Using HD as external drive..

My friends Powerbook G3 is dead (logic board) so he took out is HD hoping to be able to install it on an external device... I found an HD enclosure, with the right connector except that there are 4 separate pins that are not connected...and of course the drive doesn't start... are these 4 pins for powering the drive.. If so, does apple sell an adaptor or a drive enclosure to make this drive work or do I have to bring it to apple..
thanks...
Mark

Marc,
Those extra 4 pins are not required for normal operation. A Google search turned up this info:
"To the right of the group of 44 pins, and separated by a gap, are 4 additional pins. These are the master-slave-CS pins. However, their use is totally non-standard, in fact different drives made by the same manufacturer may use these pins differently. The most common configuration is "master" with none of these connected, but even that is not universal, some drives are "slave" with no pins connected and require a jumper for "master"."
http://www.futurehardware.in/410730.htm
There are several possible problems why the HD does not work:
- the HD is dead;
- the 2.5" HD enclosure is faulty;
- a faulty cable (USB or FireWire);
- the host computer is not supplying sufficient power from its built-in USB or FireWire port;
- you are connecting to a FireWire or USB CardBus PC card...this requires a power supply for the external HD.
Is the 2.5" HD enclosure FireWire or USB?
Does it have its own power supply?
What host computer are you using?

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It seems like it would not work because the total storage on the Mac Mini is 2304 gigabytes (SSD + HDD).
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2. Get Backup
3. Deja Vu
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5. Synk Pro
6. Tri-Backup
Others may be found at MacUpdate.
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore. Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files.

I recently purchased a new iMac with an external drive. I want to transfer my files from my old iMac to the external drive, but I'm afraid that doing that will compromise the use of the external drive on my new iMac. Comments? Help?

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Using only an External Drive

I bought an iomega external drive to hold my 900CD library on (160GB) so I would not use space on the internal drive. The problem is I keep ripping CD's and they keep going to the internal drive. Can anyone tell me how to use only the external drive for itunes and my ipod(30GB)?

See this link from MacMuse, follow his instructions EXACTLY & you should be good to go. Just think, once you get the EHD up & running, no more worries about losing your music due to a computer crash. The other thing I would recommend is a secondary backup such as burning data CD's or DVD's which is what I do. I only burn about once or twice a month now, but this is just extra insurance in case the EHD takes a hike for some reason.
MacMuse, "Computer Crashed" #4, 11:49pm Feb 7, 2005
EDIT:
I forgot, the one thing that was suggested to me when I put my EHD in is to regularly send backups of the .itl & .xml files which are the database files for your library, playlists, etc. to your EHD. I send copies of these 2 files to the EHD any time I add music, change playlists, etc. DO NOT MOVE the original files off your main HD, that is there "home." If you should happen to have bad luck & have a crash with these 2 files backed up, along with the iTunes music folder, you should be able to get iTunes up & running in a "jiffy".

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I have an late 2006 iMac Intel 2.0GHz w/ 512mb ram, Model MA200LL. It has a 250GB HD. 13.4GB of used space on the internal HD. The problem has occurred when it had Tiger and has persisted through Leopard 10.5.2.
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I have run Onyx which reported no problems with the internal hard drive.
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Thank you.

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Should I expect to delete files quicker on the iMac in iTunes? If there is a
problem, what can I do so that I get iTunes to perform better using an external
drive?
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George

Using a seagate external drive with multiple macs

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how can i get it to work with multiple macs...?

I have the oldest macbook (1.83. 2 gigs ram, 60 gig internal hard drive)
I have all my logic content on my external maxtor firewire 400 drive (usb 2.0 is actually faster than firewire 400) and everything is fine. the good thing is if your external drive has 7200rpm, but the ones with 5600rpm should do as well.
Once you drag your apple loops to logic from your external drive, logic will remember for the next visit. And when you are opening a project which is on the external drive , just find it with logic finder and all should be fine.

Upgrading my intel iMac to internal SSD and running 1TB external drive from firewire 800 for mass storage while still using a second external drive for backups...my goal-speed with a SSD, to still have 1TB of room for everything i have now..possible?

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Thanks!
2.66 intell core2duo
2009 iMac
8gig ram
1 gig hd
OSX ver. 10.8

The SSD gives great bootup and Application launch speed. I think it also speeds up the video rendering a bit, I do all that on the SSD and then move the finished project to the external drives. As far as the speed for the external drives they are quick enough for viewing video and the file transfer rate is good. I had initially put the SSD into an external cradle (FW800) and the system was faster than on the internal drive. I only got a 1.5GBs SATA drive, perhaps yours could benefit from the 3GBs. I know the 6GBs would be too fast and costs a lot more, even the MacPros need special hookups to make use of the 6GBs.

