Disk format error running Snow Leopard

Hi all,
simply trying to erase/reformat a LaCie 350 GB external hard drive.    I keep getting the error that the disk won't unmount. How can I get around this and does this mean I shouldn't rely on this EHD. I'm reformatting it to load up some video clips for a client.....
Thanks for any kind assistance!  This MacPro is 2008, running Snow Leopard and FC 7.  10GB Ram, 3-1T drives internal.

You might do a Safe Boot too if the restart isn't enough, or if you installed software or if TimeMachine is trying to back it up (I know it tries with most drives unless  you tell it not to, rather than ASK if  user wants to!).

Similar Messages

  • I'm running snow leopard. The try to open any .mov file in Quicktime, and I get an error message that says, "The document xyz.mov could not be opened. The movie is not in a format that Quicktime player understands. I'm a recent upgrade to Snow Leopard.

    I'm running snow leopard. The try to open any .mov file in Quicktime, and I get an error message that says, "The document xyz.mov could not be opened. The movie is not in a format that Quicktime player understands. I'm a recent upgrade to Snow Leopard.
    Help!
    Thanks, Mark

    Unfortunately, the error message gives no details about what codec might be missing or what it needs.
    If the file can't be opened in QT, it only means you cannot use the QT "Inspector" window to check what compression formats were used to create the file. It does not mean you can't use the Finder "Information" window to check on the compression formats or use a third party media information window (e.g., like VLC which will open many compression formats not supported natively by QT) to determine what kind of data is included in the MOV wrapper. If the file cannot be opened in any app, it is usually a good sign that the file itself is corrupted.
    It's a stupid error message. Apple should do better than that.
    Error trapping is quite extensive but there are still many areas which require human oversight. The message is telling you that either the container has a problem (e.g., not properly terminated, non-standard, or corrupted) or that one or more of the compression formats used is not supported by your current codec component configuration or that the data was encoded using non-standard settings or preferences not supported by QT or that the fourCC code does not match the data contained in the file or that there are timecode inconsistencies, etc., etc., etc. In short there are a near infinite number of possible problems for which it would be very difficult/nearly impossible to program error trapping depending on your sourcing of content and how you process it before it reaches the player app. Think of it like trying to play a BD disc in an DVD player.
    I'll call Apple support when I get a chance.
    Chances are good that they will end up sending you back here. In any case, it is often a good idea to post a sample file for examination by other QT users. At the very least, they should be able to tell you if the sample file will play on other systems which would indicate whether or not the file itself is bad and under the best of circumstances whould allow them to examing the file in detail for various common problems.

  • My early (white plastic) 2006 imac freezes.  I'm running Snow Leopard and have formatted and reinstalled the software 3 or 4 times.   Model Name:     iMac   Model Identifier:     iMac4,1   Processor Name:     Intel Core Duo   Processor Speed:     2 GHz  

    My early (white plastic) 2006 imac freezes.  I'm running Snow Leopard and have formatted and reinstalled the software 3 or 4 times.   Model Name:          iMac  
    Model Identifier:          iMac4,1  
    Processor Name:          Intel Core Duo  
    Processor Speed:          2 GHz  
    Until I installed the SMC FanControl application my screen would "break up" into strange patterns and then would eventually freeze.  Please help.

    If you are trying to upgrade using a gray-faced OS X disk from another system, that won't work, as those disks are locked to the system types they are delivered with. You'll need to drop the $29 on a retail copy of Snow Leopard, which is available from the Apple online store. Note Snow Leopard requires 1GB minimum, and you may want at least 2GB for better performance.

