PC guy needing help with a Mac :(

S

starhawk

[H]F Junkie
Joined
Oct 4, 2004
Messages
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Please take pity on me, I'm a mostly-windows-sometimes-linux user having trouble with a Mac that isn't mine.

The story goes like this... my father bought a Seagate FreeAgent Go. His wife (my stepmother) uses a Mac at work. The drive is supposed to be her backup disk for that system. Great idea.

But it doesn't work.

The drive is never recognized or available on the system. It's been formatted (using gparted, my work) as gpt partition table, hfs+ filesystem (which is supposed to be mac, or so I thought). The drive, when plugged in, lights up initially; I can hear it spin up. Ten seconds later it's dead as a doornail. No light, no spin, no nothing. Plugged in still.

I will mention that this is one of those special drives that uses a split USB cable (data/power + power-only) because it's got a notebook HDD in it.

What the $^&%$#^$%%#$%!!!!? is going on, and how do I fix it?
 
starhawk said:
What the $^&%$#^$%%#$%!!!!? is going on, and how do I fix it?
Click to expand...

Oh not much, what is going on with you? :p:p

Have you tested this drive in any other system, perhaps a windows machine with the appropriate filesystem?

Could be a bad drive.
 
Formatted it on my netbook using gparted running from livecd. Drive worked fine there...
 
By software, do you mean the OS X Disk Utility located in Applications/Utilities?
 
Yes. I also mean the desktop, and anything else on that Mac. The Mac refuses to see the damn drive, even though Stevie Wonder could see that the two are quite nicely connected.

I don't know if it matters, but I'm using the rightmost two USB ports on the back of the iMac.
 
starhawk said:
Yes. I also mean the desktop, and anything else on that Mac. The Mac refuses to see the damn drive, even though Stevie Wonder could see that the two are quite nicely connected.

I don't know if it matters, but I'm using the rightmost two USB ports on the back of the iMac.
Click to expand...

So, it's one of those laptop drives that has two usb plugs and you're only using one?
 
valve1138 said:
So, it's one of those laptop drives that has two usb plugs and you're only using one?
Click to expand...

Which may not matter. I have a couple usb adapters for 2.5" drives and they only need one usb plugged in. The second is for older computers that only have 1.1 usb and thus not enough juice in one port.
 
I used it with both plugged in. I later unplugged both and plugged only the data+power one back in (it's clearly labeled and a thicker cable). No change. It's like the iMac said "There's something broken here" and shut off the **#$%ing ports entirely.
 
Have you tested the drive on another computer to ensure that it still works?

If it's still alive, then the issue is probably how you partitioned it. Not necessarily that you partitioned it with HFS+ (though OS X prefers HFS+ Journaled these days), but that you partitioned it with something besides Disk Utility. You might want to try formatting it as FAT32 or something that OS X is sure to recognize, then reformat it in Disk Utility as HFS+ Journaled.

Beyond that, I got nothin'. This is a very strange issue.
 
Still works. A drive doesn't die just cuz you stick it in a computer that doesn't like it.

I'll talk to my father about trying to format it again. I'm curious as to what Disk Utility does that gparted can't (or won't)...
 
starhawk said:
Still works. A drive doesn't die just cuz you stick it in a computer that doesn't like it.
Click to expand...

No, but computer components do fail before their time. I've had a motherboard die after two boots, and I've had two different hard drives die on me prematurely; one on the same day I purchased and installed it, another with 3 weeks of installation.

It happens and it's worth checking as a troubleshooting procedure.

I'll talk to my father about trying to format it again. I'm curious as to what Disk Utility does that gparted can't (or won't)...
Click to expand...

I'd imagine your issue is the lack of a Journaled option, which Disk Utility will provide. But that's just a guess.
 
This page, describing how Apple supports GPT, may be helpful:

https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#technotes/tn2166/_index.html

"Any Macintosh computer running Mac OS X 10.4 and later can mount GPT-partitioned disks. Intel-based Macintosh computers can boot from GPT. By default, the internal hard disk is formatted as GPT."

So my question now is, what Mac is it and what system is it running? I am wondering if it's running a system older than 10.4.
 
