Connecting a firewire drive to a MacBook Pro

I am connecting a LaCie external hard drive similar to this



to a MacBook Pro via firewire. I first connected the drive while the laptop was shutdown (then powered it up), and then again while it was powered up. The drive did not show up on the Desktop or in Finder during either attempt. It will connect via USB.

Would anyone happen to have any solutions for this problem?

Thank you.

Based on your problem description it sounds like bad FireWire port(s) since USB is working. I did a quick look on Amazon at this drive and that isn't an unusual occurrence.
I have a Seagate FireWire external and you just plug it in (as you would with your LaCie drive if it were working properly) and your Mac will recognize it.

My recommendation would be to use it with USB but don't rely on it for critical backup and plan on replacing it (possibly with a different model drive) when possible.

Also make sure you're using the correct Firewire cable. FW cables can be confusing.

chscag said:

Also make sure you're using the correct Firewire cable. FW cables can be confusing.

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It's a 6-pin (LaCie) to a 9-pin (Mac).

Is your LaCie drive's Firewire port an 800 or 400 output? The cable you mentioned according to Monoprice Cables appears to be a FW800 to FW400 cable.

Also.... open up your System Profiler. Does your FW800 port show up?

chscag said:

Is your LaCie drive's Firewire port an 800 or 400 output?

Click to expand...

Both.

chscag said:

Also.... open up your System Profiler. Does your FW800 port show up?

Click to expand...

Yes.

By all indications and your answers, the LaCie should work via FW. The only thing I can come up with is the cable.

chscag said:

The only thing I can come up with is the cable.

Click to expand...

I'll test my video camera, which is the only reason I didn't get a 9-pin to 9-pin.

Spang said:

I'll test my video camera, which is the only reason I didn't get a 9-pin to 9-pin.

Click to expand...

Wait, nevermind, the video camera doesn't have the proper inputs. I should have gotten the 9-pin to 9-pin anyway, but this current cable should still work.

Also, everything decided to work. Problem solved, don't know how.

Also, everything decided to work. Problem solved, don't know how.

Click to expand...

Great! May have been the firewire gremlins at it again. Have fun and visit often.