Power for USB Hard Drives?

Does anyone know whether the USB ports on the new Macbooks are capable of powering a USB hard drive such as the Lacie Rugged series (without having to devote the extra USB port to a power cord to power the hard drive)? I'm trying to determine if the new Macbook would be suitable for digital imaging in the field, and would need to be able to devote one USB port to a card reader, and the other USB port to the external hard drive used for working on the images.

Then assuming it is so-designed it should be able to run self-powered. However, not all USB enclosures and bridge cards are designed to be self-powered and may require an external power supply. I'm not familiar with the one you have, but if it does not run from the port without a power supply, then the above is likely the reason why.

Similar Messages

Firewire power for portable hard drive

I just replaced my hard drive on my Macbook Pro, and I bought a Tango Pro external enclosure (portable) from Acomdata to house the old drive. I want to use it as a backup drive for my iMac 800 G4 flat panel running 10.4. My Macbook Pro recognizes the external portable, but my iMac does not seem to have the power necessary through the firewire port (or the USB port, but I would like to use the firewire) to spin the portable. Is there a power issue for the iMac G4 flat panel with portable hard drives?

While an older Mac (PPC) can see and use an Apple Partition Map
(APM) and Journaled HFS+ formatting for a boot system, generally.
A newer Mac can see and use, to a degree, both kinds of partition
map schemes, especially on an external drive that may support a
clone or files to be (perhaps, if capable) used by more than one
Mac. So, by default, the newer Intel-based Mac would tend to put
its favored GUID partition mapping on at attached hard disk drive
in the process of setting it up for use; however it can also use the
older standard APM on an external drive.
Also, it is best when two computer systems are expected to use
a single external hard disk drive device, that the internal drive in
that unit be set up to contain more than one partition, and the
Disk Utility can be used to set that up, too. And when using two
sets of software to create projects that may not be compatible
under both different OS X versions, you can keep those apart
from each other in the external drive in their own place.
Not saying the total and full answer is to just use the best possible
partition map for the correct vintage OS X version, but to use one
that is compatible for both the newer & older, on the external HD.
And to change that mapping scheme would erase the drive.
And I am always open to someone who is more current and has
a great deal more recent experience in these matters, to reply
and set the course straight with a short, quick, workable answer.
Now, I have to go and see about helping someone get a pile of
old firewood from the backyard they were given two years ago.
Good luck & happy computing!

Low power on USB port for external hard drive

Hi all!
I'm new here and I have some question about my brand new hybrid - HP Envy x2.
Couple days ago i found an issue that usb ports are powered by from motherboard even when tablet with dock is turned off or in hibernation mode. This is problematic when I leave device with plugged usb hub, external HD, speakers (powered from usb port) and mouse. After 8 hours in work when I go back home I saw that battery is about 10-15% lower than before leaving Envy x2. I disabled USB charge mode in BIOS, but after that I have problem with working of my external HD.
When I try to attach hard drive to computer and then I try to turn it on nothing happens - looks like system (Windows 8.1) can't boot. But after immediate unplugging HDD from USB system goes to procedure of starting. I also tried to plug Toshiba HD after turning on my Envy x2 and being in desktop, but nothing happens. Light on HD is blinking, I can hear from it sound like clicking (trying to start?). Also HD is visible in Device Manager but not in My Computer (as additional partition).
I have tried to change boot options in BIOS by positioning of devices (priority to boot from CD ROM, HDD, OS etc.) but did not fixed problem.
After couple of tests provided to found why my HD did not work properely in disabled USB charge mode I know that USB port did not give minimum value of power from supply. I found cable with one plug on one side, and with two plugs on other side (like "Y" type). Then i plugged one end into first USB port, then second end in second USB port and finally - last end of cable to m HD and booooom! It works!
Here is my question: Is there any ability to change that kind of power supply on USB ports? I want to power mu external hard drive from one USB port, not from two. I have USB hub but don't want to use two USB ports (on the opposite positions of docking station) and additional USB cable. I have the most recent BIOS (F12) and all fresh drivers installed on my computer.
Any solutions?