If the Mac is running 10.6.5 or later, try formatting the drive as exfat.
 
Went down in the garage, and from what little I can tell on the big ol' box that it came in, without unearthing the box completely (Dad's not home and I don't want to get in trouble) is that it's got a 21.5" LED screen on it (dang that's fancy stuff). I want to say that she bought it sometime last year... sorry I can't be more helpful.

Vat eez thees "exfat" you speak ov? (I've never heard of it...)

EDIT: I think it's this one --> http:///77h563f
I'm fairly certain it's got the Thunderbolt port on it, I was quite surprised to see it -- thought it was newer than that.
 
starhawk said:
Vat eez thees "exfat" you speak ov? (I've never heard of it…)
Click to expand...

exFAT is Microsoft's preferred file system for flash drives. It's basically as compatible as NTFS (Windows everything, 10.6.5+, Lion) but fixes FAT32's file size limitation.
 
Oh... okay. Wonder how I've managed to never hear of it...

Anyhow, the sticker on the iMac box says in big letters, "Z0JL0029X", and in smaller letters, a model # of "A1311". I can't make heads or tails of it, but I hope ya'll can. Also, it was purchased in Nov 2010 (got that info from the lady herself).
 
starhawk said:
Oh... okay. Wonder how I've managed to never hear of it...

Anyhow, the sticker on the iMac box says in big letters, "Z0JL0029X", and in smaller letters, a model # of "A1311". I can't make heads or tails of it, but I hope ya'll can. Also, it was purchased in Nov 2010 (got that info from the lady herself).
Click to expand...

Z0JL0029X sounds like your serial number. Head here, click through to the device that seems to correspond to what you have (Intel-based iMac, correct?), and then enter your serial number in a text field on the right-hand side.

Though if the Mac came with Lion installed before you did anything to the hard drive, you might have Lion Internet Recovery on there. Hold Command+R as you boot. You can run Disk Utility from there, as well as re-download and install Lion to the hard drive.
 
Didn't touch the internal HDD (or I'd be hanging from a tree right now, and not by choice)... this is an external USB HDD.

As for the "serial number" that's something else apparently -- using that number results in a "please enter a VALID serial number you DUMBASS" error.
 
starhawk said:
Didn't touch the internal HDD (or I'd be hanging from a tree right now, and not by choice)... this is an external USB HDD.

As for the "serial number" that's something else apparently -- using that number results in a "please enter a VALID serial number you DUMBASS" error.
Click to expand...

If the Mac is working OK, then plug the external in to the Mac and see if Disk Utility recognizes it.

And since the Mac works…  -> About This Mac. Click where it says "Version 10.whatever" until it cycles through to the serial number. Though I admit I've lost track as to why you want the serial number. If you're trying to identify the Mac as per evilsofa's request, then in the About This Mac window, click on More Info. If you're on Lion, a window with a picture of your iMac will pop up; click System Report at the bottom. In the new window that pops up (which is what will appear if you're on a version prior to Lion), click on Hardware in the left side pane, and in the right side pane, look for the Model Identifier field. It'll say something like "iMac5,1". Google that and you'll find out what iMac you have.
 
Disk Utility does not see that drive. That's the whole problem.

Don't need the serial #, those two numbers I posted were the P/N and Model Number.
 
Formatted the thing FAT32 with an MSDOS partition table. If that doesn't show up in Disk Utility when I go back over there tomorrow I'm going to call Apple Tech Support's main number and start screaming at the top of my lungs.

...just kidding. But I will want to do that very badly.
 
This one... http://www.everymac.com/systems/app...uo-3.06-21-inch-aluminum-late-2009-specs.html

How do Macs feel about the separate power-only USB connector? I know iPhones have to have the charger tell them (via resistors on the data wires) what charge is acceptable... (see here for that --> http:///32zaopo ) I don't know what circuitry is in this particular drive enclosure (it's a seagate in-house job).

The specific drive inside the enclosure is a Seagate ST9160310AS -- 160gb. The manufacturer product page lists that the startup current is a full amp (now we know why two USB plugs are needed!). Could that be the problem, since USB only can pull a max of 500mA (1/2 amp) per plug?
 