How do I use Itunes from external drive as main sync for Iphone 4

I apologize if this is obvious but I have searched for quite awhile without finding result.
I currently have my iTunes synced to my Macbook Pro. I purchased a Macbook Air for ease in travel. I would like to move sync of my material on iTunes to my Air as I carry it more with me.
I was told at an Apple Store to purchase a Time Machine and an external hard drive. Both I purchased. I then read for a few hours how to move my itunes to the external drive. The only way I could finally get it to work was to physically connect a USB between the MacBook Pro and the External Drive. Once my Pro recognized the External Drive I dragged my Itunes and watched it copy all the data.
Unfortunately, when I am on the Air I cannot locate within Finder the External Drive. I do see my time Machine but cannot figure out how to get my itunes data from the external drive through the time machine.
You still with me?
So, can someone help me understand how to go the next step. As I understand from reading this forum I would then go into my Advanced Properties in Itunes (on the Air) and choose to relocate where the iTunes sync occurs. Then I can use my Air for syncing as it wont be dependent on the limited space and once I've changed the properties location for where to find my iTunes data I wont be dependent on the Pro.
PS: Yes I've downloaded all of the newest product software updates (iTunes, iPhone OS, Macs) as of the date this is posed 3/20/2011

try this:
hold the option key and launch iTunes. at the prompt, click on +choose library+ and select the iTunes folder you copied to the external.
obviously, the external holding your library must be mounted on your desktop for iTunes to find it.
if the drive is connected but doesn't show up on the Air's desktop, go finder > preferences > general and check if +external disks+ is check marked under +show these items on the desktop+.

Using a Second External Drive For Time Machine Backup

I have been using Time Machine for almost a year and the external drive I'm using is almost full. Can I switch to a second external drive? If I decide to keep using the same drive is there a way to keep my original backup? Is there information that I need from that first backup that I did?
Thank you!!!

bvasel900 wrote:
Hi, and welcome to the forums.
I have been using Time Machine for almost a year and the external drive I'm using is almost full. Can I switch to a second external drive?
Yes, if that's what you want to do (see below). If you start "fresh" on a new drive, your first backup will be a full one; everything on your system. Or, you can copy your current backups to it via the procedure in item #18 of the Frequently Asked Questions *User Tip* at the top of this forum. TM will then continue making it's usual "incremental" backups, and you can erase the old disk and use it for other things.
If I decide to keep using the same drive is there a way to keep my original backup? Is there information that I need from that first backup that I did?
Probably not. As Mr. Peck noted, TM will automatically delete your oldest backups when it needs room for new ones (unless you have the +*Warn when old backups are deleted+* box checked in TM Preferences > Options).
But unless you've been deleting things from your internal HD, counting on TM to keep it's backup copies indefinitely, you won't lose anything you need.
That's because of the "magic" of Time Machine. Each backup is an "incremental" backup, copying only the items that have been added or changed since the last backup. But by using "multi-links" to the backups of items that did not change, each backup is, in effect, a full, complete copy of your entire system!
So when TM deletes your oldest backup, all it will be deleting are it's copies of things you changed or deleted long ago.

Using the same external drive with Time Machine on new mac?

I recently got a new mac because my old one broke. Thankfully, I had a fresh backup on Time Machine ready to restore onto my new computer. But when I try to use Time Machine with my new computer, it keeps wanting to do a whole new backup. It won't recognize the latest backup to only add new or changed files.
Here's a breakdown of my events:
new computer
restore Time Machine on new computer at install
want to continue using the external drive with Time Machine from where I left off (only adding new files since the last backup) on my new computer
Time Machine wants to do a whole new backup
Question: How can I continue to use my existing external hard drive with Time Machine on my new computer, picking up where I left off (not a new, complete backup)?
My old computer was Snow Lepoard, my new one is Lion.

Bergers wrote:
new computer
restore Time Machine on new computer at install
That should have left a "trail" in your SystemMigration log, so Time Machine can figure out what happened and automatically "inherit" the old backups. But sometimes, obviously, that doesn't work.
Since it didn't, there's a chance you can do it manually. See #B6 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting.

Using a single external drive for both Time Machine AND for manual backups?

I'm new to Leopard and haven't launched Time Machine yet. I would like to use a single (500 GB) external hard drive to use with Time Machine, plus I would like to use whatever portion of this external drive Time Machine isn't using to keep some other files upon it as well--things that I can drag-and-drop manually and then trash from my computer's HD (avi files, etc., so that they don't take up space on the computer). Is there anything special I need to do with the external hard drive before I let Time Machine have its way with it, so that I can also do drag-and-drop manual file backups with it?