  • I used Target mode to transfer files to a new iMac running Snow Leopard 10.6.8 from an older Dual core Intel machine (EMC 2105) also on 10.6.8. but originally Tiger 10.4. The operation was successful and I ejected the disk icon from the new machine and po

    IS THE SITUATION HOPELESS
    I used Target mode to transfer files to a new i7  iMac running Snow Leopard 10.6.8 from an older Dual core Intel machine (EMC 2105) also on 10.6.8. but originally Tiger 10.4. The operation was successful and I ejected the disk icon from the new machine and powered down the old machine. When this was restarted the next day there was a grey screen with flashing Mac symbol alternating with a 'no entry' sign and occasionally a question mark.Keyboard and mouse were unusable so k inserted the original instal disc (No.1 for 10.4. with installer 1.0.4) which came with the machine in 2006 in an attempt to boot from this. The ensuing window said this was not possible and now it cannot be ejected.I have tried everything ! It offers Disk Utility and other options like Terminal but that doesn't work either.I 'repaired disk' and that was pronounced o.k. None of the various keystrokes at start up will work, and the computer will only offer the installer disc continually.The only option would seem to be is to erase the hard drive completely from the disc in the machine.I don't want to do this as there is still material which I need to recover. I think the drive has in some way been corrupted by using it in target mode, and I don't know if there are any other options to try.
              Please tell me how to get this disc to eject !

    Graham Giles wrote:
    Have you seen this type of problem before? I think it could be a serious issue for anyone in a similar position.
    No; but then, I've not had occasion to use TDM. I've been using firerwire drives for over 10 years, both FW400 and FW800, with no issues except a bit of instability using a B&W G3 machine.
    TDM should be safe. Using cautious, manual copying of files from the Target machine to the Host machine should not result in unexpected loss of files or damage to the Target drive's directories. It should behave exactly the same as if it were an external (to the Host) firewire drive.
    •  I don't suppose there is anything I can do to 'put back' lost items from a separate Time Machine drive which has an up to date backup on it.
    There is probably a way to do that - seems to me that's one of the reasons for a Time Machine volume.
    On the other hand, if the Time Machine volume is rigidly linked to the now-absent OS on the original drive, there may be no way to effectively access the files in the TM archive.
    I know that using a cloned drive would work well in this instance.
    I have no experience with Time Machine, so perhaps someone who has will chime in with suggestions.
    With the machine in TDM with the other machine, have you tried running Disk Utility to see if you can effect repairs to the drive?

  • I'm using a macbook pro, running snow leopard. Yesterday I got around to emptying my trash for the first time in quite awhile and was surprised by how much there seemed to be in there. Immediately after a question mark symbols appeared on all my hard disk

    I'm using a macbook pro, running snow leopard. Yesterday I got around to emptying my trash for the first time in quite awhile and was surprised by how much there seemed to be in there. Immediately after a question mark symbol appeared on all my hard disk folders. If I click on these question marks I get a message saying ' the item can't be found'.

    mpagan47 wrote: a question mark symbol appeared on all my hard disk folders.
    Not sure where these hard disk folders are located that you are referring to?  Finder, Finder tool bar, Finder side bar, Desktop, Dock? 
    More then likely they are  an alias that not longer point to the orginals,  thus the question mark.
    I would reboot.  Delete icons if an alias and just recreate by dragging from the source. Try right click (control) click to remove.

  • I have lost my installation disk for my mac book pro running Snow Leopard 10.6." Where can I replace it?"

    I have lost my installation disk for my mac book pro running Snow Leopard 10.6." Where can I replace it?"

    You can get replacement System Install & Restore CD/DVDs from Apple's Customer Support - in the US, (800) 767-2775 - for a nominal S&H fee. You'll need to have the model and/or serial number of your Mac available.

  • My 2006 iMac running Snow Leopard won't boot even after erasing and re-installing Snow Leopard (via my MacBookPro), either from the HD or DVD drive.  Can't get it to run Hardware Test.  Disk Utility says disk OK - files are there. What can I do?

    My 2006 iMac running Snow Leopard won't boot even after erasing and re-installing Snow Leopard.   I erased and re-installed by putting the iMac in Target Disk mode and usin my MacBookPro as the host.  But after numerous attempts I still can't get it to boot either from the HD or DVD drive. I just get the white screen after the wheel stops spinning.  I can't get it to run Hardware Test - just get the white screen.  If I use Disk Utility via my MBP it says the disk appears OK. All the Snow Leopad files appear to have been installed. What can I do?

