My mac is here. Won't recognize my usb hardrive

AdamBigge · AdamBigge #1 (**permalink**)

11-06-2006, 07:34 PM

My new iMac will not recognize my usb hard drive. Any Ideas?
The hard Drive is an IDE drive in a USB cradle adapter. My old Windows laptop can read it but not my Mac.

yogi · yogi #2 (**permalink**)

11-07-2006, 12:50 AM

Possibel Ideas for the problem:

Did you plug it on the keyboard or in the back? What Filesystem is your drive using?

eric · eric #3 (**permalink**)

11-08-2006, 09:41 PM

from what i understand, this could be a power issue too.

do you have the double ended cable or just a single?
(single appears normal - standard usb plug on one end, some standard or proprietary end that goes into your device. the double will have an additional standard usb plug probably attached to the first by a short cable).

the double allows for more juice to power the external harddrive.
one came with my 2.5" enclosure. i've got an 80G drive in that one from an HP17" laptop that melted on me (i think it's a 5400). i've never had to use both connections. not sure if it would be faster with both. but i've had no issues either way.

i've also got a 3.5 inch enclosure with a 120G drive in it. however this puppy has it's own power supply.

eric · eric #4 (**permalink**)

11-08-2006, 09:45 PM

oh, and about the filesystem.

the 80G drive had ntfs when i pulled it from the other laptop. when attached to the macbook it could see/read all the files, but i could not delete or modify any of them. i had to move all the data i wanted to keep off that drive, and then reformat using a windows file system that the mac could have full access to (probably fat32, can't remember) and that i could access from my work laptop which is a wintel machine.

Daddy Elmis · Daddy Elmis #5 (**permalink**)

11-10-2006, 03:35 PM

until I reformatted my usb 120g harddrive to FAT32, the mac would not see it either (it was originally formated NTFS for XP). With FAT32 both the mac and XP (running under Boot Camp) have no trouble with the drive.

caribiner23 · caribiner23 #6 (**permalink**)

11-10-2006, 04:05 PM

I would put money down that this is a power issue. You may need some sort of power source in order for it to work on the Mac.

Yogi's suggestion is valid in this vein-- make sure you have it plugged directly into the USB port on the computer, not through a hub or any kind of extension.

Does it light up (if there are any lights on it) or does it just sit there? Can you tell us the make/model of the USB/IDE adapter?

yogi #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 14, 2005 Location: St. Gallen, Switzerland Posts: 1,973 Mac Specs: iMac Core i5, iPad, iPhone 4	11-07-2006, 12:50 AM Possibel Ideas for the problem: Did you plug it on the keyboard or in the back? What Filesystem is your drive using? If you liked this post, consider using the Reputation System.
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caribiner23 #6 (permalink)
Member Since: Feb 06, 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,404 Mac Specs: Macbook; iBook G4 12"; iPod 5G 30GB; iPod Shuffle 1GB	11-10-2006, 04:05 PM I would put money down that this is a power issue. You may need some sort of power source in order for it to work on the Mac. Yogi's suggestion is valid in this vein-- make sure you have it plugged directly into the USB port on the computer, not through a hub or any kind of extension. Does it light up (if there are any lights on it) or does it just sit there? Can you tell us the make/model of the USB/IDE adapter? Cheap Date Show: Real people. Real food. Real date.
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My mac is here. Won't recognize my usb hardrive

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AdamBigge #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 31, 2006 Posts: 5	11-06-2006, 07:34 PM My new iMac will not recognize my usb hard drive. Any Ideas? The hard Drive is an IDE drive in a USB cradle adapter. My old Windows laptop can read it but not my Mac.
	QUOTE Thanks

eric #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 04, 2006 Location: twin cities, mn, usa Posts: 8,800	11-08-2006, 09:45 PM oh, and about the filesystem. the 80G drive had ntfs when i pulled it from the other laptop. when attached to the macbook it could see/read all the files, but i could not delete or modify any of them. i had to move all the data i wanted to keep off that drive, and then reformat using a windows file system that the mac could have full access to (probably fat32, can't remember) and that i could access from my work laptop which is a wintel machine.
	QUOTE Thanks

Daddy Elmis #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 28, 2006 Posts: 386	11-10-2006, 03:35 PM until I reformatted my usb 120g harddrive to FAT32, the mac would not see it either (it was originally formated NTFS for XP). With FAT32 both the mac and XP (running under Boot Camp) have no trouble with the drive.
	QUOTE Thanks

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