I am not going to take credit for this. I had a similar problem, but all of my USB ports stopped working for EVERYTHING! You were right on track, and here is the final bit of information that you needed: Microsoft Surface tablet External USB hard drives auto-sleep in Windows 8.1 Posted on November 4, 2013 After upgraded from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 Pro, my SeaGate Expansion 2TB hard drive always runs to sleep mode automatically and then disappears if no file transfers occur. when I try to access its stored files, the File Explorer will be unresponsive. Changing the power options is not working. In Windows 8.1 the external USB hard drives and USB flash drives are configured with a low power state by default. That causes USB massstorage devices auto-sleep or file transfers stop unexpectedly. You could change the hardware ID of USB storage device in the registry to resolve the problem. * Updated to the latest firmware for the device to check if it is fine. * From Start screen, open the Search charm, type regedit, right-click the regedit icon from result, and select “Run as administrator“. * In the left pane of Registry Editor, navigate to the key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\usbstor * Right-click the “usbstor” and create a key with the following key name: apricorn (aegis padlock) 09840315 buffalo external hdd 500gb 04110105 cavalry dual bay dock 152d2352 diskgenie usb device 09840092 hitachi touro 3.0 4tb usb 3.0 49711015 kingston datatraveler hyperx 3.0 usb device 256gb (dthx30/256gb) 0951162b lacie 2tb usb drive 059f1018 mediasonic h82-su3s2 probox 152d0539 multi-drive enclosure connected 15200551 seagate expansion 2tb 0bc23320 seagate expansion desk 3tb 0bc23312 seagate fa goflex desk 2tb 0bc25071 verbatim store ‘n’ save superspeed 3tb 18a50400 western digital elements desktop 2tb 10581021 western digital my book 2to 10581140 * Now right-click the new key, create a DWORD entry named DeviceHackFlags with 400 hexadecimal value. * Make a reconnection for the device. RELATED POSTS How to Disable SkyDrive Integration in Windows 8.1 Install Windows 8.1 from USB flash drive Error Code 0xc1900104 Windows 8 gps receiver for Surface Pro Fix Stylus/Pen not working bug on Surface Pro Windows 8 app not sync with Google Apps calendar Create Windows 8.1 Bootable USB Flash Drive This entry was posted in Windows 8 and tagged issues, USB, Windows 8.1 by Windows 8 rt/pro. Bookmark the permalink.

Can I set up multiple usb hard drives- one for time machine and a second for media? Can one also print wirelessly with an old HP C6280 printer?

Can I set up multiple usb hard drives- one for time machine and a second for media?
Can one also print wirelessly with an old HP C6280 printer?

Can I set up multiple usb hard drives- one for time machine and a second for media?
Yes.
Can one also print wirelessly with an old HP C6280 printer?
Possibly by using an Airport Express, but depends on what type of port connection the printer requires.

Setup of USB Hard Drive on Airport Extreme for Time Machine

Hi all,
I upgraded to Mountain Lion a while back and am running the latest Airport Utility. Here's the problem: I can't get Time Machine to work anymore with my USB Hard Drive attached to my Airport Extreme. Is this setup no longer possible under Mountain Lion? Do I have to buy a Time Capsule? For the last couple of years I've had two MacBooks backing up with no problem to the USB drive connected to the Airport Extreme. Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Chris

While you can do this as Kappy points out, there a few details that you might want to consider before you make the move.
1) Time Machine backups to a drive at the USB port of the AirPort Extreme are not supported by Apple. While this does seem to work for some users, others (like me) have difficulty with corruption issues. The bottom line is that this is not a reliable method to back up your important data....and, no support or help from Apple if you do have difficulties.
Reference this Apple Support Document to confirm:
"Time Machine can’t back up to an external disk connected to an AirPort Extreme......"
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.6/en/15139.html
2) If you move the iPhoto library to the hard drive attached to the AirPort Extreme....your original or master library now resides on that disk.....and you have no backup for the library.....when, not if.....the drive has a problem.
3) You might want to post in the iPhoto forum to ask if it is still an iPhoto requirement that only one user at a time can have iPhoto open with the shared library arrangement.

Can I encrypt a USB hard drive that's not for time machine?

can I encrypt a USB hard drive that's not for time machine?

Yes, if it has the GUID Partition Map Scheme, but only by erasing it and choosing a new format.
See #2 in Using Disk Utility.

