Can not eject an external drive?

I connected a small usb external drive to my Mac Pro running 10.7.3 to transfer files, now I can not eject it because the Mac thinks it is still being used. I closed all open folders, applications and did a force quit to see if any other programs are still open and they are not. I tried shutting down the Mac, though it won't let me since it thinks something is still being done. What do I do to eject this drive?
Thanks.

If you need to you can emergency shut-down the mac by holding shift, option, and command and hitting the power button. Or, if you know for a fact nothing is being actively written or read from the flash drive, you can either force eject it or just unplug it anyway.

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Time Machine can not be mounted - external drive

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The drive is on, the light is on, but it's not mounting. Out of curiosity, my husband hooked it up to his Vista PC and he was able to browse to it all dandy. But then back on my computer, it's not being recognized.
It's not showing up in disk utility, though my other external drive, my iphoto drive, is having no problems. It's not the USB port, as my ipod works on either port, as does my iphoto drive.
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I've unplugged it, plugged it back in. Rebooted the computer without it attached.

I solved my problem. I tried plugging it into another computer and it popped up on the screen. AHA! Before I tried that, I had ONLY unplugged the drive but had NOT crawled under the desk to unplug it from the main power source. It just needed to be TOTALLY unplugged and left alone for a few minutes. Those little green men obviously can bunch up anywhere and need a total disconnect, for several minutes at least, to unbind. Ahh, sort of like un-constipating the system?
KC
Message was edited by: KCChoirgirl

Can not Access Backup external drive

Have a Lacie Mini HUB HD which I have been using for 3 years with little problem, suddenly the drive is not accesible, does not appear anywhere to be found and Time Machine can not be reset.
Symptoms: Blue power ON light is flashing, Power supply is hot. Is my External drive fried?
Help!

imacmanzano wrote:
Have a Lacie Mini HUB HD which I have been using for 3 years with little problem, suddenly the drive is not accesible, does not appear anywhere to be found and Time Machine can not be reset.
Symptoms: Blue power ON light is flashing, Power supply is hot. Is my External drive fried?
Hi, and welcome to the forums.
Sounds like it may be.
Disconnect and power it off and for several minutes, then Restart your Mac, reconnect and power it up.
See if you can repair it per #A5 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).
If it doesn't show up in the Disk Utility sidebar, it's likely failed. LaCie might be able to tell you whether it's the drive itself or the power supply, but after 3 years, you're likely to need a new one.

Can not boot to external drive

Hey there
I have a MacBook2,1 running 10.7.4
I am trying to create an external boot drive but I can not boot to an external drive.
If I mount an install disk to any drive I have it will not boot to it. If I select it in startup drive or option boot it will not work.
Please help. need this fixed ASAP

Drive Preparation for Lion
1. Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Security button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
After formatting is complete quit DU and return to the main menu. Select Reinstall Lion and click on the Continue button. When the installer begins it will default to installing on the Macintosh HD volume. Click on the link below to Show All Disks. Locate your external drive and select it as the target.

Can not use my external driver to setup Time Machine

I just bought a new mobile external driver and I planned to use this for Time Machine back of my Macbook Pro. However I got the following error message when I set up the Time Machine:
There was an error erasing the Time Machine backup disk
Is there anybody can help me about this problem?
Thanks

Thanks very much for everybody's help in this matter. I have done all the process again exactly the same as the steps above. However after the wait for some time, I got the following errors:
2010-07-04 21:32:42 +0800: Preparing to partition disk: “Initio MK4006GAL Media”
2010-07-04 21:32:42 +0800: Partition Scheme: GUID Partition Table
2010-07-04 21:32:42 +0800: 1 partition will be created
2010-07-04 21:32:42 +0800:
2010-07-04 21:32:42 +0800: Partition 1
2010-07-04 21:32:42 +0800: Name : “Untitled 1”
2010-07-04 21:32:42 +0800: Size : 40.01 GB
2010-07-04 21:32:42 +0800: Filesystem : Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
2010-07-04 21:32:42 +0800:
2010-07-04 21:32:43 +0800: Unmounting disk
2010-07-04 21:32:43 +0800: Creating partition map
2010-07-04 21:32:43 +0800: Waiting for disks to reappear
2010-07-04 21:32:43 +0800: Formatting disk1s2 as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with name Untitled 1
2010-07-04 21:36:30 +0800: Partition failed for disk (null) File system formatter failed
2010-07-04 21:36:30 +0800: Partition complete.

Can not sleep machine, external drive carryover problem from 10.5

just calling everyone's renewed attention to this silly problem with the OS.
After installing 10.6 last night i set my machine to sleep after an hour. This morning, i find the machine frozen solid. Manually pulling the firewire plug from my media-dedicated Mybook drive springs the whole machine back to life. Finder, Itunes, and Quicksilver were frozen, suddenly working fine again.
This was an issue with leopard from day one. It still exists on 10.6. Discussions on this issue focused on the failure of a drive to be woken-up after being put to sleep. I can't keep up with the kernal level discussions being had, but the conversation is well-documented in many threads under 10.5.
Despite the under the hood improvements, this issue has yet to-and must be- resolved. The alternative for this media center is not never let the computer sleep. Shutting it down as an alternative to sleep is a de-evolution compared even to windows (under vista, awindows 7, and tiger i do not have this issue with my drives.) Please take another look at it. Thanks! otherwise enjoying 10.6's speed.

