Trying to format a new Hard Drive

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I have an iMac G5 (isight) and it's been playing up for a while. I took it to the Genius Bar at the Apple store and was told I need a new hard drive.

I bought a Seagate 7200 SATA II 500GB Hard Drive, brand, spanking new and got it all installed and ready to go.

When I try formatting the new Hard Drive from my install disc thru disk utility, I have problems. When I click erase, it doesn't do anything and then the spinning rainbow wheel appears and spins.....I let it do this for around an hour then switched the computer off (I couldn't select quit or anything as my cursor just spun).

I tried the whole process again, this time partitioning...and the same thing happens. What is wrong? Any suggestions???
 

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This is a shot in the dark but here goes. I have the same iMac G5 iSight and for sure the SATA controller is the old SATA 150 and not SATA II (300). Even though SATA II is supposed to be backward compatible I am wondering if that is causing your issue. Check the Seagate site. I am pretty sure there is a jumper that will change it to SATA 150. I know some WD SATA's have that. If so give that a try and see if it formats.

This is just a guess but I swear I have seen this before.

Also try the Partition tab and set it to 1 partition and under options set it to Apple Partition Map. See if it still sits there.

http://www.seagate.com/images/support/en/us/cuda_sata_block.gif
 
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I had a colleague bring over an external with similar no format issue. The drive was preformatted for Windows but Disk Utility would fail.

The solution was to add an Apple Partition Map, needed for PowerPC (He had a DP450 G4). Under Disk Utility>Partition>Option click on Apple Partition Map and give it a go.
 

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For a Power PC Mac it would have to be set for Apple Partition Map or it will not boot OSX.

I would give that a try first before anything else. If it still will not erase/partition then try that other suggestion I gave in my other post.
 
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And SATA 11 is not always backwards compatible with SATA without the jumpers in position to force it to operate at 1.5GB/S.
 

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I hope the OP comes back and lets us know if either suggestion worked.

Like I said I have seen issues with a SATA II drive on some older SATA controllers and putting the jumper on always solved it.
 
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Thanks for your suggestions guys. As the hard drive failed to be formatted, technically it is still in the same physical condition as when I bought it so I could return or exchange it. When you start talking "jumpers" etc. I am lost as I've never had to deal with hard drive issues before. Therefore, to make life simpler I would like to exchange the hard drive for something that is mac compatible for my model and not "backwards compatible" as you mentioned this new hard drive may be. Can anyone recommend exactly what I should buy?? I've had so many problems with this computer and I've run out of patience with it!
 
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They stopped making SATA I drives and finding one is a treaure hunt, on your brand new Seagate drive on the back will be a space with old style pins on it next to the SATA data connector, if you go to the Seagate website and bring up the jumper configuration for your drive, it'll outline in picture which pins to place a jumper cap on to, if you don't have any jumper caps laying around, any small computer store can help you out with that. The jumper will effectively disable SATA II mode and backthrottle it manually to SATA I mode, It should after a jumper is installed in just the right area.

Cheers
 

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They stopped making SATA I drives and finding one is a treaure hunt, on your brand new Seagate drive on the back will be a space with old style pins on it next to the SATA data connector, if you go to the Seagate website and bring up the jumper configuration for your drive, it'll outline in picture which pins to place a jumper cap on to, if you don't have any jumper caps laying around, any small computer store can help you out with that. The jumper will effectively disable SATA II mode and backthrottle it manually to SATA I mode, It should after a jumper is installed in just the right area.

Cheers


In my post a few back I put a URL with a large picture of the back of a Seagate SATA drive with the jumper pins and which ones to jump.

It's so easy. Give it a try.

cuda_sata_block.gif
 
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Hey dtravis7....ever set up a SCSI chain ? Now that was fun back in the day....
 
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Thanks guys, I think I'm gonna try the jumper caps...it looks pretty straight forward. I called Memory Express where I got the Hard Drive and asked them if they carried jumper caps/pins and they don't. Do I need to ask for jumper caps specifically for a Seagate model? Or are they pretty generic? How much are they approx?
 

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Thanks guys, I think I'm gonna try the jumper caps...it looks pretty straight forward. I called Memory Express where I got the Hard Drive and asked them if they carried jumper caps/pins and they don't. Do I need to ask for jumper caps specifically for a Seagate model? Or are they pretty generic? How much are they approx?

Take a close look on the back on the drive where the jumper block is located. There should already be a jumper in place; just remove it and move it to where the correct placement allows for the drive to become in effect SATA rather than SATA II.

You shouldn't have to find or purchase jumper caps.

Regards.
 
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Hi chscag,
Had a look and it doesn't look like there is any block in place on the back of the hard drive...it just looks exactly like the illustration dtravis7 a few posts up the page...it's open.
 
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I swapped my HD when I had the G5 iSight model. Dtrav is right, the drive does need to be throttled to 1.5Gbps, or SATA I. Check with any of your techy friends and see if they have an old HD they could pull of a jumper for you. I'm not sure where you can buy just the jumper.
 
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scotca you originally reported you got it installed? Take it back and tell the installer you need it throttled back to SATA 1 speeds using the jumper.
 
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By any chance is your old drive around? It may have the jumper on it still.
 

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Hi chscag,
Had a look and it doesn't look like there is any block in place on the back of the hard drive...it just looks exactly like the illustration dtravis7 a few posts up the page...it's open.

We're not talking about a "block" per se... The "jumper block" illustrated on dtravis7's picture is a "block" of 4 pins. Across two of those pins or one of them should be a small black or red jumper. If there is none, then you will have to obtain a jumper.

If you're handy and (have a steady hand) you can make your own jumper. All you need is a small piece of thin wire. It doesn't even have to be insulated. Wrap it around the two pins (electrical contact) that will yield SATA I.

Regards.
 
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I managed to pick up a couple of jumpers from a computer place. Do I cover all 4 pins or just 2?
 

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Does the back of your drive look like the pic from Seagate I posted? It shows which pins to jumper in that pic. It's just 2 pins. The 2 on the left side in the pic.

If your drive is different than the pic, what is the model number of your drive so I can look it up and tell you which pins to jumper?
 
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Yes, it's the same as your illustration. I have the 2 left pins covered and about to install. Should I partition it as you suggested?
 

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