CPU is very hot when using Thunderbolt display and mac attached USB hard drive for TimeMachine

Hello,
i've bought the new MacBook Pro 15" and a Thunderbolt display. Everything works fine for me due to the latest updates, but i experience an issue which i really don't understand. When i connect an usb hard drive for TimeMachine to my display it works like expected (CPU has a temperature of 64°C), but when i connect it to an usb port of the mac while using my display the CPU temperature goes crazy (spikes about 80°C) and it gets very noisy. Has anyone else experienced this behaviour?
May this has something to do with the dual graphics adapter and how the system handles the data stream to thunderbold ports and usb devices? Which graphics card is used for the external display, the internal gpu or the adapter from ati? I've googled a lot but haven't found appropriet answers about these questions.

Hi there ulairi9!
I understand how this would be a frustrating issue! I have an article here that can provide some troubleshooting steps for you, and can hopefully help you resolve the issue. That article specifically addresses the issue you are experiencing, and can be found here:
AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule: External USB drive becomes inaccessible
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3271
Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities!
Cheers,
Braden

USB hard drive for Time Machine backup?

I'm looking for a USB hard drive that actually works with Time Machine. I have a Western Digital 320Gb passport HD. When I try to run TM, currently with Snow Kitty and previously with Leopard, TM seems to hang at 'preparing backup' and then I get error messages that the drive was unexpectantly removed, even though I didn't touch anything.
Assuming it is the portable Western Digital HD what is a good brand/make to use for TM backups. If the particular drive is not the problem, what should I look at?

Did you prep the drive before you started using it? Do the following:
Extended Hard Drive Preparation
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. 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. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (for Intel Macs) or APM (for PPC Macs) then click on the OK button. 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 Options 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.

No power supply cable for second hard drive

Hard drive in PC is crashing mechanically. Want to ghost a second hard drive before first drive crashes completely. Bought duplicate of existing hard drive, but there is no power supply cable/connector for it. Have SATA plug, but cannot power up second hard drive. What do I do?
This question was solved.
View Solution.

LB1815, welcome to the forum.
If I understand your problem correctly, this is the connector that you need. It converts a single SATA power cable to two connectors. This allows you to connect two drives with on cable. There are many other brands available on Newegg. This is just one example.
Please click the "Thumbs up + button" if I have helped you and click "Accept as Solution" if your problem is solved.
Signature:
HP TouchPad - 1.2 GHz; 1 GB memory; 32 GB storage; WebOS/CyanogenMod 11(Kit Kat)
HP 10 Plus; Android-Kit Kat; 1.0 GHz Allwinner A31 ARM Cortex A7 Quad Core Processor ; 2GB RAM Memory Long: 2 GB DDR3L SDRAM (1600MHz); 16GB disable eMMC 16GB v4.51
HP Omen; i7-4710QH; 8 GB memory; 256 GB San Disk SSD; Win 8.1
HP Photosmart 7520 AIO
++++++++++++++++++
**Click the Thumbs Up+ to say 'Thanks' and the 'Accept as Solution' if I have solved your problem.**
Intelligence is God given; Wisdom is the sum of our mistakes!
I am not an HP employee.