William, you reminded me that it had been a while since i looked for drivers (well, i'm on a mac afterall). Western Digital offers "MacTurboDrivers" dec 2008. I'm going to give this a shot.
"This installer - WDMacTurboDrivers.dmg, contained within the WDMacTurboDrivers.zip file installs custom Western Digital performance based Turbo drivers and drive icons for WD USB and FireWire enabled external hard drives under Macintosh computers."
I popped in to report that, my situation has degraded somewhat since the Leopard issue.. i'm having the drive freeze the computer even while the machine and hard drives are not set to sleep! Heres hoping these drivers are more than candy..
has anyone else with a Mybook solved this problem? I have three mybooks - a 750MB usb, a 2TB firewire (time machine) and a 1TB firewire for itunes. The itunes drive is the only drive which fails to wake up. Before i had the 2TB, the 750MB was my itunes drive, and the 1TB was TM, during that time it the 750MB failed to wake up from sleep. Is iTunes the culprit? If so it is still a media-center disadvantage.

I can not mount an external drive

Disk first aid sees the drive but the "mount " button is dim. I am connected by a usb cable. I am using Lion 10.7.3.
I had been using the drive connected to an airport extreme. That configuration failed its connection to my imac. The drive is now connected now directly to the computer. Any ideas here as what I can try next? Many thanks.

I have an iMac model 4,1 running OSX 10.6.8.   The CD/DVD drive went bad and I have replaced it. However I can not get disks to eject.   I have asked about this before and tried all all the suggestions I have received but I can not eject.

I have an iMac model 4,1 running OSX 10.6.8.   The CD/DVD drive went bad and I have replaced it. However I can not get disks to eject.   I have asked about this before and tried all all the suggestions I have received but I can not eject.
Yesterday I opened up the iMac and reinstalled the drive to make sure that it was not an alignment problem.   I still can not eject.   When I try to eject the drive makes noises like it is ejecting but the disk does not come out.
How do I solve this problem?

Hi again Hal
Link to your other thread > The slot loading CD/DVD drive in my...: Apple Support Communities
You have also tried resetting the PRAM as I suggestion in your other thread...?
See resetting the PRAM > About NVRAM and PRAM
1. Shut down the computer.
2. Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
3. Turn on the computer.
4. Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
5. Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
6. Release the keys.

Blank Disc in drive did not register as being in the drive and so I can not eject it even the ^ button does not do anything.

Blank Disc in drive did not register as being in the drive and so I can not eject it and even the ^ button does not do anything.

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I have a MacBook Pro and someone has inserted a mini disc in the disc drive and I can not eject it or even get it to read, How can I remove it?

I have a MacBook Pro and someone has inserted a mini disc in the disc drive and I can not eject it or even get it to read, How can I remove it?

Sounds like to me that you have a bootcamp partition with Windows and have the default Windows to boot first.
I think there is a Windows Control Panel or other setting while your in Windows to set the OS X as the first boot option.
Also in OS X there is a option under the System Preferences to set OS X as the first boot option.

ITunes are not seeing my external drive as the library

Hi, I'm struggling to get music on my iPhone.
All our music is stored on an external hard drive that we use with our iPods. My wife and I recently got iPhones and we're trying to put some music on them.
iTunes is setup to get the music from the hard drive but for some reason I can not access it any more. My problem is that iTunes are not seeing my external drive as the library.
Here's how I've set my iTunes up:
Edit - Preferences - Advance
iTunes media folder location: J:\Lacie_iTunes (that's where the music is stored)
Now this worked perfect with our iPods but for some reason iTunes is not seeing the music anymore.
In iTunes, if I click on Library and then Music all I get is a screen to either download music (with tutorials) or import CD's (with tutorials).
I'm using iTunes 9 and Windows 7, the iTunes version on my wife's laptop is an older version but I do not think that that is the problem.
Any advice would be MUCH appreciated!

Setting the iTunes Media folder in preferences only moves the content to the external drive. The library database files will still be at the default location of ...\My Documents\My Music\iTunes. When you move the portable drive from one machine to the other you'll have access to the content, but not the database hence you get an empty library and the prompt to add some content.
See this recent post for pointers on how to rearrange the database & media folders so that everything is truly portable. I don't have time just now to rewrite the instructions for your specific drive & folder names but if it's not clear I'll pop by later and write them out again.
tt2

Updated to Mavericks OS X but can't use my external drive by WD My Passport. The Mac reads it but I can't add/remove files to the external drive. Help?!