When you plug the hard drive into the Mac, do you do it when it is on, or when it is off or sleeping?

In the link you gave, it says that "some Apple computers and displays can provide up to 1100 mA at 5 V through the port to which the Apple peripheral or device is connected", provided, among other things:

"Your Apple computer or display must be powered on and must be awake. If your Apple computer or display is asleep, all ports will provide a maximum of 500 mA at 5 V. If your Apple computer or display is powered off, no power will be provided."
 
@evilsofa: It's being plugged in when the system is on and active. Doesn't matter, because it's not an Apple peripheral. It gets 500mA, period. I found a little wall wart that should be able to provide the extra power, so I'll do some experimenting when I go over there next.

@450: I'm a PC person. PCs, in my personal experience, are more expandable than Macs -- if you, for example, want to upgrade the graphics card in your iMac, you're probably SOL. They are also expensive on a simple cost vs specs calculation. (Yes, I understand that the build quality is a factor. IMO, the name is a very big factor as well.) The other issue is that (I have heard that) MacOS, if it breaks, is not repairable -- the code is too complex for even Apple to fix. Yes, it's hard to break MacOS (again, from what I've heard), but if you do, they cannot fix it. I find that rather unnerving.

Please understand that I'm not trying to AppleBash, I'm just putting my own personal opinion out here as an explanation of my reaction. ALL operating systems (and underlying platforms) have tradeoffs, and I've yet to find one that is 100% ideal for me. The closest I've come to that is Puppy Linux, but I still have a few issues that I'd need addressed before I'd be willing to move over to it for my main system.

Believe me, I could bash all three (or four, if you want me to add Android in there) major OSes for a whole day if I wanted to. It's not what I'm here for.
 
Honestly 500ma per USB port should be enough since that is the spec for USB 2.

Did you try using both USB ports or a powered USB hub and using 2 USB ports?
 
In principle, I'd agree with you. Unfortunately, the electrical spec on that drive is not really on my side here. I was using both ports... I think the iMac can tell that there's something there hogging power and it gets all butthurt and cuts the thing off.

No powered USB hub in sight. However, I've got a little wall wart here, an Apple A1265 (it's tiny, I think it came with an iPod Nano a few years ago) that may save the day. I'll know when I go test it, later.
 
Try using one port on the machine and one of them from the keyboard.
 
I'll look at doing that. I thought they used wireless keyboards on those things now, though...
 
She has a wireless keyboard, and it turns out that hers is an iMac11,2.

Good news, though; it works. What I can't figure out is WHY.

The drive will not recognize and in fact powers off completely when plugged directly into the iMac. However, if one plugs the "power only" line into a wall wart, and the "data+power" line through an UNPOWERED hub, then it recognizes, as long as the hub is plugged into the iMac (duh).

(FWIW, the wall wart is one of the little tiny ones that IIRC come with older iPod Nanos -- it's a ~1" cube with two unpolarized prongs that don't fold.)

What. The. iFrck.
 
Some of my older USB drives have an external 5v ps for stuff like this. Never know when you need it.
 
I have two FreeAgent Go drives that I regularlly plug into my 2008 Macbook Pro without issue. I also have used a normal USB cable and it works fine.

Prior to getting a powered USB hub I would plug in my Logitech wireless mouse in one USB port and the drive into the other port. Now with the powered USB hub I often times use the FreeAgent Go dock with my Macbook Pro. But then again now I can plug in 8 devices at once.
 
starhawk said:
Good news, though; it works. What I can't figure out is WHY.

The drive will not recognize and in fact powers off completely when plugged directly into the iMac. However, if one plugs the "power only" line into a wall wart, and the "data+power" line through an UNPOWERED hub, then it recognizes, as long as the hub is plugged into the iMac (duh).

(FWIW, the wall wart is one of the little tiny ones that IIRC come with older iPod Nanos -- it's a ~1" cube with two unpolarized prongs that don't fold.)

What. The. iFrck.
Click to expand...

Not supplying the necessary power to the enclosure is not exactly a mysterious event. Glad you got it figured out, though.
 
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