AirPort Disk wont show connected USB hard drive

I just bought an AirPort Extreme Base station (802.11n). When I was first settings things up, my WD 250GB MyBook showed up in the connected drives list. However, before I could mess with that, I had to do a hard reset to get my WDS up and running. Now, the drive doesn't show up at all in AirPort utility or in AirPort disk utility. Also, in AirPort disk utility, the name of the router appears as the default name - it wont recognize the new name that I assigned to the router or for the SSID. I don't know if this has anything to do with the fact that my hard drive isn't recognized.
I've also attempted using other drives - with no success - and even reformated my WB 250GB drive. No luck.
Any ideas?

The simplest solution is to use another Mac or PC that is still using a 5.x version of AirPort Utility.
... or buy a Time Capsule. You can't use an original Extreme for Time Machine backups.
As reliable as they were, there are many reasons the old "round" Extremes have become obsolete, especially if you're using Mountain Lion.

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AirPort Disk Utility doesn't show AE Base Station-connected USB Hard Drive

I've got my AirPort network up and running, but I can't get he AirPort Disk Utility to recognise my LaCie USB Hard Drive.
A menu popped up once saying it had "become available" and asked me to eneter a password, but when I did it said it was incorrect (it wasn't) and the drive had disappeared again.
Suggestions?
Rob
MacBook Pro 17 / 2,.16 GHz / 2GB Mac OS X (10.4.8)

You may want to check the posts in the AirPort Extreme (802.11n) discussion area to see if a solution has been posted.

Can Time Capsule show a connected USB hard drive?

Hi, I have just purchased 1TB Time Capsule, which supposes to show a external USB connected hard drive. But why there is no drive nor icon shows in Find after it connected to Time Capsule?
that USB hard drive just works fine with direct connection to my MBP.
thanks all.
Message was edited by: marvinclick

marvinclick wrote:
But why there is no drive nor icon shows in Find after it connected to Time Capsule?
in the finder, click on the icon of the TC under shared. a connection dialog will appear and you may have to enter your admin password. then click on the folder symbolizing your USB drive
that USB hard drive just works fine with direct connection to my MBP.
in case above does not work, check if your drive is formatted for Mac or FAT32. your TC will not recognize NTFS formatted drives ...
JGG

AE extreme dies after connecting USB hard drive and killing it too!!!!!

I finally got around to connecting an external LaCie Rugged hard drive to my AE via the USB port on the back of the AE. Both devices were working properly before I did this. I was intending to activate the drive as a shared drive or a Time Capsule drive. I then opened the Time Machine menu and opened the Preferences menu item and tried to select a backup disk. No disk was found.
Shortly after this step I noticed that the AE light had turned off. I plugged the hard disk into the Mac using a Firewire connection and it was DEAD. Disk Utility will not list the disk. The AE hard boot does not work so it is DEAD too. $400 worth of devices now DEAD and beyond warranty.
Yes I now realize I should not have expected the AE to treat an USB drive as a Time Capsule. Anyone else done this and had the same loss of AE and hard drive?

Hi DP,
The first computer I could actually put my hands on was a DEC PDP8. This was after the punchcard stack era had waned. Booted it up using front panel switches to input binary code to start the tape drives and load the programs. After that came the Data General model that was just as dumb but smaller and noisier. Computers were a pain in the * until I got my first Mac Plus in '86.
Why would a USB hard drive fry the Airport Extreme?
AlphaB

Incompatibility Issues with connecting USB Hard Drive to Airport Extreme

Over the last few days i have been fiddling around with my new Airport Extreme Base Station N router. I can connect a printer and use the internet through it seamlessly. I can even share two of my hard drives through a USB hub, however, my Maxtor 500 gb One Touch 4 HDD will not connect with my macbook through AEBS. It is only this drive that is not working with AEBS and it is the one i need to be connected and sharing. If i plug my 500gb Maxtor directly into my macbook it works fine, i can read all the files. This drive is formated as Mac OS Extended (journaled).
I am about to give up on this because i have tried everything:
1. Reformatted HDD
2. Downgraded Firmware
3. Searched Forums for advice
4. Reconfigured AEBS in, i think, every way possible
So, these are most of the things ive tried and so far there is no solution in sight. I have one hypothesis: my particular HDD (Maxtor 500gb One Touch 4) is incompatible with AEBS at this time, but it is possible that a future firmware update could fix this.
Does anyone have any advice? I'm lost and disappointed. Please help, thanks.
Message was edited by: benjaminwooda

Chances are pretty good that the power draw of your external drive is just at the "tipping point" for what the USB port on the Extreme can deliver. Powered USB hubs are inexpensive and should help in this situation.