    Hi-NRG Bwoy wrote:
    I erased and re-installed by putting the iMac in Target Disk mode and using my MacBookPro as the host.
    Reet the SMC and the PRAM
     Cheat sheet to help diagnose and fix your Mac
    Perhaps you installed the wrong version OS X onto the iMac, you can't use the disk from another Mac.
    clean the disk.
    If it's not working then use this method to create a bootable 10.6 USB from the iMac machine specific 10.6 disk or the 10.6.3 retail disk on your other Mac, use it to boot the iMac with.
    http://www.maciverse.com/install-os-x-snow-leopard-from-usb-flash-drive.html
    How to erase and install Snow Leopard 10.6

  • Error installing Windows 7 on Macbook running snow leopard

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    Read the Boot Camp Instructions located here: http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/. You must use the same drive that contains OSX to install Windows using Boot Camp Assistant.
    The Boot Camp community is located here: https://discussions.apple.com/community/windows_software/boot_camp
    I've asked the moderators to move your post.

  • I want to sell my MBP. How do I completely erase my 2007, 17-inch Macbook Pro that is currently running Snow Leopard. I DO NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL DISK THAT CAME WITH THE BOX ANYMORE.

    I want to sell off my old MacBook Pro and do not want any of my old stuff on it for the next person to fool around with. I'd like a clean-slate for the next guy/gal. It's a 17-inch that I purchased back in '07. It is currently running Snow Leopard after I installed it myself about two years ago. I DO NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL DISK THAT CAME WITH THE LAPTOP IN THE BOX.

    raeusebio32 wrote:
    I DO NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL DISK THAT CAME WITH THE LAPTOP IN THE BOX.
    No problem, stick in your 10.6.3 Snow Leopard retail disk you used to upgrade from 10.4/10.5 with
    If you don't have this disk anymore, you can order one online at Apple.com for $29, they don't sell it in the physical stores.
    http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A
    Reboot holding the c or option key down to boot from the disk, select Disk Utility from under the Utilities menu on the second screen (first is language selection)
    Now select your boot drive on the left with the drive makers name and disk size and click Erase > Security Option > Zero All Data and click Erase
    It will take some time to complete as it's making sure all your personal data if not easily recoverable off the drive using software.
    Now quit and you will be back in the installer window, install 10.6 and it will reboot to the "Welcome Video" you can choose to press the power button down and do a hard shutdown, the computer will boot again to this video for the next owner.
    If you need even more security in your data deletion efforts I suggest you read this
    How do I securely delete data from the machine?

  • My early Intel iMac running Snow Leopard will not boot past the apple logo. I have tried holding the c key and inserting the install disk, but nothing. What do I try next?

    My early Intel iMac running Snow Leopard will not boot past the apple logo. I have tried holding the c key and inserting the install disk, but nothing. What do I try next?

    I have tried resetting PRAM and all other items listed in the Apple support site. This happened after an update to iTunes was added. Also this is happening to other people. Please help.

  • How do I make a back up system disk. I wish to run snow leopard and Lion on 1 drive.

    I wish to run Snow Leopard and Lion on 1 Hard Drive. I need to back up snow leopard and then install Lion. Any suggestions on how to do this?

    Too follow up on this topic - I have recently upgraded to 10.8.2. I have a complete backup HD with SL inclluding some SL-only programs on it. What I want is to make a small size, just SL and my few programs, hard drive with which I can boot when needed. Is it possible to trash all the many programs I have on the SL drive and just keep certain ones? How?
    Thanks you for any advice,
    John

  • Cannot access safe boot for Mac Air running Snow Leopard any suggestion please?

