Why can I no longer access my external hard drive?

I've been accessing my (powered) external hard drive for several months through my AirPort. It was never formatted for a Mac, since I had purchased it when i was still using a PC. And we still have PCs in the house that I want to be able to have access as well.
When I purchased the AirPort I was told that I could use it as an external drive, so I had moved some files onto it. Then... I was told, NO, don't put files on your AirPort because it could eventually lead to corrupt files in the Time Machine.
Yesterday, I was in the process of removing files from the AirPort and copying them to the external drive. I hit a point where my computer seemed to be thinking too hard and too long. The majority of the file transfers had been fine, but when I went to look at the external drive it appeared to be empty. After a bit of freaking out, we plugged the external drive directly into my Mac book to confirm that the files are still there. I've rebooted the computer, powered down the AirPort, and powered down the external drive to no avail.
While speaking with Apple customer service last night, we reset the AirPort as well. Nothing. I was finally told that my only option was to reformat the external drive. I'm hoping that someone here might have more insight before I jump through moving everything again.

#:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *1.0 TB     disk0
   1:                        EFI EFI                     209.7 MB   disk0s1
   2:                  Apple_HFS Macintosh HD            999.3 GB   disk0s2
   3:                 Apple_Boot Recovery HD             650.0 MB   disk0s3

Similar Messages

  • Can no longer access NTFS external hard drive

    Have been using the new Mac-Book Pro for about 4 weeks now. Until last week, when I attached by Seagate NTFS formatted external hard drive to my USB port, it showed up in Finder right away and I could access files ( read ) on it without any problems.
    But since last week, if I attach the same drive to my USB port, it no longer shows up in Finder. I cannot see it at all !!
    Any ideas ? All i need is to read files from it, I don't need to write anything to it.
    Thanks.

    BTW, after talking to a Apple-Support personnel and doing a bunch of hard-ware tests they recommended that I format the external drive to a FAT32 partition.
    Not a good solution, as XP cannot format a drive using FAT32 for drives more than 32 GB, the drive in question is a 100 GB capacity.
    I just want to read the NTFS partition on the Mac. Don't need write access. I thought Leopard supported "read-only" access to NTFS drives. What drives me crazy..is that Leopard could see and read this drive fine until last week.... What happened !!
    Thanks for your inputs.

  • Can no longer access my external hard drive

    My husband I and switched to a Mac after using Windows machines for years. We have a Free Agent external hard drive to store ALL of our music files and, most importantly, our photos.  When we first got the Mac, we plugged in the FreeAgent and it worked fine (obviously, I couldn't write to it, only read the files, but that was basically fine).  In the last few days, I realized I can't access the drive at all, no icon, nothing under Computer, no ability in iTunes or iPhoto, nothing.  I unplugged its and powered both the Mac and the FreeAgent down, and then reconnected everything and that did not help.  Any thoughts or suggestions?  It would break my heart to lose my photos. I have a lot of them backed up on removable media, but I take a lot of pictures and stand to lose hundreds.
    This is a possible duplicate post, so please bear with me.  Our Mac was purchased at the end of May 2012, but we have not upgraded to Mountain Lion.  As the Genius in the store put it the night we bought the computer: it's better we learn our way around the system as it is now without all the extra bells and whistles. 

    Thank you so much for your response. I tried your steps this evening...both of them, and still don't find the FreeAgent drive.  I don't have my Windows laptop here at home, but will bring it over so that I can connect the external drive and make sure that there's still DATA on the darn thing.  If all the files are still there and can be accessed through a Windows machine, then I guess all is not lost.  I'll have to look into purchasing a new external drive to work with the Mac now.
    I apologize for the lack of info on my system. I am brand new to Mac - as stated, we only purchased our first-ever Mac back at the end of May and then I almost immediately started a new job, so I haven't really had time to get to know the ins-and-outs of the system.  For instance, I don't know where to look to get OS info..all I can tell you is that the machine is 4 months old and I haven't installed Mountain Lion yet.  I don't have a boatload of apps installed either - pretty much what came with the computer with the additon of MS Office for the Mac, which I needed for work and school.
    The external hard drive was initially used with Windows machines, so when it WAS working with the Mac, I wasn't able to write to it, but the files were all there. Because there are days at a time now where I don't come near the computer, I can't say when the FreeAgent stopped working with the Mac.
    Thanks for your help, and if you have any other suggestions, I'd be very appreciative.

