5
I have tried with my iPhone, Samsung galaxy Note 2, and a Toshiba external hard. It was attached through USB.
Please help me. Although I have made an genius bar appointment, I need to back up my files before reformatting.
Thanks a lot.
Paul
Dear All, Thank you very much for your help.
None of what you have suggested me solved the problem.
It is OS X Version 10.7.5
I have tried with my iPhone, Samsung galaxy Note 2, and a Toshiba external hard. It was attached through USB.
Please help me. Although I have made an genius bar appointment, I need to back up my files before reformatting.
Thanks a lot.
Paul
M
MacInWin
Guest
Sounds like the problem is not that it's not recognizing drives, but that the USB port is duff, so NOTHING will connect. Take your backup drive with you to the genius bar appointment, see if my diagnosis is correct. If it is, the repair is to replace the board on which the USB is mounted (probably the motherboard), which won't affect your internal drive (I think). If not, and the genius can get the HD recognized, do the backup, then let them do whatever you were going there for them to do.
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What do you mean by that? I don't remember hearing beeps from most drives when I connect them? Are other USB devices working properly when connected to that port?
BTW Do the hard drives you are connecting have their own power (electrical) plugs or do they draw power from the USB port?
When I insert my external hards to my usb port, I hear beeps and the power charging function is working, but no external hard icon appears which means I can't open or copy my files in my external hards via my macbook pro.
Thanks
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When you say that the power charging function is working do you mean that the drive is spinning up and getting power? If so that is good to know but we still need to know if the drive has a connection for a separate power (electrical) connection. Some USB drives do not function well drawing power only from the USB port.
M
MacInWin
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As slydude said, this is NOT the normal behavior of the USB port. When other devices are attached to the USB port, does data flow? From your previous description, it would appear that it does NOT, which means the USB port is duff, as I said. Does the port work with USB memory sticks?
Also, USB ports don't beep. Where are the beeps you are hearing coming from?
Yes, when I insert any upb devices such as external hard, my iPhone 5s, or Samsung Note 2, I hear beeps from my macbook pro and they get charged (external hard's bulb turns on), but I can't open and copy any files in them, since I don't see their icons.
Thanks for your help.
Thanks for your help.
M
MacInWin
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Test this: Open iTunes. Connect your iPhone. Your iPhone should beep, but NOT your MBP. Does iTunes show your iPhone connected? If not, then the USB port or the cable are not working.
I did as you suggested, and found everything is normal. I am restoring from my iPhone now, but still I don't see my iPhone on my MBP finder which means I can't open it.
Thanks everybody!
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The iPhone will not appear in the Finder without third-party software that is the way it is designed. Files are moved to and from the phone by using iTunes to select the files then syncing the phone. I'm not sure about the Samsung as I haven't used those.
I don't think we ever answered the question of whether the hard drive draws power only from USB or whether it has electrical power. If we did I missed that. What model is the Toshiba drive you are trying to connect.
Edit: I did find in a quick search that some users are having trouble connecting various Samsung models to Macs. This is probably due in part to misunderstanding about which versions of various software are being used. Here's one example of how it's done How to connect Galaxy Note 2 to Mac - Go Smartdevice
I don't think we ever answered the question of whether the hard drive draws power only from USB or whether it has electrical power. If we did I missed that. What model is the Toshiba drive you are trying to connect.
Edit: I did find in a quick search that some users are having trouble connecting various Samsung models to Macs. This is probably due in part to misunderstanding about which versions of various software are being used. Here's one example of how it's done How to connect Galaxy Note 2 to Mac - Go Smartdevice
Dear Slydude, thank you very much for your answer.
My main concern is that I was able to open my external hard and phones from my MBP finder. My Toshiba hard is an old HDDR640E04X. However, I am no longer able to do it. I am asking if there are thinks I can try with my MBP setting.
Thanks a lot.
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Thanks for the information about the hard drive. It looks like it draws power through the USB ports but I cannot tell whether it has a connection for a separate electrical power cord. I have a couple more questions that might help things along:
1. You say you have used this drive with the Finder before. Have you used it with this specific Mac? That's important. If I remember correctly some Macs put out a bit more power at the USB port than others.
2. I think that drive has a cables with two usb ends on it. Were both ends plugged into the Mac?
3. Do you have another computer that you can plug the drive into just to see if the drive can be read? Just because it spins does not mean it is working properly.
4. Have you tried connecting the drive to a usb hub that has a separate electrical power cord? That sometimes helps with these drives.
1. You say you have used this drive with the Finder before. Have you used it with this specific Mac? That's important. If I remember correctly some Macs put out a bit more power at the USB port than others.
2. I think that drive has a cables with two usb ends on it. Were both ends plugged into the Mac?
3. Do you have another computer that you can plug the drive into just to see if the drive can be read? Just because it spins does not mean it is working properly.
4. Have you tried connecting the drive to a usb hub that has a separate electrical power cord? That sometimes helps with these drives.
Yes,
1. I am talking about this particular MBP. I only have one MBP with which I was able to open my phones and external hard, but not any more.
2. Tried both slots without any differences.
3. Yes, I have tried with my Thinkpad with which I was able to open my iPhone and copy files.
4. No I have not. I don't have any hub.
Please try to connect your phone into your MB and check what happens on your finder. I was able to see an iPhone or other devices' icon under the device section left side of my finder. It doesn't happen any more.
Thank you very much for your time.
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Please excuse any confusion I may have caused. I meant are you able to read the Toshiba hard drive if you connect it to another computer. If it has been Mac formatted a Windows machine won't be able to read it but will see that it is there.
I have a "Devices" section in my Finder window but the iPhone does not appear there. As I say on the Mac side the iPhone doesn't usually appear in the Finder without third-party software. Has your iPhone been jailbroken (running something other than the standard iPhone operating software)?
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