External HD will not mount?

[WelshTom]

I am having trouble with my external hard drive. I originally bought the drive when I was still using windows - it is therfore formated to the FAT32 file system and was used to store media files. When I first moved to my macbook used to read and write to the drive just fine.

However out of the blue the drive suddenly started refusing to mount in mac os x. But quickly switching over to windows via bootcamp and the drive would load just fine. I therefore decided that it was probably down to the file system so I burnt to dvd the stuff I wanted to keep and emptied the drive. But the problem I now have is how am I going to format it to HFS+ if os x won't recognise the drive (it doesn't show in disc utility at all). I have completed a full reformat of the drive in windows (still to fat32) and check for bad sectors in the hope this would help but still no joy.

I am reluctant to fork out for a new external hard drive when I have this one that is completely empty and clearly in 100% working order as it functions perfectly under windows - and I want to get it in working condition so I can use it as my back-up drive for Time Machine.

Any ideas / suggestions?!

Many Thanks,
Tom

P.S. The external drive is a 320gb Buffalo Drive Station

 

[WelshTom]

Well I fixed it in the end. When I stoped to think about when the problem began it coincided with updating to Mac OS X 10.4.10. Searching and learning more about the updates contained withing 10.4.10 lead me to find the following solution:

1. Download the appropriate version of the Mac OS X combo updater; the one directly precedent to when you started experiencing the problem (for instance, 10.4.9 if you started experiencing the problems under 10.4.10, or 10.4.10 if you are already running 10.4.10, but started experiencing the problem after a security or other system update) from Apple's download page, but do not install it.
2. Download and install the shareware application Pacifist
3. Drag the Mac OS X installer package by dragging it onto the Pacifist application icon.
4. Click the triangle next to "System" to expand it
5. Click the triangle next to "Library" to expand it
6. Click the triangle next to "Extensions" to expand it
7. Scroll down and find the file IOUSBMassStorageClass.kext. Click the Install button in Pacifist and enter your administrator password.
8. Find the file IOHIDFamily.kext. Click the Install button in Pacifist and enter your administrator password.
9. Find the file IOUSBFamily.kext. Click the Install button in Pacifist and enter your administrator password.
10. Restart your Mac and check for resolution of the issues.

Remember to delete kernel caches and restart afterwards. (With OnyX or similar).

Hope this helps someone - it sorted the problem instantly - hope apple fix this in Leopard as am only getting this drive in shape ready for Time Machine!