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Airdrop Missing on some computers in Lion?

thatisme

thatisme

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 23, 2010
485
106
United States
I have a 2008 MBP 15 and airdrop is in the finder as an option.

I also have a 2007 iMac 24" alum, and airdrop is not in the finder. I've searched and cannot find it on the computer.

Reading what scant documentation there is on the feature, it says that there is no configuration, setup, etc and it is a drag and drop operation, but that is assuming it is listed in your sidebar or menu options in finder.

Anyone have the same issues, or know if Airdrop is not compatible with that machine?
 
thatisme said:
I have a 2008 MBP 15 and airdrop is in the finder as an option.

I also have a 2007 iMac 24" alum, and airdrop is not in the finder. I've searched and cannot find it on the computer.

Reading what scant documentation there is on the feature, it says that there is no configuration, setup, etc and it is a drag and drop operation, but that is assuming it is listed in your sidebar or menu options in finder.

Anyone have the same issues, or know if Airdrop is not compatible with that machine?
Click to expand...

Same here - it is showing on my new(ish) Macbook Air, but not on my 2007 iMac.
 
AirDrop



supports the following Mac models:



MacBook Pro (Late 2008 or newer)
MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer)
MacBook (Late 2008 or newer)
iMac (Early 2009 or newer)
Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer)
Mac Pro (Early 2009 with AirPort Extreme card, or Mid 2010)
 
I wonder why? It doesn't seem to be anything hardware based, or particularly processor-intensive that would require a newer machine.
 
internet sharing?

do you guys have internet sharing on? because i turn internet sharing on on my iMac and then connect to the wi-fi using my macbook pro...my macbook pro has the airdrop, but my iMac does not...maybe this is the issue? I can't imagine airdrop not working on my 2007 iMac because its running lion right now and everything else works.
 
i think it must not be available on my 2007 iMac like a previous poster mentioned because when i go to airdrop on my macbook pro, the macbook pro is the only one that shows up and the computers are literally inches apart right now. also, it says on apple.com that no wi-fi network is required, so it must be hardware related. :(
 
i can still transfer files pretty easily between the two since we're on the same network, so i'm not really bothered by this that much...but still..kinda lame.
 
No Airdrop on my iMac from 2007, but I have it on my Macbook Pro from 2011.

There were really only two features I cared about for this upgrade: The Launchpad (I love iOS) and Airdrop.

Both don't work. You can't delete items in Launchpad, and apparently my iMac is too old for AirDrop?

This is stupid. Oh, and inverted scrolling is stupid too (which is why I changed it).

I do like the better auto correction of spelling though, and I do like the scrolling side bars better.

Still a bust though. I feel like I'm using a graphically enhanced Snow Leopard.
 
Lion not Totally Friendly with Older Machines

Airdrop only works on newer model Macs. Supports the following:

MacBook Pro (Late 2008 or newer)
MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer)
MacBook (Late 2008 or newer)
iMac (Early 2009 or newer)
Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer)
Mac Pro (Early 2009 with AirPort Extreme card, or Mid 2010)

* From Mac Website - http://www.apple.com/macosx/specs.html
 
Airdrop Not Working with Internet Sharing

My problem with Airdrop is simple but frustrating:

I have a 2010 iMac (10.7) with an ADSL2 connection, and a 2011 MacBook Pro (10.7); I provide internet connection to my MacBook via Wi-Fi using internet sharing.

I was trying very unsuccessfully to get Airdrop working tonight and discovered that when I simply turn Internet Sharing off under Prefs/Sharing then Airdrop worked perfectly. But when I turn Internet Sharing back on the link is broken.

Is there a way of creating an internet connection for my MacBook without using Internet Sharing? I have been trying to find another method, but with no success.

Obviously I would like both working at the same time ... anyone know what I am doing wrong, or what I can do right?

thanks broksta
 
SSVicious said:
No Airdrop on my iMac from 2007, but I have it on my Macbook Pro from 2011.

There were really only two features I cared about for this upgrade: The Launchpad (I love iOS) and Airdrop.

Both don't work. You can't delete items in Launchpad, and apparently my iMac is too old for AirDrop?

This is stupid. Oh, and inverted scrolling is stupid too (which is why I changed it).

I do like the better auto correction of spelling though, and I do like the scrolling side bars better.

Still a bust though. I feel like I'm using a graphically enhanced Snow Leopard.
Click to expand...

The only applications you can delete from within Launchpad are those installed from the Mac App Store. Everything else, barring core applications, which are now protected, has to be removed via Finder to the Trash.

broksta said:
My problem with Airdrop is simple but frustrating:

I have a 2010 iMac (10.7) with an ADSL2 connection, and a 2011 MacBook Pro (10.7); I provide internet connection to my MacBook via Wi-Fi using internet sharing.

I was trying very unsuccessfully to get Airdrop working tonight and discovered that when I simply turn Internet Sharing off under Prefs/Sharing then Airdrop worked perfectly. But when I turn Internet Sharing back on the link is broken.

Is there a way of creating an internet connection for my MacBook without using Internet Sharing? I have been trying to find another method, but with no success.

Obviously I would like both working at the same time ... anyone know what I am doing wrong, or what I can do right?

thanks broksta
Click to expand...

You really need a router. If you want to use an Apple solution, try an AirPort Express or Extreme. Or go with Linksys or NetGear or some other brand.
 
same issue here due to my early imac
is there any way to enable this feature even though its made for newere macs tho?
 
Hardware Requirements

Airdrop does have special requirements on hardware. Unlike normal sharing over wifi, Airdrop makes a direct peer-to-peer connection over wifi, independent of your wireless LAN. The mechanisms to do this only exist in the newer wireless chips used in the Mac's identified in the list.

Also, if you're sharing your internet connection through WiFi, the two functions cannot operate concurrently on the same device.
 
broksta said:
My problem with Airdrop is simple but frustrating:

I have a 2010 iMac (10.7) with an ADSL2 connection, and a 2011 MacBook Pro (10.7); I provide internet connection to my MacBook via Wi-Fi using internet sharing.

I was trying very unsuccessfully to get Airdrop working tonight and discovered that when I simply turn Internet Sharing off under Prefs/Sharing then Airdrop worked perfectly. But when I turn Internet Sharing back on the link is broken.

Is there a way of creating an internet connection for my MacBook without using Internet Sharing? I have been trying to find another method, but with no success.

Obviously I would like both working at the same time ... anyone know what I am doing wrong, or what I can do right?

thanks broksta
Click to expand...

If you don't want to get a router you could tether both using a phone or iPad.
 
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