Connecting USB Hard Drives to AP Extreme - My Experience

Short Summary: I reformatted my 300Gb external hard drive to Mac Extended format (not journaled) with 3 separate partitions: Photos, Music, and Backup Files. Plugged the HD into the AirPort base station and then ran the AirPort Disk Utility (HD accessed via base station password) and place the AP Disk Utility icon on the task bar. I clicked on the icon, entered my password, and the three partitions appeared on my desktop. I am now able to read/write to the HD with both Mac computers and my Windows computer (loaded with the windows version of AP Utility software) via my wireless network.
My Hardware: Cable Modem, AirPort (AP) Extreme 802.11n, SeaGate 300GB USB/Fire Wire External HD, iMac w/ core duo, PowerBook Pro w/ core duo, AP Express setup as a print server, and my Windows XP computer for gaming.
Initial Setup: I shut down all computers and replaced my old AP extreme with the new one. I plugged in the SeaGate HD to the AP base station, turned on the AP then turned on the HD. Turned on my PowerBook (PB) Pro, loaded the new AP software and was connected to the internet with no problem. Similar to other posting on this topic, my external HD was not visible despite running AP Disk Utility.
Follow on troubleshooting: The HD was formatted in Mac Extended (Journaled) and had 9 GB of data that was stored via USB wire directly from my PB Pro. I transfered the data to my PB Pro via USB and then, using the standard OS10 Disk Utility application, reformatted the HD in Mac Extended (Journaled) with 3 partitions. I reconnected the HD to the AP base station and ran AP disk utility again. Lo and behold, the 3 partitions showed up on the desktop of my PB Pro. I loaded the AP software onto my iMac and Windows Computer and they both recognized the HD. I successfully op tested file transfer via the wireless network (about 2.5 MB/sec data transfer rate).
The Kicker: I then ejected the HD from my computers, disconnected it from the AP base station, and then hooked it directly to my PB Pro to transfer 11 GB of music files. As expected the data transfer rate was much higher. I reconnected the HD to the AP base station but the HD got hung up and was no longer accessible via the wireless network. I connected another external HD (ACOM 160 GB, NTFS file format) and while it was accessible, not all files were visible. I disconnected the ACOM HD from the AP base station, hooked it directly to my PB Pro, transferred 1 GB of music files and reconnected it to the AP base station. It reappeared on my PB Pro after running the AP Disk Utility, however, the files I just transferred were not visible. Noticing a pattern, I have determined that for my hardware lineup, any files that are directly transferred to the HDs either cause the HD to hang up or are not visible. I can only speculate on why this occurs; maybe there is a causal link to the format standard of the disk (NTFS, Mac Extended (journaled) or the processing of pre-existing data on the HD.
The Final Fix: I connected the Seagate HD to my PB Pro with a USB cable and then cleared it of all data by erasing all partitions and contents using the normal Disk Utility application. I then re-formatted and re-partitioned to 3 partitions with the Mac Extended format (not journaled). I reconnected the HD to the AP base Station, went through the AP disk utility again and all 3 partitions were made available to both of my Mac computers and my Windows computer. Data transfer is now strictly limited to wireless transfers.
Conclusion: Though the wireless transfer takes longer, all data is present, visible and accessible by all three computers. Once the data is present, applications such as iPhoto and iTunes works just fine with minimal drop off in performance. While my experience with my Apple computers has been somewhat more satisfying than adding new hardware to my windows platform, this particular case demonstrates that data standards and PnP are still elusive goals in the computer industry.
Cheers and hope this helps someone,
HCW3
iMac and PowerBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.6)

I have heard that Airport Extreme only recognizes drives formatted with FAT32
The AirPort Extreme can't read NTFS drives.
which doesn't help me much because there is no way to format an FAT32 partition larger than 32 GB
Yes, there is. Click here and follow the instructions, or use a Mac to format the drive.
(46682)

Connecting USB Hard Drive

I am trying to make a MyBook USB HD available on the network. I am trying to use a Airport Extreme (not n). The problem is that the HD is not recognised and seen in the Finder window.
It could be I am not looking or I have set up wrong. All I have done is plug the USB in !!! I do have a printer set up and working on an Express.
One thing is that the My Book HD is USB 2.0.
Any thoughts?

