External drive wont format

Hi i have a freecom external HD and I originally formated it to HFS+ now i have to use it in windows and didn't want to mess around with mac drive so i tried to format it to MSDOS. when doing this Disk Utility just locks up and the little spinning colour wheel appears.
Left it like this for well over an hour just to see if it was actually doing anything but in the end you have to force quit DU. Tried this on my m8s mac mini and the same thing happens but if he boots into windows it will format as ntfs and write to it no problem and then the mac will even mount it (all be it read only)
Also it does the same thing when trying to format it back as HFS etc in DU
Tried booting of the tiger DVD and formating it from there also the same thing happens
DU Log:
Mar 13 17:27:07: Disk Utility started.
Preparing to erase : “FREECOM”
Creating Partition Map
and thats all thats in there
Hope some one can help, Cheers

This problem has cost me several hours of pain...
The solution I found was to format the drive in Windows XP with a program called MacDisk..
The trial version allows you to format Hard Disks of any size with Mac format.. It worked like a charm..
Ironically I formatted the disk under boot camp with the same machine that can't format the stupid thing in OS X...
Mac Pro Mac OS X (10.4.7)

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I really need to speed up my IMAC. I purchased a new external drive specifically formatted for apple. I also would like to move some other media (movies and music) to this external drive. What is the best method for this?

Please help...I need to delete iphoto pictures and back up to external drive without losing pictures. I have the external drive and would like to start this process. Can you help?

Formatted for Mac is not a format - for iPhoto you MUST verify that it is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled)
and putting your iPhoto library on an external drive is NOT a backup - you MUST have a good backup plan like Time Machine running or you are 100% guaranteed to lose your photos sooner or later
Moving the iPhoto library is safe and simple - quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external drive - depress the option key and launch iPhoto using the "select library" option to point to the new location on the external drive - fully test it and then trash the old library on the internal drive (test one more time prior to emptying the trash)
And be sure that the External drive is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) (iPhoto does not work with drives with other formats) and that it is always available prior to launching iPhoto
And backup soon and often - having your iPhoto library on an external drive is not a backup and if you are using Time Machine you need to check and be sure that TM is backing up your external drive
other media questions need to be ask in the forum for the software you use for them - this forum is only for iPhoto and the above instructions are only for iPhoto
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How to Format external drive previously formatted for NSLU2

Windows XP.
I've had two external hard drives connected to my NSLU2 for several years. Always worked properly. Nevery any problems accessing files from either drive. Now, I'd like to remove one external drive and no longer use it with the NSLU2 (Disk 1). I just want to use it as a "regular" external drive and connect it directly to my PC by USB. When I plug it into my PC, it is not visible in Windows Explorer. When I right click "My Computer" and select "Manage", I can see it in the "Disk Management" section, but there is no drive letter assigned to it. It has partitions. When I right click on any partition, the "Format" option is grayed out and cannot be selected. Also, the "Change Drive Letter..." option is grayed out and cannot be selected. How can I format this disk back to whatever it needs to be in order to use it as a regular external drive? NOTE: I do not need to keep any files on the drive. I've already transferred the files I need to another drive. Thanks!

Never mind. I figured it out. I downloaded a free utility for formatting large drives in FAT32. The utility ran a quick format in just a few seconds and then the drive became available in Windows Explorer where I can now perform a complete format or just use as-is.

Mac mini core2 duo 10.7.2 not seeing files on usb external drives - mac formatted - ownership ignored- until finder refresh - any idea

finder has problems showing folders& files on external drives on mac mini with 10.7.2
this is affecting 2 external usb drives both mac formatted - ownership ignored
i click on the drive and see nothing
a refresh of the finder window will make the files appear
if i click on a disclosure arrow, the arrow turns down but no files are displayed
if i double click on the folder it opens that folder in an empty view - a refresh will bring the files visible
interestingly if i eject the drive and plug back it , it will usually display the contents of folders already visited last time but not folders i hadn't looked at - they require a refresh
programs such as iTunes can link to those files when they are not visible in finder
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oh and drives seem to be working fine on my macbook pro with 10.7.3
cheers folks
Simon

John -I'm pretty sure it the mac mini thats having the issue
the two drives - each with their own cable - seem to work perfectly with my other mac
the mac mini is having no problem reading the files itunes and other programs access the files on the drives without a problem
its just the finder is not displaying the files without a refresh of the view
but thanks anyway

Moving iPhoto to external drive; have formatted external disk to Mac OS Extended (Journaled), moved the iPhoto library to external drive; when trying to change the library, the iPhoto file on new external is greyed out can't be selected.What went wrong?

