2007 iMac a1224 external drive problem

[elf69]

I bought a refurb a1224 with year warranty from macbank in UK.

great machine and now running 10.11.

I have a 1.8" HDD plugged into the imac.

however for last few days it randomly drops the drive.

I get a message in top corner of the imac which says I did not eject the drive correctly.

Drive is still plugged in.

Why is it dropping my drive?

It is not a time machine drive just has data on it.

 

[hfg]

Try "Jettison" ... it might resolve this issue. Available from the App store or direct from the company:

http://www.stclairsoft.com/Jettison/

I think they have a trial version to see if it works for you.

 

[elf69]

I found the problem, it was a setting.

I thought I changed it but it was "turn off HDD where possible"

It was on.

Stupid me

 

[elf69]

OK so it still gives me the message about not ejecting properly.

I was using firefox and pop up showed so closed it.

docked firefox and the HDD is still showing on my desktop.
Clicked it and it opened and see all the files.

It was not ejected at all.

Any idea what going on?

more annoying than anything.

 

[Fishrrman]

Can you substitute a different USB connecting cable?

 

[elf69]

yes.

but if it still shows on desktop and can still access it.

cable ok?

Can use cable and drive on my windows 10 and 7 machines and never have problem.

But will try anyway just to cover all bases.

 

[hfg]

Did you try the 15 day free trial of Jettison???

 

[elf69]

No I have not.

What is that?

 

[hfg]

No I have not.

What is that?

It automatically "ejects" your external drives prior to your Mac going to sleep so you don't have the "failure to eject disks" error message when you resume.

See the link in post #2 or go to the Apple App Store

 

[elf69]

Sorry missed that.

Thing is my mac not going to sleep I'm using it!

I'm on facebook in firefox when the message shows in top corner.

Don't think a sleep issue.

 

[hfg]

Perhaps your external drive enclosure is going to sleep and the drive disappears without the system ejecting it. That would probably produce the same error message you are seeing. A different USB enclosure might solve that.

 

[elf69]

I just booted my imac and got some messages in top corner.

see screen shot

middle alert says not ejected properly.

machine has just booted.

surely the drive cannot go sleep that quickly.
it is a 1.8 inch ZIF drive so caddies not so easy to pickup.

 

[elf69]

If I click close on the message it comes back in 25-30 seconds.

Need go buy another cable as lost my spare.

It must be cable, surly?

 

[Richdmoore]

If I click close on the message it comes back in 25-30 seconds.

Need go buy another cable as lost my spare.

It must be cable, surly?

I have had a bad USB 2 cable do this with an external drive. Replaced the cable and issues stopped.

It's the next step in troubleshooting the problem, in my opinion.

 

[elf69]

swapped the lead from my macbook time machine drive and all seems ok.

Strange as been using that cable on other drives and speakers fine.

oh well.