Hard Drive from Mac to PC

Echo · Echo #1 (**permalink**)

03-25-2009, 06:02 PM

Hello,

I just swapped the original hard drive in my MacBook with a larger HD, and I want to use the original as an external HD for extra storage and to move files from my PC to my Mac. I just erased and formatted the hard drive as MS-DOS (FAT) and plugged it into my PC via USB, but the drive isn't showing up anywhere. Help, please?

Thanks.

chscag · chscag #2 (**permalink**)

03-26-2009, 01:01 AM

Attach the drive to your PC and open Disk Manager. Disk Manager can usually see a drive even if it hasn't been formatted. Can you see the drive from Disk Manager? Post back.

Regards.

Echo · Echo #3 (**permalink**)

03-26-2009, 03:50 PM

It doesn't show up in Disk Manager. When I connect my drive, the light on the enclosure goes from blue to red to blue and back to red and stays like that, it also makes a continual beep beep noise.

vansmith · vansmith #4 (**permalink**)

03-26-2009, 04:10 PM

If you plug it into your Mac, is it recognized? If you right-click the external (assuming it's recognized) and choose "Get Info", does it state that the HD is formatted as FAT next to "Format:"?

Echo · Echo #5 (**permalink**)

03-26-2009, 04:13 PM

Yeah, it works fine on my Mac. Beside Format, it says "MS-DOS (FAT32)".

vansmith · vansmith #6 (**permalink**)

03-26-2009, 04:36 PM

Have you tried different USB ports on your PC? I know from experience that sometimes changing the USB port helps in getting things recognized.

Echo · Echo #7 (**permalink**)

03-26-2009, 04:46 PM

Nope, still doesn't get recognized. I guess the next step would be to try it on a different PC.

Any other ideas for now?

chscag · chscag #8 (**permalink**)

03-26-2009, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Echo

Nope, still doesn't get recognized. I guess the next step would be to try it on a different PC.

Any other ideas for now?

If the drive is recognized and correctly identified by the Mac and not the PC and you state that when attached to the PC the enclosure lights eventually turn to red and beeps, that would indicate to me something else is wrong. Possibly with the USB ports or USB controller in your PC but more than likely it has to do with available power to the ports.

If other USB devices work OK on that PC, it may be that the enclosure is drawing too much current from the ports (exceeding the port capability) and it shuts down. (red light and beeping) BTW, even AC powered enclosures can draw too much current.

Let us know if it works when trying it on another PC.

Regards.

Echo · Echo #9 (**permalink**)

03-27-2009, 04:35 PM

It's all working now. I tried it on my PC at work and it was recognized. So, my boss gave a me a USB hub he had lying around. My home PC is pretty old, and it's pretty much crap, so I guess it couldn't pick up the signal or whatever. Regardless, transferring information onto the drive seems to be as slow as doing it over the network because my PC has USB 1 slots. Oh well.

Thanks for the responses guys.

vansmith · vansmith #10 (**permalink**)

03-27-2009, 04:45 PM

Transferrign through a USB hub will also make the transfer slow down. If I plug in my external to my USB hub, TM takes its sweet time backing up.

vansmith #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 19, 2008 Location: Ottawa Posts: 15,297 Mac Specs: 2012 13" MBP (2.5 i5, 8GB)	03-26-2009, 04:10 PM If you plug it into your Mac, is it recognized? If you right-click the external (assuming it's recognized) and choose "Get Info", does it state that the HD is formatted as FAT next to "Format:"? Important Links: Community Guidelines : Use the reputation system if you've been helped. M-F Blog :: Write for the blog :: M-F IRC Channel - Chats every Sunday at 8PM EST.
	QUOTE Thanks

vansmith #6 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 19, 2008 Location: Ottawa Posts: 15,297 Mac Specs: 2012 13" MBP (2.5 i5, 8GB)	03-26-2009, 04:36 PM Have you tried different USB ports on your PC? I know from experience that sometimes changing the USB port helps in getting things recognized. Important Links: Community Guidelines : Use the reputation system if you've been helped. M-F Blog :: Write for the blog :: M-F IRC Channel - Chats every Sunday at 8PM EST.
	QUOTE Thanks

vansmith #10 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 19, 2008 Location: Ottawa Posts: 15,297 Mac Specs: 2012 13" MBP (2.5 i5, 8GB)	03-27-2009, 04:45 PM Transferrign through a USB hub will also make the transfer slow down. If I plug in my external to my USB hub, TM takes its sweet time backing up. Important Links: Community Guidelines : Use the reputation system if you've been helped. M-F Blog :: Write for the blog :: M-F IRC Channel - Chats every Sunday at 8PM EST.
	QUOTE Thanks

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Echo #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 25, 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 11 Mac Specs: Aluminium MacBook 2GHz 2GB RAM 250GB HD OS X 10.5.8 and iPod Classic 80GB	03-25-2009, 06:02 PM Hello, I just swapped the original hard drive in my MacBook with a larger HD, and I want to use the original as an external HD for extra storage and to move files from my PC to my Mac. I just erased and formatted the hard drive as MS-DOS (FAT) and plugged it into my PC via USB, but the drive isn't showing up anywhere. Help, please? Thanks.
	QUOTE Thanks

chscag #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 23, 2008 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 31,978 Mac Specs: 21.5" iMac 2.5 GHz i5, iPad 3rd Gen., 3 iPods	03-26-2009, 01:01 AM Attach the drive to your PC and open Disk Manager. Disk Manager can usually see a drive even if it hasn't been formatted. Can you see the drive from Disk Manager? Post back. Regards.
	QUOTE Thanks

Echo #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 25, 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 11 Mac Specs: Aluminium MacBook 2GHz 2GB RAM 250GB HD OS X 10.5.8 and iPod Classic 80GB	03-26-2009, 04:13 PM Yeah, it works fine on my Mac. Beside Format, it says "MS-DOS (FAT32)".
	QUOTE Thanks

Echo #7 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 25, 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 11 Mac Specs: Aluminium MacBook 2GHz 2GB RAM 250GB HD OS X 10.5.8 and iPod Classic 80GB	03-26-2009, 04:46 PM Nope, still doesn't get recognized. I guess the next step would be to try it on a different PC. Any other ideas for now?
	QUOTE Thanks

Echo #9 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 25, 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 11 Mac Specs: Aluminium MacBook 2GHz 2GB RAM 250GB HD OS X 10.5.8 and iPod Classic 80GB	03-27-2009, 04:35 PM It's all working now. I tried it on my PC at work and it was recognized. So, my boss gave a me a USB hub he had lying around. My home PC is pretty old, and it's pretty much crap, so I guess it couldn't pick up the signal or whatever. Regardless, transferring information onto the drive seems to be as slow as doing it over the network because my PC has USB 1 slots. Oh well. Thanks for the responses guys.
	QUOTE Thanks

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