USB Hard Drives Keep Disconnecting or Not Responding

Hi,
This is a long post - but one that I hope someone can offer advice on.
The Hardware
Mac Pro running OSX 10.8 (but this has happened on all versions of the OS i.e. 10.6/.7 etc)
3 x Internal SATA Hard Drives - All working perfectly.
External Drives:
2 x Western Digital My Book 1TB USB Hard Drives
1 x Seagate 750GB Hard Drive with USB2 connectivity
2 x IcyBox Dual Bay USB2 hard Drive enclosures using JMicron Chipsets - these enclosures have 2 x 1TB Western Digital Green in each (totaling 4 TB across the 2 enclosures).
D-Link 7 Port USB2 Hub
The Problem
- USB Hard Drives connected to the Mac are ejected from the system without notice and at random times AND/OR
- The external hard drive remains mounted, but when trying to write to the drive/partitions, Finder throws an error message up saying the operation cannot be completed - error code -50.
- Time Machine: TM will back up successfully several times, before eventually throwing an error up that it cannot create the folders required on the drive.
- The only way to be able to use the drives again is either remount the drive, or in some case, it is required to completely power the drive down and then reconnect.
Re-creating the problem
I have honestly not found a sure-fire way of replicating the problem. It seems completely random. It happens when I am actually sat at the computer, but it also happens when I am away from the computer.
In the past - my Time Machine hard drive has been one of the Western Digital MyBook drives. I also used the second MyBook for SuperDuper backups (extra redundancy). The 4TB drives in the IcyBox enclosures have been used to backup my ripped movie collection.
Recently however - I decided to have 2 of the 1TB drives in the IcyBox enclosures to be TM and SuperDuper backups. I have however reverted TM back to one of the Western Digital drives, purely for testing purposes. SuperDuper is backing up to one of the 1TB drives in the IcyBox.
I am trying various things to see if I can find the issue, but it is such a random event that it is taking ages to even come close to find a problem. Sometimes the drives will stay active for a few days, sometimes only a few hours, even minutes.
Theories
I have several theories as to why my USB drives continually disconnect.
1. The D-Link USB Hub.
Could connecting the drives through the hub be causing the problem? I don't really see how, unless it is a documented case that D-Link USB hubs do not play nice with OSX? To try and rule this out I have connected the current Time Machine back up drive (Western Digital MyBook) directly to the USB port on the back of the computer. The SuperDuper (IcyBox enclosure) drive is currently connected through the D-Link hub. I have removed all the other drives from the enclosures - so at present I have only 2 external drives connected (1 x 1TB Western Digital MyBook, 1 x 1TB Western Digital Green inside one of the IcyBox dual-bay enclosures - connected through D-Link Hub).
2. JMicron Chipset
I have done a bit of research on the internet and there are a few indications that perhaps JMicron SATA-to-USB controller chipsets found in a lot of external hard drive enclosures (including the dual bay IcyBox external enclosures that I have) do not play nice with OSX. If the JMicron chipsets in the 2 IcyBox enclosures is a problem - would that cause issues with other USB devices on the USB bus off the Mac? (i.e. can the JMicron chipset in the enclosures cause devices such as the WD MyBook drives which I assume use a non-JMicron chipset, to experience similar failures?)
3. Green Hard Drives
As I have said, I have 4 Western Digital Green 1TB hard drives inside the IcyBox Dual Bay Enclosures. Could the fact that these drives are 'Green' be causing a problem? They do go to sleep after x number of minutes, but they do wake up when required. But could on the occasion when I have problems, could this be caused by the 'Green' feature interrupting OSX in waking the drives? Coupled with JMicron chipset, could this be compounding the issue?
Possible Solutions
I am prepared to spend money on replacement drives and/or enclosures etc - but I would hate to spend x amount of money and have the same problem. So I am hoping to get some advice on what drives/enclosures are more than likely to work flawlessly with OSX.
Thanks for reading!

FYI - re: the SuperDuper drive that is in one of the IcyBox enclosures.
I just opened this drive up in Finder. I heard the drive wake up, but when I came to copy a file over (tried various file sizes) - I got the error -50 message.
Here is the info from Console.
31/07/2012 23:35:52.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:52.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.000 kernel[0]: disk4s2: 0xe000c2e4 (UNDEFINED).
31/07/2012 23:35:53.320 fseventsd[55]: disk logger: failed to open output file /Volumes/Data 1/.fseventsd/0000000002478a7f (No such file or directory). mount point /Volumes/Data 1/.fseventsd
31/07/2012 23:35:53.320 fseventsd[55]: disk logger: failed to open output file /Volumes/Data 1/.fseventsd/0000000002478a7f (No such file or directory). mount point /Volumes/Data 1/.fseventsd
Also, while the drive was inaccessible, I tried 'Verify Disk' in Disk Utility - here are the results
Verifying volume “SuperDuper”
Checking file systemPerforming live verification.
Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.
Checking extents overflow file.
Checking catalog file.
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking catalog hierarchy.
Checking extended attributes file.
Invalid leaf record count
(It should be 2 instead of 1)
Checking volume bitmap.
Checking volume information.
The volume SuperDuper was found corrupt and needs to be repaired.
Error: This disk needs to be repaired. Click Repair Disk.
Please also note that the all my external hard drives have recently been reformated using GUID part. map and HFS Journaled.

