Help please: I cannot access my new External Hard Drive!

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Hi everyone, I need some help rather urgently please...

I have just received a brand new 500Gb External Hard Drive for my MacBook, which has Mac OS X Version 10.5.8 installed
.
I bought the External Hard Drive on eBay a few days ago: "500GB 2.5" Hitachi External Hard Drive USB3 & USB2 SATA 5.0Gbps Super Speed. Item number: 320889164220. The new external hard drive is supposed to be the latest USB3 technology and Plug 'n Play.

Unfortunately, I cannot save to it, drag 'n drop into it or otherwise use it. Whenever I try all I get is "NETAC cannot be modified". I have sent the seller an email asking for help, but I haven't had a reply yet. Can anyone offer any useful advise and/or guidance, please?

Many thanks,
Bravenger.
 
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Way... way too many specs to list.
You probably need to format it. If you go into disk utility, does it say that drive is NTFS?
 
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Hi Mike,
My apologies for not responding sooner; I only signed up to Mac Forums this evening and I must admit, I've been having some 'teething problems' accessing my new account and finding my way around the website's layout.
In answer to your question Mike - Yes, it does say that the drive is NTFS. In fact, I commenced formatting it but, a window has just opened advising me, "Volume Erase failed. Volume Erase failed with the error: Could not unmount disk."
Hmm that doesn't sound very helpful! I must admit I'm not technically minded Mike. So I have no idea where to go from here.... I think I should pursue the seller of the External Hard Drive and see about getting either a replacement or a refund. I'm in the process of setting up a new business so this is the very last thing I wanted to happen! I urgently need this External Hard Drive. I'm now being held up with this malfunctioning Hard Drive.
Do you have any other suggestions please Mike? If not, thank you very much indeed for your help.
Kind regards,
Nigel.
 
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MacBook Pro 15" 2.2GHz i7 16GB RAM 250G SSD OS X Mountain Lion, iMac mid 2011, iPhone 3G
Do this

1. Utilities
2. Disk Utility
3. Click on your external drive (the first logo)
4. Click Erase tab
5. Format : Mac OS Extended (journaled) - if you want exclusive for Mac usage
MS-DOS (FAT) - if you want it for Windows and Mac usage
6. Click Erase

Hope this helps
 
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Thank you for your help - Issue now resolved!

Hi Mike, thanks to your help & guidance I have now successfully resolved the issue with my new external hard drive. I am very pleased and relieved!
Sincere thanks,
Nigel.
 
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MacBook Pro.
So what format did you use? I'd like to know for my benefit. I understand there is a program that allows one to write and read files to and from a Win external hard drive or a Win machine with your Mac. Lets us know.

Thanks
 
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Trouble accessing new Ext. HD...

Hello AliOop,
Thank you for getting in touch. I own a MacBook (10.5.8). As far as I can tell the new External Hard Drive is working fine now. Actually, I still had some problems with the Ext. HD so I went back to the Help Page and read another post by CebuCity, which I have copied & pasted below for you... I hope it helps!
Kind regards,
Nigel.

CebuCity Do this

1. Utilities
2. Disk Utility
3. Click on your external drive (the first logo)
4. Click Erase tab
5. Format : Mac OS Extended (journaled) - if you want exclusive for Mac usage
MS-DOS (FAT) - if you want it for Windows and Mac usage
6. Click Erase

Hope this helps
 

Slydude

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M1 MacMini 16 GB - Ventura, iPhone 14 Pro Max, 2015 iMac 16 GB Monterey
So what format did you use? I'd like to know for my benefit. I understand there is a program that allows one to write and read files to and from a Win external hard drive or a Win machine with your Mac. Lets us know.

Thanks
If I understand correctly you are wanting to know how to read and write from your Mac to a Windows drive? If that's not what you want disregard the rest of this post.

Your Mac can read and write to FAT-32 drives without ant additional software. The problem with this format is that no single file can be larger than 4 GB.

The more common Windows format now is NYFS. Your Mac can read NTFS droves with no problems but not write to them. For that you would need some third-party software such as Paragon NTFS for Mac OS X software
 
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chas_m

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You would save yourself a lot of grief and bother if you would just format the drive for Mac use and use it with your Mac. There aren't many people who actually need to keep a hard drive formatted for both systems, and it puts limitations on both systems doing so, so why not just make up your mind and format the drive for the system you are going to use it with?
 
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MacBook Pro.
Slydude and chas_m, maybe I want more than I need. Or perhaps I'm making a mountain out of a moIe hill. Not seeing the forest for the trees so to say? I've heard about Paragon NTFS for Mac. And I'm thinking about it. But I foresee situations where I might have an ext HD formatted for Mac and need or want a Win user to copy or use the info. Having a drive formatted for the Mac OS would present a problem for the Win user. Would it not? Perhaps they could read it but not do much other than that. The same would apply to a Mac user using an ext NTFS drive.