  • Can no longer access USB external hard drive

    Hi - I am running OS X 10.8.4 on my iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009), and have been using a La Cie USB  external hard drive for several years for my Time Machine backups without issues.  All of a sudden yesterday, the external hard drive disappeared from Finder and my Desktop,  and as a result, no more Time Machine backups  I rebooted both the external hard drive and iMac several times  and changed the USB cable but with no success.  Disk Utility and Time Machine cannot see the external hard drive but it does appear under System Information => USB (see below).  I connected it to my Windows 8 laptop. The Windows laptop can see the external hard drive under Disk Management as an uninitialized disk.  But I will not allow me to initialize it and therefore cannot acces it.
      Product ID:          0x0951
      Vendor ID:          0x059f  (LaCie)
      Version:           0.00
      Serial Number:          152D203380B6
      Speed:          Up to 480 Mb/sec
      Manufacturer:          LaCie
      Location ID:          0x24300000 / 4
      Current Available (mA):          500
      Current Required (mA):          2
    Any help to restore the external hard drive would be appreciated.
    Ron

    Thank you for your quick response.  Disk Utility does not see the hard drive.  Windows 8 does see it under Device Manager and says that it is working propoerly but it will not allow me to initialize it.   As indicated  to Lin Davis,  I'll buy a new external hard drive.

  • Why can't my MacBook find my external hard drive through wireless network

    I have a 1 TB Western Digital My Book Essential external hard drive connected to my AirPort Extreme. I've been using it with my MacBook via my wireless network (mainly for music and movies) now for about 2 years without any trouble. Recently my MacBook has been unable to find the HD, it gives me the following message "The operation can't be completed because the original item for "My Book 1TB HD" can't be found". If I reboot my entire system (fios router, AirPort Extreme, MacBook, and external HD) I can access it for a short period of time but then the same problem arises. What can I do to resolve this issue and/or figure out where the actual problem is?
    Thanks in advance!

    The USB port on the AirPort Extreme has always been borderline as far as being able to provide sufficient power for a hard drive. It is not a high power port like  you would find on a computer.
    If you have not been using a powered USB hub with the AirPort Extreme....it is possible that the power supply on the Extreme has aged a bit, and it no longer puts out quite as much power as before.
    Try a powered USB hub, but check the store's return policy before you buy in case this is not the solution.
    Atter the powered USB hub, I have no suggestions other than the obvious..... check/replace the USB cable from the hard drive to the USB port on the AirPort.
    Also check using an Ethernet connection from your Mac to the AirPort Extreme...to eliminate the possibility of a wireless interference issue being the culprit.

  • Why can't I connect to my external hard drive anymore through my AirPort extreme?

    I have a WD 500 GB external hard drive connected to my AirPort extreme that I have been using just fine for some time now. All of a sudden, I cannot access the files on the hard drive and when I try to connect to my AirPort in finder, the connection fails. What can I do to fix this?

    If I restart my Mac it notices them
    This is puzzling. You should not have to restart your Mac for drives to mount.
    Also I plugged the hard drive directly into my Mac and had to restart it before it noticed it
    Same as above. You should not have to restart the Mac for the drive to be recognized.
    Connect the drive directly to the Mac and restart the Mac if necessary to mount the drive. Then run Verify Disk using Disk Utility on the Mac. If repairs are needed, run Repair Disk. Locate Disk Utility as follows:
    Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility
    See if the drive is recognized at the AirPort Extreme. Post on your results.

  • Why can't my mac locate an external hard drive?

    I'm unable to install yosemite as right at the end of the install (some 3 hours) it states I don't have enough memory. I didn't really think I had that much on it but hey ho. When I connect an external hard drive to me mac it can't find it.
    I've tried to book a session at the genius bar but they don't offer appointments for mac users.