Only the 802.11n AirPort Extreme base stations will recognize a hard drive or flash drive connected to it through the USB port.
(23180)

Recovery Disk wont work for new Hard drive.

I have a HP Pavilion dv5-2132dx with windows 7 64-bit. Recently a message started popping up warning that the hard drive might fail and I need to back up my data. I decided to buy a new hard drive. The hard drive a bought is 320GB SATA 7200RPM by western digital. It is the same brand and model as the hard drive currently in the computer. I popped in the new hard drive and inserted the recovery disks I bought from HP. The computer goes through the whole process of istalling the disks. However, on the final setup it shows the welcome screen. Then u hear a beep and then the screen goes black with a message saying that windows could not install and to try installing it again. I have done this 3 times and its always the same thing. Is this a Hard drive issue or a software issue and how can i get this to work?

Hi,
Before trying the following, make sure you can still read the 25 Character Product Activation key on your Windows COA label ( 5 blocks of 5 alpha/numeric sets ).
Assuming that this is just a problem with the Recovery process, there is a straight forward work around.
Create a retail Windows 7 installation disc yourself using another PC - just download the correct Disc Image from the link below ( this must be the exact version your notebook came with ) and use an application such as ImgBurn to burn the ISO correctly to a blank DVD - a guide on using ImgBurn to write an ISO to a disc is Here. These Images are clean and from a well-respected source, however there are only limited versions available.
Windows-7 sp1-iso-official-32-bit-and-64-bit
Use the disc to perform the installation, enter the Windows activation key found on the COA Label when requested and when the installation has completed, use the 'Phone Method' detailed in the link below to activate the OS - this method supported by Microsoft and is popular with people who just want a clean installation of Windows 7 without the additional software load normally bundled with OEM installations.
http://www.kodyaz.com/articles/how-to-activate-windows-7-by-phone.aspx
Any additional drivers you may need can be found Here.
Regards,
DP-K
****Click the White thumb to say thanks****
****Please mark Accept As Solution if it solves your problem****
****I don't work for HP****
Microsoft MVP - Windows Experience

Airport Extreme, Win XP and USB Hard Drive - Please Help!

I have a macbook pro and it connected everything in a minute or two, my Win XP laptop can use the network...but I cannot see the attached Hard drive...on the Mac, no problem, but the PC doesn't see it...i must be missing something. Any advice?

So i download the Airport software (4.2?) and it tells me to use the latest software, so I download the update and it tells me that it can't update this version...i gotta tell ya, I am ready to take this thing back if i can't use it, the mac works so simple, but winblows makes everything so **** difficult...what am i missing? Where is the correct software to download?

Connecting USB Hard Drive to DVD player SD2010KY

Hi there from Aussieland..
*+Concerning DVD player SD2010KY+* bought about a month back..
Any kind bod know the answer to:
Would there be any damage caused from running a USB-connecting external 3 1/2" HD (160g) - say an .avi movie - into the unit's front USB port?
Ie, will the unit's power supply handle the extra bit Ok?
Or is this the wrong forum to ask this detail? :)
Thanks - anything related would be sure be appreciated..
Cheers

To be honest this is Toshiba forum created for computing issues.
Anyway, check the player specification to see if USB port offers enough power supply for external HDD. I had older DVD player and I could use USB sticks only.
You can try to connect USB HDD to see if the disc will be recognized properly. You will not damage anything.

Connect USB Hard Drive to Airport Express : Any development plans for this?

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone knew if there were plans to utilize the USB port for anything other than a printer? I think that being able to attach my LaCie 500GB USB drive would be awesome!!
Best Regards

http://discussions.apple.com/help.jspa#terms
Near the bottom
Search or browse for existing answers before you ask a question. Someone else may have asked your question — it may save you some time.
Stay on topic. Apple's discussion forums are here to help people use Apple products and technologies more effectively. Unless otherwise noted, don't add Submissions about nontechnical topics, including:
That Apple rumor you saw on another website.
Discussions of Apple policies or procedures.
Speculations/rumors about unannounced products.