Updated to Mavericks OS X but can't use my external drive by WD My Passport. The Mac reads it but I can't add/remove files to the external drive. Help?!
The WD My Passport, I purchased back in early December 2013 & I just used it the other day after I updated my Macbook... & of course it says in the online manual it works for Mac Lion, Mountain Lion, Snow Leopard but not this new Maverick update. Is there anything I can do?

I like the free demo of SuperDuper to make clones. It's free, Tiger and Leopard ready and is easy to use. If you buy the full version you can do incremental backups.
You should use Disk Utility to do a Disk Repair, as shown in this link, booted up on your install disk, before you make a clone of it.
I then partition my external disk, in Disk Utility, with a partition that is the same size , actually a tad bigger, as my system disk. I then use SuperDuper to clone my system disk over to that partition.
With a clone on an external FireWire drive (USB drives are not bootable on some Macs) you can bootup on it to do your repairs or just run your Mac anytime you have trouble with your main drive. Be careful, there are a few external FireWire drives out there that are not bootable on Macs. Check the drive's manual to be sure.
 DALE

HT201250 I've just used an external drive to back up my Mac with Time Machine. I have Lion, but didn't click and check the "Encrypt Backup Disc". What should I do? Can I delete the external drive and start again, or can I encrypt later?

I've just used an external drive to back up my Mac with Time Machine. I have Lion, but didn't click and check the "Encrypt Backup Disc". What should I do? Can I delete the external drive and start again, or can I encrypt later?

I guess if stolen or lost it would protect my "stuff", and if I'm travelling would protect my privacy.
You must understand the purpose and implications of encryption before deciding whether to use it.
Encryption locks your data with a password. If you forget that password, the data is lost beyond any chance of recovery. Neither Apple nor anyone else will be able to help you recover that data if you don't know the password.
By the same token, the password must be strong enough to provide the security you want. For example, if you're the potential target of industrial espionage by a government or large corporation, you need the strongest possible password. To create and manage such a password safely is a task in itself, not to be undertaken lightly.
If you're only concerned about casual snooping by someone with no special skill, a weak, easily-remembered password is appropriate.
But regardless of the strength of the password, if you lose it, the data is gone forever.
Another point to remember is that if you encrypt your data on one storage device, you must also encrypt it on all other storage devices that would be accessible to the same attacker. Otherwise the data isn't protected. For example, if you keep your computer and your backup drive in the same room, and the internal drive of the computer is not encrypted, then there's no point in encrypting the backup drive.

Can't Boot From External Drive

Situation:
Prior to upgrading to Lion I used SuperDuper to create a copy of the existing internal hard drive on an new external drive (iOmega eGo 500GB).
Tested booting from the external disk and it appeared to work correctly.
Upgraded to Lion.
Several days later attempted to boot from the external disk (by setting the start up disk in the system preferenes ) but it fails.
The system always boots into Lion.
What I've tried:
Setting the start up disk through system preferences
Holding down the option key to select a disk on startup - interestingly enough I only see the internal hard disk and a recover HD. No sign of my external disk.
Using a clean partition on the external hard drive I installed SL from the retail DVD. This produces the same effect of system booting to Lion on the internal drive, which suggests that the problem is not related to the copy I made using SuperDuper, but rather has to do with the external drive or something in Lion that prevents using an external drive (but I've never heard of such a thing).
Talked to technical support at Apple since I had newly purchased Lion. They couldn't offer a solution but did give a lot of thought and suggestions - but they don't support booting from an external disk.
Talked to iOmega technical support. Not helpful but did figure out at the end of an online chat that they don't support their disks being used for external booting.
Emailed SuperDuper. Very helpful. They offered some suggestions but in the end these didn't work.
Characteristics
Lion 10.7.4
iMac 2007
External Drive Interface FW800
I'd appreciate any suggestions as to the cause of the problem and possible fixes.
Thanks

@shootist007
Still no success but more information:
I found the USB cable for the drive, connected it to a powered USB hub (note that there are two cables going into the hub that must merge and go into a single connector for the USB interface on the drive). with both cables plugged in I still can't get the external drive to boot.
I need to do one more experiment on this. The hub is fully loaded so I'll try removing as much load as possible on the USB to see if I can get it to work.
Regarding your question, there is no way to get power to the drive. (Now I think about it, the design is for a portable drive that you can carry around with you so iOmega aimed the design at not needing a power supply to make it very portable). Hmmm, didn't think about that when I purchased it.
If reducing the load on the hub doesn't make it work then I'l have to get a replacement drive with its own power supply.
Thanks for your help. Even though no success yet I suspect you've identified the problem.

I can not eject a cd...

What to do if you can not eject a CD or DVD (media locked) from the drive tray...I already tried all the solutions in the owner's support...
I am discouraged ... is only a few days that I bought my first mac..

Your English is fine Michele - better than my Italian
It sounds like something has physically failed within your drive. I can't think of anything else except to get it looked at by a technician. Good luck.

Can not eject an external drive?

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