    I can't see the external drive by pressing command + shift + c in Finder?
    It is listed in System Information.app > Hardware > USB?

  • Why can't I write to my external hard drive?

    I have a new Macbook pro, but when I plug in a USB hard drive it is "Read Only." I can find various places to change this, but they are never active for me.  Anyone know what to do? Thanks!

    How is the external drive formatted?
    If it is formatted as NTFS and your Mac doesn't have third party software to support wrting to NTFS then it will be read only.
    Allan

  • Why can I no longer access google from my mac with either Firefox or Safari

    why can I no longer access google from my mac with either Firefox or Safari — both with latest updates loaded. My PC is fine.

    What was before? And what is now?
    It is a good idea to include the machine type and OS version in your problem posts.

  • Why can I no longer access Lightroom 4 tutorials? [was: Lightroom 4]

    Why can I no longer access lightroom 4 tutorials?

    Which tutorials are you trying to access exactly? Got a link?

  • After I installed Lion, my MacBook Pro can no longer detect my external hard drives or my USB flash drives. What should I do?

    After I installed Lion, my MacBook Pro can no longer detect my external hard drives or my USB flash drives. What should I do?

    And me -- My Mac at work running Snow Leopard reads the drive normally. My home Mac (on Lion) can't even find it....
    Yet another Leo let-down.....

  • Why does my iMac (with Mountain Lion) no longer recognize my external hard drive I have used as a back up via Time Machine after the hard drive was accidentally unplugged?

    Why does my iMac (with Mountain Lion) no longer recognize my external hard drive I have used as a back up via Time Machine after the hard drive was accidentally unplugged?

    Do you mean the external hard drive is not mounted on the iMac desktop?
    Check if Disk Utility sees the drive. Applications / Utilities / Disk Utility. If the external shows up in the left column, select it and click on Mount.
    If it does show up this way, I recommend using DU to Repair Disk.

  • Cannot access shared external hard drive with other mac accounts

    I cannot access a shared external hard drive with other mac accounts (all accounts are on the same macbook Pro). The shared external drive is shared via time capsule and is connected (of course) in USB. I see well this external hard drive as a shared disk with my main account. Yes shared option has been activated with the Airport Utility .. but when I open other account these othe accounts can see the external drive but cannot access to its content that is flagged with a no way sign. Strangely enough when I close my main account and start opening a new session with one of the other account then fine I can access the external hard drive and its content .. BUT then it is from my main account than I cannot access its content the no way sign showing ..
    Looks like only one account at a time can access the content of this SHARED external hard drive .. any one as an idea on how to really make it a shared hard drive so that all accounts on the same mac can also access it ? I am at my wit ends on this case. THANKS ..

    Results of my enquiries at Apple Genius Bar .. the guys found the problem interesting. They've been unable to provide a fix neither to give any explanation as to the reason why. To be fair I was not much impressed by the technical level demonstrated ..
    In the mean time I have found that if account no.1 can see the shared external drive content and in such case account no.2 (same Mac computer) cannot see its content (only the external HD with a no way sign) this account no.2 can UNMOUNT (by ejecting) this external HD from account 1 and then remount it (just clicking on the TC shared part in a finder window) and .. see and access its content ; whilst account no.1 cannot see its content anylonger. Unless it unmounts the shared external HD and remount it .. then account no.2 can see its content anylonger. This can goes on an on.
    So eventually YES the TC can allow to share a USB external drive between several accounts and a same Mac .. BUT this require to unmount and remount EACH time the external drive is accessed from a "no.2 account". So OK to share files with seldom access but not practical in case of frequent access needed.
    I just I have now to figure how iTunes can automatically unmount and remount a shared external HD when it needs to access one of this shared HD content from on time account no.1 and then next time from account no.2. May be I am asking too much ..

  • Can I install Bootcamp on an External Hard Drive?