Hard drive freezes, can no longer be accessed. running off USB hard drive..

Here is a good one for you. My 15 month old MacBook suddenly froze and died while watching a movie (had seen the movie before). Hard drive would not mount anymore, so in order to run at all I had to reinstall Tiger on my 40 GB USB memory as a last resort. Running fine, mind you.
Guessed I was unlucky and got a poor Seagate hard drive (but I could hear it spinning inside), so I bought a new and larger hard drive, figured it was about time. After installing it and to my amazement my Mac wont find the new disk. I figured it was simply as I had not formatted the new drive yet, but the Disk Utility cannot find the new hard drive neither. When installing it seemed to mate perfectly with the internal connectors.
Any tips for a perplexed user, have you seen this behaviour before? How can I connect to the new or old hard drive and any test I can run to find out what is wrong?
Best Regards
Message was edited by: stenmark

Hello Stenmark,
There are three scenarios which could be producing the fault.
Scenario 1: Your original hard drive is faulty, and so is the new one (unlikely)
Scenario 2: Your Logic board is faulty (unlikely as you can boot externally)
Scenario 3: The internal Flex cable connecting the HD to the LOGIC BOARD or the connector itself (both connectors are on the same flex cable) has sustained damage when installing, or has faulted with the old hard drive (most likely)
To test, buy an firewire external hard drive case for your drive. You will need a SATA case and the firewire port provides enough power for a Sata drive to function without needing an external power source. Check the OLD + NEW sata HD's in this case to see whats faulty. If your new HD is working, then it comes down to scenario 3 and you need a new flex cable.
Refering to scenario 3, if the either of the connecters from the HD to the LOGIC were damaged before you installed the new one, then the original HD could be functional.
Hope that helps,
Matt.

USB hard drive not detected on reboot

I am running Windows 7 Ulitmate 64-bit on my 2011 15" Macbook Pro. I have a USB Hard Drive (WD My Passport SE - USB 3.0/2.0 - 1 TB).
The hard drive is formatted for HFS+ and I am running Mac Drive 8 to detect it in Windows.
For some reason when I reboot (in Windows), the hard drive won't be there until I unplug it and plug it back in.
This is really annoying! Can anybody help me? I'm pretty good with things like this but I can't think of any reason this shouldn't be working right.
HELP =T
Message was edited by: PTHEOFYL
Message was edited by: PTHEOFYL

I am having the exact same problem. WD 1TB Passport. USB 3.0 drive. Running on Windows 7 Pro 64 via Bootcamp.
My 1TB Passport is formatted with FAT32 and works with Windows and Mac OS.
I was getting the same problem when I was running Windows XP Pro on the same MacBook Pro. I was hoping the upgrade to Windows 7 would remidy the issue but it did not.
The drive light is on in a steady state when I boot and I have the same symptoms as reported by everyone else above.
In my research, I am leaning towards thinking that it is a power issue related to the cable used to connect the USB 3.0 Drive or something to do with the USB driver for Bootcamp, but researching the WD site suggests it's a power issue, not a faulty or failing drive.
I have a 500GB WD Passport USB 2.0 also attached to my computer, also running FAT32 and it starts up no problem. It's just the USB 3.0 drive that is having this issue.
Also worth noting; the drive is detected properly when I boot in Mac OS X. It's only the Windows side I have to unplug and plug back in to access the drive.

2.5" external USB hard drive not recognized by my iMac

I have a small 2.5" external USB hard drive that my intel iMac will not mount or see. My 12" G4 Powerbook sees it fine and it is formatted in Mac OS Extended. My iMac is bootcamped and XP on my iMac sees the drive but not OS X Tiger on the iMac, (wierd) I have Tiger on both my Macs too.
Why does the intel based OS X refuse to see this external 2.5 HD. It sees a 3.5" USB one I have but not the small one. I know it is software.

