USB ports won't read portable external hard drive

I'm having a problem with both of my USB ports on my PowerBook G4. I am able to connect my camera, thumb drive and other small USB devices without problem, but when I try to connect my Western Digital 250gb portable external hard drive, it just makes a clicking noise and never appears on my desktop.
I'm pretty sure there isn't an issue with the external drive because I can use it when I plug it into my Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Hub (which is also plugged into the wall). When I first got the external hard drive, it worked perfectly when plugged directly to my computer.
I will be spending the next few months traveling in an area with limited electricity, so it would be very beneficial to be able to use my external drive without having to carry the Belkin hub.
Thanks!

Im having the same problem. When I first got my Western Digital Passport (same as yours but 320 GB) I plugged it in to my 09 Mac Mini and it asked if I wanted it to be my Time Machine drive. I clicked yes. After that I let it backup my files once and then ejected it.i took it to my Powerbook G4 15" 1.5Ghz and plugged it in. Nothing happened. All it did was spin and slow down, spin and slow down and it made 2 clicks in between. After waiting like 5 minutes i took it to my only Windows computer, a Sony Vaio laptop from the same era as my Powerbook, and plugged it in. It said "Found new hardware" and went through that process. When it was done I went into "My Computer" to see if it had shown up. Nope! Yet again the **** hard drive failed to show up. So then I plugged it back in to my Mac Mini and reformatted it and made sure it was reformatting to the DOS compatible file format(FAT). After it was done I went and plugged it back into my Powerbook and again no luck. So I tried the Vaio and IT WORKED! ***!

Similar Messages

  • Why my new iMac won't read my external hard drive?

    Why my new imac won't read my external hard drive??

    Liz,
    Sorry for not responding sooner, I support your position completely - as for the external drive I assumed that the individual was a previous mac user and knew about that (my mistake) at home I have a couple of external drives
    one drive is acknowledged regardless of format (mac/win) its a partitioned drive.... the other one - far as the mac is concerned does exist when i connect it.  I believe its a win only drive (will have to check the specs on it) but it works on the win-notebooks.
    so my point of reference was coming that perspective, with no additional posts I have to assume you had the correct answer.  have a great day.

  • My USB port doesn't detect my external hard drive. What could be wrong? (WD My Passport for Mac)

    My Passport for Mac originally worked and I was easily able to download files. It even worked on my MacBook Pro. Now, when I attach this external hard drive and open Finder, the external drive is not there. I've run Disk Utility. I've shut down, hit alt+command+p+r and still, the USB port does not recognize the external drive. Can anyone help.
    I don't know if this started after I had problems with a virus (Trojan) and I used MacKeeper AND Sophos AND MacBooster to try to "clean up" the virus. I delete the viruses (8 of them from email), and they come back with another check. This makes me wonder what is the best antivirus software!
    Thanks for anyone's help!

    Even though it is dated, check through the steps discussed in this thread: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1126326
    When you restarted the Mac, did you connect the WD drive while the Mac was shutdown, make sure the drive was powered if it has an external power supply, and then start the Mac?  I always turn on all external components before powering up the MacBook Pro or iMac.

  • USB ports failing to mount an external hard drive, recognize a printer.

    Hello,
    I have a Mac Mini running 10.5.8. Suddenly the usb ports do not mount external hardrives (I have 2) and also do not recognize an Hp printer. If I plug the keyboard an the mouse, they are recognize and useful. Firewire mounts one of my firewire enable drive. The other drive can be mounted through the disk option in the Airport Extreme Base Station. I can tell that the hard drives are fine. I have performed all resets mentioned in other forums. I reinstalled last major combo update but nothing seems to work. Any ideas?
    Thanks a lot.
    PS I forgot to tell you that I also use a powered usb hub.

    Did you try things in this link?
    DALE

  • Mac won't read my external hard drive!

    I bought a lacie 500gb external harddrive at the same time as my mac bookpro, the salesmen said it was a good drive and it would work seamlessly with my computer. I open the box and the instructions are easy: connect the power adapter to the drive, then connect the drive to the computer (I chose to use the firewire400 over the usb) then wait a few seconds and it will read the drive. After waiting the "few seconds" a message popped up saying there was an error and that the disk was not properly formatted. What to do?
    The one thought I had is that the computer should be connected to the internet, which I wasn't any time I tried to connect the drive. Please Help!