    Mac Air - Mid 2011 (79gig free space). Running Snow Leopard 10.6 + all updates installed to-date. Last update was iTunes 98m file which was installed 4 days ago.
    Unit has progressively slowed up, starting with intermittent freezing of cursor, which appears to have started not long after connecting iPhone 5 running current iOS.
    Have accessed Safe Boot and ran drive utility check, all ok.
    Received error message after drive check stating, "(AppleUsbEthernetHost.text) incorrectly installed".
    Have subsequently tried accessing Safe Boot again to try and reset permissions, but can not access as unit constantly freezes at Login page.
    Have followed Apple support recommendations to access Safe Boot, but to no avail.
    Have seen forum references to the above error relating to iOS mobile devices causing problems with earlier versions of iTunes updates. 
    Any suggestions as to how to proceed from here would be appreciated ?
    Ivy

    I suggest you backup your files, if possible, then do the following:
    Clean Install of Snow Leopard
    Be sure to make a backup first because the following procedure will erase
    the drive and everything on it.
         1. Boot the computer using the Snow Leopard Installer Disc or the Disc 1 that came
             with your computer.  Insert the disc into the optical drive and restart the computer.
             After the chime press and hold down the  "C" key.  Release the key when you see
             a small spinning gear appear below the dark gray Apple logo.
         2. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue
             button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
             After DU loads select the hard drive entry from the left side list (mfgr.'s ID and drive
             size.)  Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.  Set the number of
             partitions to one (1) from the Partitions drop down menu, click on Options button
             and select GUID, click on OK, then set the format type to MacOS Extended
             (Journaled, if supported), then click on the Apply button.
         3. When the formatting has completed quit DU and return to the installer.  Proceed
             with the OS X installation and follow the directions included with the installer.
         4. When the installation has completed your computer will Restart into the Setup
             Assistant. Be sure you configure your initial admin account with the exact same
             username and password that you used on your old drive. After you finish Setup
             Assistant will complete the installation after which you will be running a fresh
             install of OS X.  You can now begin the update process by opening Software
             Update and installing all recommended updates to bring your installation current.
    Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1.
    Reinstall your third-party software from the original media. Restore your data from the backup.

  • HT1338 Purchased a used macbook pro with Mountain Lion. My old Mac runs Snow Leopard is backed up to Time machine. How do I register the operating system to me and how do I use Time Machine to move my files to the new used computer?

    Purchased a used macbook pro with Mountain Lion. My old Mac runs Snow Leopard is backed up to Time machine. How do I register the operating system to me and how do I use Time Machine to move my files to the new used computer?