Must have done something wrong..
1. formatted external disk to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) - required a partition, but that went fine. Entire new external disk was included in the partition formatted to Mac OS Extneded (journaled).
2. moved iPhoto library to new external disk
3. Holding Option key down, opened iPhoto
4. Choose library feature appeared, however when new library function option appeared and "choose library" selected, the iPhoto folder appearing in the new external drive was greyed out and not able to be selected. Therefore the default library remains the original iphoto library on the Mac.
I've moved the original iphoto library to the trash and then tried to start iPhoto. A message comes up that the iPhoto is in the trash and needs to be pulled out before iPhoto can start (clearly the new iphoto library on the external drive is not being seen.
Can anyone suggest where I went awry? Thanks!

Try trash the com.apple.iPhoto.plist file from the HD/Users/ Your Name / library / preferences folder.
(On 10.7 or later: Hold the option (or alt) key while clicking on the Go menu in Finder to access the User Library)
(Remember you'll need to reset your User options afterwards. These include minor settings like the window colour and so on. Note: If you've moved your library you'll need to point iPhoto at it again.)
What's the plist file?
For new users: Every application on your Mac has an accompanying plist file. It records certain User choices. For instance, in your favourite Word Processor it remembers your choice of Default Font, on your Web Browser is remembers things like your choice of Home Page. It even recalls what windows you had open last if your app allows you to pick up from where you left off last. The iPhoto plist file remembers things like the location of the Library, your choice of background colour, whether you are running a Referenced or Managed Library, what preferences you have for autosplitting events and so on. Trashing the plist file forces the app to generate a new one on the next launch, and this restores things to the Factory Defaults. Hence, if you've changed any of these things you'll need to reset them. If you haven't, then no bother. Trashing the plist file is Mac troubleshooting 101.
Then try select it again.

External drive re formatting....different issue!

i want to reformat an external hard drive recently bought to use with a mac....its an iomega prestige 320gb...the instructions are clear enough, i could do with advice though....
i have used it once with a pc to put some some music files on it...how can i erase the music files as they are no longer needed....i don't really want any partitions......just for macs...
i have connected the hd to my imac...it shows in Disk Utility as an orange hd with a usb on...
its in the left hand column twice as:
the orange icon plus 298.1 GB ST932032 5AS M....
below it is an indent then the orange icon plus disk1s1
i have been told to click in the left hand column on the orange drive icon, not the volume icon....since the next step is select the partition tab and the partition tab only shows in the longer (and former) of the 2 entries i click on that....is that right?
select the partition tab..yes...
select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) from the Format drop down menu..
i can't select from this menu...but the above option i want is already there...what does this mean?
click on the options button..can't do this....
if i select a volume scheme other than "current" eg 1 partition then options and format become available.....but i dont want a partition...
...there's a bit more ...but that's a start!
thanks
ps the drive ships as NTFS formatted and the instructions for mac are to reformat the drive..
Message was edited by: David Barker7
Message was edited by: David Barker7

You should use +Mac OS Extended (Journaled)+ as the format type, no matter what you select as the +partition map scheme+. Format and +partition map scheme+ are two separate settings.
I can see how that wording may be confusing. What it is really saying is that
GUID Partition Table - This option is preferred if your Mac is Intel. However, you can use the disk on a PowerPC Mac, as long as it runs Mac OS X 10.4 or later AND that PowerPC Mac does not need to boot from the disk. To be bootable on a PowerPC Mac, the disk must use Apple Partition Map.
Apple Partition Map - This option is preferred if your Mac is PowerPC. However, you can use this disk on an Intel Mac. An Intel Mac can can even boot from the disk (but the Installer will only install Mac OS X on a disk that uses GUID Partition Table).
Master Boot Record - Use this option only if you need to use the disk on both Mac OS X and Windows computers.
Not sure if that is actually more clear or not. I'm sure Apple spent more time on the wording that I just did. The bottom line is, either GUID Partition Table or Apple Partition Map will be fine if the drive is just used for storage. Apple Partition Map may be the better choice, because you may want to make the external drive bootable later on (and there is no downside to using Apple Partition Map on a PowerPC Mac). In either case, the format type needs to be +Mac OS Extended (Journaled)+.

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If you simply talk about the spec and functionalities, caldigit's VR should have better spec over others
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*"is there a format that can be used to both read and write by both Mac and XP?"*
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Hi,
I'm had an external harddrive formatted as HFS+ for the mac.
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Hopefully. First inplugg the external and try resetting the SMC: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303446
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ssn wrote:
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Exrternal (and internal) drives usually shut down when the computer goes to sleep.
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Mac: On the Desktop or Finder sidebar.
Windows: In My Computer
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Mac OS X: /Users/username/Music
Windows XP: \Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\
Windows Vista: \Users\username\My Music\
Windows 7 or 8: \Users\username\Music\
Open iTunes while holding down the Option key (Mac) or Shift key (Windows).
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via:
iTunes: Back up your iTunes library by copying to an external hard drive
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1751
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OS X Version 10.8.5

Any third-party software that doesn't install by drag-and-drop into the Applications folder, and uninstall by drag-and-drop to the Trash, is a system modification.
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Buffalo external drive wont connect (model HD-PCTU3)

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External drive wont format

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