    Don't worry, it's not too bad.
    A drive has a partition scheme and a formatting scheme. You can have a single or several partitions and there are several mehods of formatting a drive.
    You can format the drive through the disc ultilty (applications/utilities). Once formatted it should show up (You can name the drive and select the format - usually mac OS Extended journaled) or FAT 32 if you want to use the drive on a windows PC also.
    Some people partition a drive into 2 or more sections - with one section the same size as your internal HD for backup purposes and the rest for data. If you want to divide it up into separate discs (partitioning) you can do that from the disc utility too - just move the slider. If you are hoping to create a bootable backup on one of the partitions then make sure you use GUID as the partitioning scheme from options. Once you've moved the slider select each partition and make sure it is named and formatted.
    Best of luck
    (PS - If you think you might want to use it for bootable backup later- make sure you partition using GUID now from options - even if you only want a single partition - ie the whole drive. This is because if you re-partition later all data on the drive will be destroyed.

  • Toshiba 500GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive Owner's Manual

    Hello,
    Looking for an owner's manual for my Toshiba 500GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive.  I've checked online and on Toshiba's website.  Can anyone help?

    Hi,
    If you are going to use it in MAC, what i know is you need to format it to MAC extended journaled
    try this link .
    hope this will help you.
    *********Click on Kudos if it helped you. Thanks! ***********

  • USB 3.0, fast, portable, external hard drive for HD video editing

    I'd like a 1TB or 2TB, bus-powered, fast, portable, external hard drive for HD video editing on MacBook Air i7 (2013).
    Any recommendations?
    Thanks!

    best options for the price, and high quality HD:
    Quality 1TB drives are $50 per TB on 3.5" or  $65 per TB on 2.5"
    Perfect 1TB for $68
    http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Canvio-Portable-Hard-Drive/dp/B005J7YA3W/ref=sr_1_ 1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379452568&sr=8-1&keywords=1tb+toshiba
    Nice 500gig for $50. ultraslim and perfect
    http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Canvio-Portable-External-Drive/dp/B009F1CXI2/ref=s r_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1377642728&sr=1-1&keywords=toshiba+slim+500gb
    2.5" USB portable High quality BEST FOR THE COST, Toshiba "tiny giant" 2TB drive (have several of them, LOT of storage in a SMALL package)    $117
    http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Canvio-Connect-Portable-HDTC720XK3C1/dp/B00CGUMS48 /ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1379182740&sr=1-4&keywords=2tb+toshiba
    *This one is the BEST portable  external HD available that money can buy:
    HGST Touro Mobile 1TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive  
    $75
    http://www.amazon.com/HGST-Touro-Mobile-External-HTOLMX3NA10001ABB/dp/B0062FZ2WS /ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1379185002&sr=1-1&keywords=hitachi+extern a l+hard+drive
    Most storage experts agree on the Hitachi 2.5"

  • Toshiba 1TB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive

    I was thinking about buying a Toshiba 1TB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive at my local Wal-mart. Does it have a fan to keep the hard drive cool or not?
    Prince Applejack
    Toshiba Satellite Laptop C855D-S5340 Windows 8.1 64-bit

    Hi,
    If you are going to use it in MAC, what i know is you need to format it to MAC extended journaled
    try this link .
    hope this will help you.
    *********Click on Kudos if it helped you. Thanks! ***********

  • Portable External Hard Drive Advice

    All: I'm needing a portable external hard drive to take back and forth to work and school. I'd like to take advantage of my MBP's Firewire 400 port but will need USB for home Mac desktop and school PC desktop.
    I've read many of the post on this forum concerning external HDs and the Western Digital seems highly recommended. However, they do not make a portable with a firewire connection, only USB (according to their site). I also checked out the Lacie Rugged HD - love the orange bumpers on it - but the user reviews were not complimentary of this drive.
    If you're using a portable HD that has both firewire/USB would you please advise what it is and how you like it? I appreciate your comments. Also, if you could tell me where you purchased it - the reason I ask is that I am trying to stay away from the huge electronic chain stores that require you to send in for multiple 'Rebates' to get the price they advertise (I won't mention names but their initials are B.B. and C.C.). Thanks!
    MacBook Pro   Mac OS X (10.4.7)  

    Why don't you have a look at the G-Technology G-Drive mini…
    http://www.g-technology.com/Products/G-DRIVE-mini.cfm

  • What is FireWire and what FireWire adapter do I need to use FireWire 800 for my portable external hard drive ?