    If you look at the User Tips tab, you will find a write up on just this subject:
    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4053
    The subject of buying/selling a Mac is quite complicated.  Here is a guide to the steps involved. It is from the Seller's point of view, but easily read the other way too:
    SELLING A MAC A
    Internet Recovery, and Transferability of OS & iLife Apps
    Selling an Old Mac:
    • When selling an old Mac, the only OS that is legally transferable is the one that came preinstalled when the Mac was new. Selling a Mac with an upgraded OS isn't doing the new owner any favors. Attempting to do so will only result in headaches since the upgraded OS can't be registered by the new owner. If a clean install becomes necessary, they won't be able to do so and will be forced to install the original OS via Internet Recovery. Best to simply erase the drive and revert back to the original OS prior to selling any Mac.
    • Additionally, upgrading the OS on a Mac you intend to sell means that you are leaving personally identifiable information on the Mac since the only way to upgrade the OS involves using your own AppleID to download the upgrade from the App Store. So there will be traces of your info and user account left behind. Again, best to erase the drive and revert to the original OS via Internet Recovery.
    Internet Recovery:
    • In the event that the OS has been upgraded to a newer version (i.e. Lion to Mountain Lion), Internet Recovery will offer the version of the OS that originally came with the Mac. So while booting to the Recovery Disk will show Mountain Lion as available for reinstall since that is the current version running, Internet Recovery, on the other hand, will only show Lion available since that was the OS shipped with that particular Mac.
    • Though the Mac came with a particular version of Mac OS X, it appears that, when Internet Recovery is invoked, the most recent update of that version may be applied. (i.e. if the Mac originally came with 10.7.3, Internet Recovery may install a more recent update like 10.7.5)
    iLife Apps:
    • When the App Store is launched for the first time it will report that the iLife apps are available for the user to Accept under the Purchases section. The user will be required to enter their AppleID during the Acceptance process. From that point on the iLife apps will be tied to the AppleID used to Accept them. The user will be allowed to download the apps to other Macs they own if they wish using the same AppleID used to Accept them.
    • Once Accepted on the new Mac, the iLife apps can not be transferred to any future owner when the Mac is sold. Attempting to use an AppleID after the apps have already been accepted using a different AppleID will result in the App Store reporting "These apps were already assigned to another Apple ID".
    • It appears, however, that the iLife Apps do not automatically go to the first owner of the Mac. It's quite possible that the original owner, either by choice or neglect, never Accepted the iLife apps in the App Store. As a result, a future owner of the Mac may be able to successfully Accept the apps and retain them for themselves using their own AppleID. Bottom Line: Whoever Accepts the iLife apps first gets to keep them.
    SELLING A MAC B
    Follow these instructions step by step to prepare a Mac for sale:
    Step One - Back up your data:
    A. If you have any Virtual PCs shut them down. They cannot be in their "fast saved" state. They must be shut down from inside Windows.
    B. Clone to an external drive using using Carbon Copy Cloner.
    1. Open Carbon Copy Cloner.
    2. Select the Source volume from the Select a source drop down menu on the left side.
    3. Select the Destination volume from the Select a destination drop down menu on the right
    side.
    4. Click on the Clone button. If you are prompted about creating a clone of the Recovery HD be
    sure to opt for that.
    Destination means a freshly erased external backup drive. Source means the internal
    startup drive. 
    Step Two - Prepare the machine for the new buyer:
    1. De-authorize the computer in iTunes! De-authorize both iTunes and Audible accounts.
    2, Remove any Open Firmware passwords or Firmware passwords.
    3. Turn the brightness full up and volume nearly so.
    4. Turn off File Vault, if enabled.
    5. Disable iCloud, if enabled: See.What to do with iCloud before selling your computer
    Step Three - Install a fresh OS:
    A. Snow Leopard and earlier versions of OS X
    1. Insert the original OS X install CD/DVD that came with your computer.
    2. Restart the computer while holding down the C key to boot from the CD/DVD.
    3. Select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu; repartition and reformat the internal hard drive.
    Optionally, click on the Security button and set the Zero Data option to one-pass.
    4. Install OS X.
    5. Upon completion DO NOT restart the computer.
    6. Shutdown the computer.
    B. Lion and Mountain Lion (if pre-installed on the computer at purchase*)
    Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because
    it is three times faster than wireless.
    1. Restart the computer while holding down the COMMAND and R keys until the Mac OS X
    Utilities window appears.
    2. Select Disk Utility from the Mac OS X Utilities window and click on the Continue button. 
    3. After DU loads select your startup volume (usually Macintosh HD) from the left side list. Click
    on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
    4. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Optionally, click on the Security button
    and set the Zero Data option to one-pass.
    5. Click on the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
    6. Quit DU and return to the Mac OS X Utilities window.
    7. Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Install button.
    8. Upon completion shutdown the computer.
    *If your computer came with Lion or Mountain Lion pre-installed then you are entitled to transfer your license once. If you purchased Lion or Mountain Lion from the App Store then you cannot transfer your license to another party. In the case of the latter you should install the original version of OS X that came with your computer. You need to repartition the hard drive as well as reformat it; this will assure that the Recovery HD partition is removed. See Step Three above. You may verify these requirements by reviewing your OS X Software License.

  • Why can't I upgrade to yosemite? I'm currently running snow leopard on my white macbook.

    Why can't I upgrade to yosemite? I'm currently running snow leopard on my white macbook.