I’m not terribly knowledgeable, but I’ll tell you what seems to be working for me.
I also have a 500GB external drive which I had planned to use for TM for my MBP. I partitioned it (using Disk Utility) into two partitions. One I created nearly the same size as my MBP drive, the other I used for TM.
I used the smaller partition for a backup using SuperDuper prior to upgrading from Tiger to Leopard. Once I tested that I was able to boot from it and that all my programs seemed to work, I upgraded to Leopard and told it to use the other partition for TM.
It then created a TM icon for the other partition and, to the machine, it looks like a separate drive. I’ve seen no performance hit at all.
Just one man’s experience, though I haven’t yet tried to retrieve anything.
Good luck.

Using a usb external drive with logic

I have a 500 GB Lacie usb hard drive which I'm currently using just to backup my system. (Still on Tiger by the way.) I'm in an older intel iMac (1.83. 2 gigs ram, 250 gig internal hard drive). After installing LP 8 and all the bells and whistles on the internal drive I now have less than half of my internal drive space available. My logic project files are there as well. Not a big problem but I'm trying to look further down the road... Usb drives are slower than firewire but my projects are relatively simple. I don't record more than 2 tracks simultaneously and rarely exceed 24 tracks total for a song. Two questions. First can I get by with my usb external drive? And second how do I move my projects onto and external drive and still have logic know where they are? Thanks

I have the oldest macbook (1.83. 2 gigs ram, 60 gig internal hard drive)
I have all my logic content on my external maxtor firewire 400 drive (usb 2.0 is actually faster than firewire 400) and everything is fine. the good thing is if your external drive has 7200rpm, but the ones with 5600rpm should do as well.
Once you drag your apple loops to logic from your external drive, logic will remember for the next visit. And when you are opening a project which is on the external drive , just find it with logic finder and all should be fine.

RAID1 Partitions disappeared when one of the mirrored HDD is used as an external drive for data rescue.

Hi, I have mirrored build of two identical 1TB HDD in my Xserve Late 2006 (RAID 1) in Bay 2 and Bay3. When I took one HDD out and connected it as an external drive to my MacBook Pro, only the first partition appeared. That is, for instance, I have RAID partition A1, A2, A3 in Xserve but only A1 appears when the drive is connected to MacBook Pro as an external drive. Is there any way to let partition A2, A3 appear too? Thanks.

Oh, I didn't realise you were using the hardware RAID card for this. In that case, yes, that makes sense, you won't see the other partitions because they're handled by the RAID card. I admit I'd never tried it with a RAID 1 mirror where you might expect to - I've only used RAID 5 on the hardware cards where there's no expectation, of course, to pull a drive to relocate the data.
So you may ask why not just use a single partition for my RAID1 design. The reason is that I prefer to partition HDD because it is good for HDD lifespan. I don't like to design my parition schema to be just a single big parition with 1T Hard Drive since all data are going to be stored scattered and hence, taking longer for spindle reading.
I don't agree with most of this statement. I've not seen anything that indicates partitioning improves lifespan - for any given data, the disk spins the exact same number of times, and the heads move the same number of times, regardless of the partitioning - partitioning is only a logical, not a physical, construct.
As for the data being scattered and spindle latency, that's nowhere near the problem it used to be in the past thanks to faster spindles and larger caches. In addition, Mac OS X uses a dynamic reallocation/fragmentation system that automatically (re)allocates files as they're used, meaning you don't have the level of fragmentation that you used to have.
The primary benefit of partitioning is to restrict file system sizes so that you don't get a runaway proceess filling up the entire disk. Even that is less of a problem - when an 8GB drive was large it didn't take much to fill it, but you'd have to have a pretty rampant process to fill up a 1TB drive before alarms started ringing.

Using ipod as external drive

Notice by apple:
Do not format iPod to erase songs or playlists
Do not use a disk utility program, such as Disk Utility, Drive Setup, or Windows Explorer, to erase iPod. Erasing songs from iPod this way can disable its music playing capabilities and you may have to update or restore iPod to get it to work again.
Okay, So If I want to use the ipod as an external drive and I use explorer to copy files to ipod and erase the same way, there should be no problem right? I think what they are talking about is the actual files that are encoded that ipod copies and puts in organized directories...
Anyone tried coping exe files or other files using ipod as a hard drive? Why? I wanted to copy itunes to the ipod for when I travel to another location to just copy that program to the hard drive and install there to a computer w/o internet connnection...
Windows XP Pro

Put the iPod into Disk Mode and you can copy any files to the HD. Music files copied this way will not be able to be played on the iPod, though. Always transfer music via iTunes.
It will just take up space that could be used by music files (but that's pretty obvious).
You should have little problem doing what you propose.

Using HD as external drive..

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