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External hard drive + MBA

  • 29-11-2013 8:01pm
    #1
    A Neurotic
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,779 ✭✭✭


    Hey all,

    Can't find a clear answer to this online - I'm trying to hook up my external hard drive to my new macbook air. It powers on when connected via USB but the laptop won't read it. From googling around it seems like a hard drive that's been used with a windows PC won't be compatible with an apple computer or something? Is there any way of reading the thing without formatting it and wiping everything on it?


Comments

  • #2
    aidan_walsh
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,208 ✭✭✭✭aidan_walsh


    If its been formatted as NTFS on Windows you'll either need to find a plugin for OS X that will let you read NTFS, reformat it on a Windows computer to FAT32, or erase it on the Mac to the HFS+ filesystem it uses. FAT32 is generally the most portable, but due to its age doesn't support files about 4GB.


  • #3
    A Neurotic
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,779 ✭✭✭A Neurotic


    aidan_walsh wrote: »
    If its been formatted as NTFS on Windows you'll either need to find a plugin for OS X that will let you read NTFS, reformat it on a Windows computer to FAT32, or erase it on the Mac to the HFS+ filesystem it uses. FAT32 is generally the most portable, but due to its age doesn't support files about 4GB.

    Thank you. I've installed tuxera, an NTFS plugin for OSX, but the hard drive still isn't showing up. Any ideas?


  • #4
    gctest50
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,605 ✭✭✭gctest50


    commercial way ( about 20 dollars ) :

    http://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/how_it_works.html



    .


  • #5
    scruffmonkey
    Closed Accounts Posts: 51 ✭✭scruffmonkey


    Might be a dumb suggestion, but could it be a case that the usb port does not have enough power to drive the external drive, i've had that issue with a few external drives (even 2.5" ones) and the solution was to drive them via a powered usb hub or a usb cable with an extra head on the pc side to power it from two ports rather than one.

    As to reading the disk, OS X can read NTFS drives without an issue but cannot write to them (if you have a boot camp volume you can see the content on it from OS X but you cannot write to it).


  • #6
    Deep Thought
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,480 ✭✭✭Deep Thought


    Paragon is defo the way to go

    The narrower a man’s mind, the broader his statements.



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  • #7
    A Neurotic
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,779 ✭✭✭A Neurotic


    Getting really annoyed now. Paragon and tuxera didn't help, as my drive wasn't showing up in Finder or being recognised at all. It seemed like the power issue mentioned above was the problem, as it looks like a common issue with Toshiba hard drives. So I ordered a mains powered USB 3.0 hub, which has just arrived.

    Not only does the laptop still not recognise the drive, but when it's plugged in through the hub it doesn't even hum into action! The light comes on but I can't hear or feel anything happening inside like usual.

    If anyone has any ideas I'd be very grateful as this is driving me nuts.

    EDIT: I just unplugged and replugged everything and it worked! Nevermind :)


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