    White MacBooks are NOT eligible to upgrade to either 10.8 Mounain Lion, 10.9 Mavericks or 10.10 Yosemite.
    You maybe able to upgrade your white MacBook to OS X 10.7 Lion
    OS X Lion system requirements
    To use Lion, make sure your computer has the following:
    An Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor
    Mac OS X v10.6.6 or later to install via the Mac App Store (v10.6.8 recommended)
    7 GB of available disk space
    2 GB of RAM
    You can purchase a OS X 10.7 Download code here.
    http://store.apple.com/us/product/D6106Z/A/os-x-lion
    Before embarking on a major OS upgrade, it would be wise, advisable and very prudent if you backup your current system to an external connected and Mac formatted Flash drive OR externally connected USB, Thunderbolt or FireWire 800, Mac formatted hard drive. Then, use either OS X Time Machine app to backup your entire system to the external drive OR purchase, install and use a data cloning app, like CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper, to make an exact and bootable copy (clone) of your entire Mac's internal hard drive. This step is really needed in case something goes wrong with the install of the new OS or you simply do not like the new OS, you have a very easy way/procedure to return your Mac to its former working state.
    Next,
    If you run any older Mac software from the earlier PowerPC Macs, then none of this software will work with the newer OS X versions (10.7 and onward). OS X Snow Leopard had a magical and invisible PowerPC emulation application, called Rosetta, that worked seamlessly in the background that still allowed older PowerPC coded software to still operate in a Intel CPU Mac.
    The use of Rosetta ended with OS X Snow Leopard as the Rosetta application was licensed to Apple, from a software company called Transitive, which got bought out, I believe, by IBM and Appe  could no longer secure their rights to continue to use Rosetta in later versions of OS X.
    So, you would need to check to see if you have software on your Mac that maybe older than, say, 2006 or older.
    Also, check for app compatibilty  here.
    http://roaringapps.com/
    If you have any commercial antivirus installed and/or hard drive cleaning apps installed on your Mac, like MacKeeper, CleanMyMac, TuneUpMyMac, MacCleanse, etc. now would be a good time to completely uninstall this apps by doing a Google search to learn how to properly uninstall these types of apps.
    These types of apps will only cause your Mac issues later after the install of the new OS X version and you will have to completely uninstall these types of apps later.
    Once you have determined all of this, you should be able download OS X 10.7 Luon from the Mac App Store icon in the OS X Dock and then login to the Mac App Store using your Apple ID and password.
    You can then begin the download and installation process by using the paid download code to Download and install OS X 10.7 Lion rom the Mac App Store.
    Good Luck!

  • HT1277 Mail has gone crazy. Header's and messages are mixed up. New Mac Book Pro. Migrated files from Time machine running snow leopard. Reinstall or new computer needed?

    Mail has gone crazy. Header's and messages are mixed up. New Mac Book Pro. Migrated files from Time machine running snow leopard. Reinstall or new computer needed?

    Ok; I'm not sure what you're doing.    36 hours is rather long.  Seems like a new migration.  Not what I intended.
    Here's what I intended: from the newly-migrated and apparently-corrupt environment, create a new user, not related to any existing user, nor any migration-created user, or any other user for that matter.  That is, use  > System Preferences > Users and Groups, authenticate yourself by clicking on the padlock, and then click the + and create a wholly new user.  Then log in under that user and establish the mail access.
    36 hours?  I'm wondering if there's an error or an exceedingly slow network here?  Or a really, really slow disk?  Or a sick backup?  (WiFi isn't the path I'd usually choose, either.)
    Failing the attempted second migration, I'd try a different tactic.  Does your existing (old) system work?   If so, I'd bypass the backup and connect an external (scratch) USB disk drive to the (old) sstem and then boot and use Disk Utility booted from the installer DVD disk or boot and use Disk Utility from the recovery partition or booted from a recovery partition created on some other external storage (details here vary by the OS X version and what hardware you have), and perform a full-disk backup of your original internal disk to (scratch) external storage.  (Make sure you get the source and target disks chosen correctly here; copying the wrong way — from the scratch disk to your existing disk — will clobber your data!)  In esssence, this will clone your existing boot disk.  Then dismount the (formerly-scratch) external disk, transfer it over to the new system, and use it as the source of the migration, by performing a fresh OS X installation on the new system.
    Target Disk Mode is also sometimes an option for accessing the disk for a migration, but that requires the right cable, and requires systems that have the same external connection; newer MacBook Pro systems use Thunderbolt for this, and older systems tend to use FireWire.  And I'm guessing you don't have compatible hardware.
    The details here can and do vary by your OS X versions and your particular Mac systems — if you'll identify the specific models and hardware, somebody might be able to better tailor the above (fairly generic) sequence to your particular configuration.

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