Ubuntu linux machine can not write to connected usb hard drive

Hi, I bought a WRT610N router. I connected my USB drive to it, and it is working fine with my Vista Machine. However, my Ubuntu linux machine can not write to it. It can read it great, but it can not write. If I connect the drive directly to the Ubuntu device, it reads and writes fine.
I've set all the permissiosn and such in the router setup. I didn't need to do anything in Vista. Is there something I need to do in Ubuntu? I'm new to Linux so Imay have missed something.
Thank you.

Create a new admin user and give all permissions oj your router and check if you can write to it on your Ubuntu linux machine...

Accessing a USB hard drive connected to a AEBS from Windows XP SP2

Hi everybody my problem is this, I am using the AEBS. I have an iMac G5 and a Sony vaio laptop running Windows XP SP2. After some initial problems both connect to the Internet and if I attach a USB printer to the AEBS both allow you to print remotely however if I attach an external hard drive only the iMac can access it. The airport disk agent for Windows pops up that a disk has become available but when you try to access it you get an alert message that says, “unknown user, incorrect password, or login is disabled. Please retype login information or contact the disk’s administrator.” If you click on the preferences in Airport Disk, in Windows, no disk is visible although the disk is visible in the Airport Utility! I have tried different hard drives and all the different settings in the Airport Utility for accessing a USB hard drive connected to the AEBS and get the same message regardless. HELP1

Hi John,
My hard drive is already formatted to fat 32. If I "check disks" in AirPort Utillity in windows it see's the disk and knows how much free and used space there is on it. It also knows when I'm accessing the disk from my iMac but when I try to connect to the hard drive from windows I just get the error message in my first post. When I click on AirPort Disk in windows my base station name doesn't appear, it does on my mac. I tried you suggestion but it hasn't helped. Thanks anyway. If you've got any other suggestion i'll gladly give them a try.
Thanks again.

When I try to direct my iTunes library to my USB hard drive, it stays in 'connecting' status. Why?

I have an airport extreme that has a USB hard drive. I had my iTunes on my MacBook pro directed to the hard drive. It stopped using the hard drive and now I can't direct it to the hard drive. The Airport utility can see the hard drive and I didn't change any set ups. I have tried powering down and powering up the Airprot extreme. I have tried disconnecting and reconnecting the hard drive.
My husband was able to see the hard drive on his PC lap top and now he can't either. When he tries to connect the hard drive directly to his PC, it asks him to reformat the drive, which we don't want to do (won't that erase everything on the drive?)
What should I check?
Thanks...

Thank you for your response. I have done this...when I open the iTunes folder copied from my old computer, each song appears only once. When I open iTunes each song appears twice. Should I uninstall the iTunes folder from my old computer and reinstall it? It make no sense that I have 2 of everything in iTunes. Thank you for responding - I really appreciate it, as I don't want to have to delete each duplicate song

USB Hard Drive not showing up in AirPort Utility

I have been using this AirPort Extreme for over two years now and it's been working fine. I finally decided to buy a self-powered USB hard drive so I can share it over the network. However, after I unpacked the hard drive, connected it to my Mac and reformatted it to HFS+ Journaled and GUID. I plugged the hard drive into my AirPort Extreme's USB port and waited. I looked in my AirPort Utility and saw nothing in the disk list.
I spent hours searching online and discovered that I am not alone in this problem, although solutions are rare. I did try one solution where I hooked up the USB hard drive to a powered USB hub and the hub into AirPort Extreme. It actually worked once and after I rebooted everything, even though the hard drive still showed up in the disk list, no computers can connect to it. Although if I connect the hard drive directly to a Mac, it would still work perfectly.
Having a USB hub is not a long term solution not that it's working anymore anyway. I would appreciate any suggestions you may have, thanks!

Weilishu wrote:
Thanks for the response. However, I'm not sure what you mean.
So far my experience is far from "Just connect the external hard drive to the USB port on the back of your AirPort Extreme and — voilà".
did you read the support article Daddy linked ? it clearly says
JGG

AirPort Disk wont show connected USB hard drive

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