Hey coby,
Well thanks for the star. Not sure I deserve it.
i then tried connecting the drive to each USB port again, and voila! i have found one it works in. I guess my computer's ports must be a little worn.
Hmm well try looking inside and see if there's some smutz in there, if the contacts are dirty or bent or worn.
i was starting to think i would have to go out and get a USB hub to give it some more power.
Is it powered off the USB? If so that actually might be a good idea since that puts a lot of strain on the connectors. Even if it's self powered it might be a good idea since it would take the strain off an obviously flakey USB.
richard

USB hard drive is not recognized on MBP running Lion

Hello,
I have:
- Freecom ToughDrive Pro USB hard drive
- New MBP running Lion 10.7.3
When I plug the disk in an USB port in the MBP, the light that indicates operation starts blinking but very lighltly colored and the disk is not recognized by the computer. I have put data on it using iMac Snow Leopard. I have plugged the disk into a MBP running Snow Leopard and it works. I have also tried another Lion (older MBP) and it also works.
What is wrong? How come the disk is not mounted or shown in Disk Utility. Can it be a power issue? Any ideas?
I have noticed there a lot of similar posts in the forum and none has been satisfactorily solved. Is this a mayor Lion bug? If yes, how can I downgrade to Snow Leopard?

dafnedr wrote:
Thanks for the reply.
However... how is it possible that with all other MBPs I have tried it works just fine? Has Apple lowered the power levels in recent models? The other MBP where I have tried the disk on are just over a year old, my current one is only a month old.
Are you saying that USB ports on different Apple computers are supplying different levels of power? That's psychotic! It should be a standard power level... or it should go up on newer models... not down!!!
I think I'm just gonna return this piece of scrape and get my old (one year old) MBP back... Snow Leopard was bliss compared to this... I rather go back than have to jump to a store to buy a cable to make something work that should work by default.
On the one Mac it does not work on that Mac does not put out enough power to fully power the drive. If it works on other Mac's we know that the drive works, so that question is answered. And it doesn't work on your newest Mac then there can only one answer, Not Enough Power is being put out by the USB port to fully power it.
Yes the one Mac that it is not working on has a lower USB power output. Why, I have no idea.
This is Very Common you can find posts about it on all notebook forums. Psychotic, No. Yes Mac is touted as "It Just Works" which is a flat out LIE.
Do what you think is best for you. Good Luck

MAC Mini & 2.5 USB Hard Drive Issue

Strange thing happening with a new MAC Mini:
For Christmas, I bought my wife a brand new MAC mini. Everything has been working fine. So, for our anniversary, I bought her a 120 gig USB hard drive (I know, I'm such a romantic
Anyway, ever since I hooked up the hard drive (USB Drive) to her system, it seems that when I first turn the MINI on, the keyboard and mouse completely stop working. once, I had to hold the power button in to hard boot it, then, when it restarted, everything was working fine again.
Tonight, when I turned the MINI on, it did the same thing. No keyboard or mouse. Then, after I hard booted it, the mini never booted up. Black screen. USB hard drive light was on, but, no MAC power light and screen was black.
Now, I just unplugged the USB drive and all is working fine again.
It seems that the USB hard drive being plugged in while powering the MINI up is giving me some grief.
Does anyone have any ideas as to what can be happening here? It is a brand new MINI with Leopard installed. I highly doubt I have a defective MAC because everything was fine until I plugged a USB HDD into it. With the drive unplugged, it seems that it works fine.
No Operating System(s) are on the USB drive. Just pictures and movie files.
Here is the drive I got her:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=8110750
Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.
Gary

I'm sorry. I should have been more detailed in my description. It is a Toshiba drive. here are the specs:
The Toshiba HDDR120E02X 120GB Hard Drive is USB-powered and includes an internal shock sensor and ramp loading technology. Ready to go out of the box and certified to work with Windows XP and Vista as well as Mac OS 10.3.9 or later.
Technical Information
Storage Capacity
120GB
Drive Performance
Data Transfer Rate
480Mbps External Maximum USB 2.0
Interfaces/Ports
Interfaces/Ports
USB 2.0 USB
Physical Characteristics
Form Factor
External Hot-swappable Portable
Miscellaneous
Compatibility
USB 1.1
Plug n Play
I didnt have it hooked to the keyboard though. I have had some trouble trying that in the past, so, other than my mouse, nothing else is plugged into the keyboard.
Thanks again for your help.

Power for USB Hard Drives?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for