    Hi guys, I'm new to Mac. I have a MacBook Pro 13" (late 2011) with Lion OS and Parallels 7 (Windows 7). My understanding is that there is FireWire connection / extension built in to the MacBook Pro already. I also have a Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex portable external hard drive 750GB USB2.0 and 3.0 (that can be used for PC and Mac). It states that the portable external harddrive is FireWire 800 compatible. The questions are (1) how does FireWire works ? (2) how do I use or activate FireWire 800 ? (3) is there any setup / setting changes I need to on my MacBook Pro ? (4) what FireWire adapter do I need to purchase to connect my portable external harddrive to my MacBook Pro ? Is it expensive ?
    I read a few articles online but they are too technical for me. They mentioned something about FireWire adapter with 6 pins or 9 pins. Not sure what that means. I'm totally confused. So any help, advise or guidance will be much appreciated. In Layman's term would be better. Thanks.
    How about Thunderbolt ? Is it compatible with the above external portable hard drive mentioned ? Do I need a Thunderbolt adapter for it ? How do I activate or use Thunderbolt ?

    Thanks, Clinton and Alberto.
    The below link is the Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex portable external hard drive (product code STAA750302) that I have. It states that it features USB 2.0 or 3.0 plug–and–play connectivity and easily upgradeable to USB 3.0, FireWire 800 or eSATA. It only comes with a 18-inch USB 3.0 / 2.0 backward compatible cable.
    http://www.seagate.com/au/en/external-hard-drives/portable-hard-drives/standard/ goflex/
    Based on the above, my understanding is that I need to buy a FireWire 800 adapter to connect to the portable external hard drive so that I can use FireWire 800 with my MacBook Pro. Is this correct ? Do I need to get a separate cable as well or can I just use the 18-inch USB 3.0 / 2.0 backward compatible cable that was provided in the box ? If so, what sort of FireWire 800 cable do I need to get ? 9 pin to 9 pin ? 6 pin to 9 pin ? Or 4 pin to 9 pin ?
    https://www.lindy.com.au/online/arrshop.exe?anonymous=true&cat=b1

  • Portable External Hard Drive / Steroids for MacBook Pro

    Hi.  I recently purchased a (Non-Retina display) 13-inch, Mid 2012 MacBook Pro.
    Processor: 2.5GHz Intel Corei5
    Memory: 4GB 100 MHz DDR3
    Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000 384 MB
    Software: OS X 10.8.2 (12C54)
    I love my new laptop, but am not exactly tech-savvy.  I'm pretty computer illiterate, so I don't exactly know the difference between USB 2.0/3.0 or Firewire 400/800.  I know what I want to do, but I'm not sure if it's possible.  Basically, even though I love my MacBook, I'm curious if I can love it even more and want to know how to max out its potential.  Eventually, I want to:
    A.) install the maximum amount of memory and internal hard drive capacity possible.
    B.) get the largest, fastest, yet PORTABLE, external hard drive possible.  I've got a ton of music in iTunes, and I want to get my huge DVD collection digitalized.  Something in the TB range.  I keep reading mixed reviews on WDs and Apple's Time Capsule.
    Any help will be much appreciated,
    Mike

    Hi Myke,
    If you want to shop for a bigger hard disk or more memory, I recommend you go here: OWC / MacSales
    Their prices are about as good as you're going to find, but more importantly their Mac support is superior, especially if you are not completely confident in knowing exactly what you need to buy. Macs are particular about memory but if you buy from OWC they know what to supply and will guarantee it will work.
    The ultimate upgrade is an internal Solid State Drive but these get expensive in a hurry.
    The Time Capsule is not a portable external hard disk. If you want an external portable HD, shop for one at OWC.
    I have heard mixed reviews on WD also, but the same mixed reviews apply to all consumer grade hard disks these days, without exception. Basically, they are all cheap. Consider them disposable, which means you should always have a backup. Time Machine is included with your MacBook Pro and is as easy to use as plugging in an external hard disk. Time Machine does the rest. Use it! There is no excuse not to.
    USB is preferable to FireWire these days.