It chaps me that the computer world does not have a standard format. But that's the way it is. For my use or another Mac user this would not be a problem. But what about the kazillion Win users out there? How would they deal with reading, copying and writing to an external Mac formatted HD? I'm not too concerned with a thumb/flash drives. I'd reformat them in FAT 32. No big deal. But the larger drives...? What about them? Or for that matter, transferring files to a Win machine?

Being a new Mac user these are some of the concerns I have. Why I was not worried about this when I was using Linux - and I still am - I don't know. But I am with Mac. Go figure.
 

Slydude

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There is software out there called MacDrive that allows Windows users to read Mac drives. Though I doubt many Many Windows users have it installed or know about it for that matter. It is possible to create a drive with one Mac partition and one Windows partition on the same drive. I tried it for a very short period but not long enough to say how reliable it is for holding data long term.

Here is the situation as I see it perhaps others will disagree. If the drive is going to be used to be used on Mac and PC then there are two main questions

1. Will the files be larger than 4GB if so use NTFS. The Mac can write to it with the software I referenced earlier.
2. If the files will be less than 4GB use FAT 32. Both machines can read/write to it without additional software.
 
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There is software out there called MacDrive that allows Windows users to read Mac drives. Though I doubt many Many Windows users have it installed or know about it for that matter. It is possible to create a drive with one Mac partition and one Windows partition on the same drive. I tried it for a very short period but not long enough to say how reliable it is for holding data long term.

Here is the situation as I see it perhaps others will disagree. If the drive is going to be used to be used on Mac and PC then there are two main questions

1. Will the files be larger than 4GB if so use NTFS. The Mac can write to it with the software I referenced earlier.
2. If the files will be less than 4GB use FAT 32. Both machines can read/write to it without additional software.

Thanks for the reminder of the 4GB limitation. I always forget that! Folks have a tendency to be overwhelmed and befuddled when it comes to numbers. I am too. Bigger is always better. Well, not always. I don't think I have a file that's that big. If nothing else, I'll split it and transfer it. So my ext. HD will be formatted in FAT 32.

Thanks,
AliOop
 
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If I understand correctly you are wanting to know how to read and write from your Mac to a Windows drive? If that's not what you want disregard the rest of this post.

Your Mac can read and write to FAT-32 drives without ant additional software. The problem with this format is that no single file can be larger than 4 GB.

The more common Windows format now is NYFS. Your Mac can read NTFS droves with no problems but not write to them. For that you would need some third-party software such as Paragon NTFS for Mac OS X software
Hi there chas_m,
I appreciate your message - and I absolutely agree with you; I have no intention of using any of my computer stuff on PC equip if I can possibly help it! Can you tell me which option I need to go for to do this please?
I'm currently trying to locate replacement Installation Disc/s for my MacBook as my HD has some issues which require the Install Disc/s. My 2nd hand MacBook didn't come with any. I've contacted the Mac-Forum Team to see if they can help. I don't have much spare cash right now (who has?!) and I'm in the process of starting up an online business so I'm short on time to research the best place to go.
I'm just reading through your essay... good reading so far...!
Many thanks,
Nigel.
 
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chas_m

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If you're not going to use a particular hard drive on Windows equipment (ie you're going to use with your Mac only), then just format it for Mac. Done.

As for "replacement discs," for your MacBook I'd suggest you call Apple -- depending on how old the MacBook is (ie the version of OS X that shipped with it) you would probably get them cheapest that way. A new retail disk of Snow Leopard (10.6) is $30, but does not include the iLife software that came with your Mac.
 
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Hi chas_m,
I seem to be having difficulty finding out which 'animal' is allocated to my software.
My Macbook has OS X v.10.5.8 Are you able to advise me, please?
As mentioned previously, I do not have the Installation Discs Set. There are OS issues now which require the appropriate Installation Discs. There is a set up for auction on eBay at the moment and I have been in contact with the seller but he wasn't able to give me any help.
The eBay auction details are: "Apple MacBook OSX 10.5 Leopard Installation Discs .Standard Licence." The auction no. is: 130688229295.
I would be very grateful if you could help me, please?
Many thanks in advance...
Kind regards,
Nigel. UK.
P.S. I have searched through Apple's website and found out where & how to get in touch with their technical support and their charges for doing so. Unfortunately, I cannot afford their $49.00 fee for telephone assistance, especially when all I need right now is to know which Installation Disc Set I need for my MacBook.
 

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