    *Bootcamp on External Hard Drive?*
    Can I install Bootcamp on an external Hard Drive? I don't see why it wouldn't work. Do I need to install the Mac OS on the external Hard Drive first, then Bootcamp?
    Parallels
    Another question. Does Parallels allow you to not have to use the "option" key to boot into Windows? I mean if I use Parallels can I use XP or Vista at the same time as my mac applications?
    What, (if any) are the drawbacks to using "Parallels"?
    *What Options are there...*
    Is it possible for Apple to allow users to program a key on their keyboard, when pressed will bring up Windows so they don't have to always restart? I need to switch between Windows and mac OS quite often and it's a real pain to always restart. What options do I have?
    Thanks

    Hi Paint Guy,
    *Bootcamp on External Hard Drive?*
    Can I install Bootcamp on an external Hard Drive? I don't see why it wouldn't work. Do I need to install the Mac OS on the external Hard Drive first, then Bootcamp?
    By Microsofts Design no Windows can be installed and booted from external HDs. BootCamp just follows this.
    However, according to this http://tubeshards.wordpress.com/2006/12/05/install-windows-to-a-macintosh-usb-dr ive/ it can be done.
    Parallels
    Another question. Does Parallels allow you to not have to use the "option" key to boot into Windows? I mean if I use Parallels can I use XP or Vista at the same time as my mac applications?
    What, (if any) are the drawbacks to using "Parallels"?
    Parallels is an OS X application which don't need a restart of your Mac to run Windows.
    Therefor you can run OS X and Parallels Windows side-by-side.
    Main drawback is, that Windows runs not native (on the real hardware) but in a virtualized environment.
    While this is more than acceptable for 'standard' Office programs, any program that needs direct hardware access (especially games and 3D-programs) either do not run at all or run at noticeable slower speed.
    Also you have to realize that the amount of RAM in your Mac is divided between OS X and Parallels Windows.
    *What Options are there...*
    Is it possible for Apple to allow users to program a key on their keyboard, when pressed will bring up Windows so they don't have to always restart? I need to switch between Windows and mac OS quite often and it's a real pain to always restart. What options do I have?
    BootCamp is no option then, since it needs a reboot everytime you want to switch between OS X and Windows.
    Parallels (and VMWare Fusion and VirtualBox, BTW) run alongside OSX.
    Thanks
    You're welcome. Hope it helps.
    Have Fun
    Stefan
    Message was edited by: Fortuny

  • Can i use applications from an external hard drive?

    Can i use applications from an external hard drive?

    Photoshop itself needs to reside inside of it's Applications folder so that it has access to it's Libraries and plugins. So if you are going to attempt to store and run it from an external drive you need to copy the whole Application folder or install it directly to the external drive. Even still I am not 100% positive it will work as I know it still needs to access your Library/Application Support for additional files and licensing.
    Why do you want to run Photoshop from an external drive?
    George

Maybe you are looking for

  • Need help for my project(how to call function in ancestor object)

    dear all, i need your help for my project.My problem is stated as follow: say i have a class call frameA and frameB, both of them are extend from JFrame, frameA structure can be described briefly as follow: //frameA.java public class frameA extends J

  • Unique Audio Challenge - Which Application Should I Use?

    I have audio that was transferred into MP3 format. But there's a big problem. There are two separate channels on each MP3 stereo channel. The left channel is one recording, the right channel is another. I need to separate them into individual MP3s. A

  • How to display gragp in Viewer

    Hi, I am using Discoverer 9.0.2.54.08. And I create a graph using Plus and save it. But the Viewer won't display the graph, although in the Presentation Options, the show Chart is selected. Can somebody help me? Thank you very much.

  • Transparency Showing Through Layers

    I don't really know how to describe this. If I have a cropped video layer over another layer, and I fade them both out on the timeline, I can see through to the cropping. No problem. . . usually, I just nest the clips, then fade out the nest sequence

  • Flash does not appear on site when uploaded to server

    I have created a Flash slide show and inserted it into Dereamweaver, I can test it to a browser and everything is beautiful BUT when I upload the Dreamweaver file to the server the area where the Flash was is blank - nothing is there. Any ideas as to