  • Best Portable External Hard Drive Interface?

    I have a MacBook Pro (just got it this year) and I need a portable external hard drive. I also want to use it on my PC. Which interface would you suggest? I am not sure which connections my PC has but I know it has USB 3.0. Is there an interface on my MacBook that's faster than USB 3.0? If so, I might forget about connecting it to my PC, assuming it's significantly faster.

    Likely a combination Firewire 800/400 USB 3 drive.
    Mac's don't have USB 3 yet, only USB 2,1, so you can use the Firewire 800 with your Mac and the USB3 with the PC. The USB 3 is backwards with 2,1 on the Mac too, in case you forget the 800 cable.
    See the formatting guide here
    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3044
    There is also Thunderbolt on the Mac's, it's REALLY fast, but you need a internal and external SSD to get anything out of it, your hard drives would be the bottleneck and you would be paying a lot of money for speed you can't use.  In the future when the price comes down and SSD's are cheap and of large capacity it would be a nice interface to use.

  • Why did lion stopped reading my external hard drives?

    I have a MBP which used to work fine with snow leopard, had also Paragon's NTFS software to allow reading my external hard drives (Western Digital's My Passport and Passport Essential with about 2.5 TB worth of data, music, photos, etc.) I decided to upgrade to Lion and after that... poof! my hard drives will show grayed on the disk utility with the "not mounted" message and my MBP will not read the data, even though it can access them, run the WD utility, unlock the drive but... nothing.
    Any ideas on how to fix? I event spent the morning yesterda wit the Geniuses at the Apple store and they were clueless too. I did show them on a couple of snow leopard machines my data but they could not understand how to explain he issue. I loaded the WD's drivers for Mac (OS  X Lion support as advertised on their website) but nothing happens.
    Fortunately I can still read my data on any other computer (my kids MB's, my office Windows, etc) but it is truly dissapointing that Lion has brought down all the good stuff Mac / Apple had been known about.
    Any takers to this one?

    Has the connection changed e.g. a different usb port?
    You may need to allocate a permanent drive letter to the external hard drive.
    See if this linked thread helps:
    https://forums.adobe.com/message/3431036#3431036

  • 1TB and 2TB portable external hard drives

    I have an iMac and a MacBook Air, both up to date in terms of operating system (Mavericks) and I need recommendations for portable external hard drives - one 1TB and one 2TB.
    I'm reluctant to use Western Digital because of the conflicts with WD SmartWare which comes with the hard drives.
    Looking for reliability. They will be used for Time Machine backups and I may pick up one more of each for SuperDuper clone backups as well.
    Thanks for any recommendations and buying advice.

    Funny how we all have different experiences with different drives.
    Like Thrifty One, I have had very good luck with a number of bare 3.5" WD drives, but would never own another one of there external enclosures. Currently I have a WD in my MiniStack, three in old Maxtor Firewire enclosures, three others that I use on a USB to SATA adapter and one that I put into my early Intel iMac several years ago.
    As for portable and 2.5" drives, I have one one older WD Passport, one Seagate GoFlex, the Toshiba from my Mini is in a Sabrent enclosure, plus a Samsung and a Hitachi that I also use on the USB to SATA adapter.
    Over the years I have only had one Seagate and one Maxtor that completely fail, plus one other unusable Seagate because it is really loud.

  • Creating Recovery Media with Portable External Hard Drive

    Is it possible to create recovery data with a portable external hard drive?

    Hi,
    i am also facing the same problem not able to create the recovery media in external hard disk. win 7 64 bit..
    Please help there is an option to create recovery media in USB flash drive but its not recognising the usb even though its connected.
    Mahesh

Maybe you are looking for