External mounting with FW 800?

[MacOG728893]

I thought since many of us video guys may not have the $ for thunderbolt at the time and are still currently using FW800, then this would be a good place to ask this question.

I have a Buffalo Combo 4 (yeah, yeah I know) external harddrive and often having it's having trouble mounting to my computer through FW800 and sometimes even with USB.

Thinking this disk needed a refresh, I removed all my files (put on my computer's HDD), reformatted and then repaired. When I check this disk in disk utility it says that both my Mac and Windows partitions are working properly.

What could be the cause of it having trouble mounting so very often? Two different partitions?
Could the fact that I usually keep it off, sometimes over a week have anything to do it with it and if so, why?

PS - Possibly the connections or the FW800 cord, but I highly doubt it because it does it with USB..

 

[Sirolway]

I had something similar about a year ago on a FW800 enclosure I'd be using with no problems for a few years. In the end I got a new enclosure (using the same disks as before) & the problem hasn't recurred ... so it could be something failing in the enclosure, rather than the disks...

At the end of the day, some problems waste too much time to figure out & the correct course of action is to spend a little money to make them go away ...

 

[MacOG728893]

so it could be something failing in the enclosure, rather than the disks...

This is something I was thinking too.. Just to make sure, it wouldn't have anything to do with keeping it off for extended periods of time correct?

If you're right, which you probably are, do you have any suggestions to a good FW800/USB2.0/3.0 external HDD housing?

Thanks!

 

[arjen92]

I might be your power adapter. I read on the forums this sometimes was the problem.

 

[MacOG728893]

I might be your power adapter. I read on the forums this sometimes was the problem.

Right, maybe I'll just give the company a call today even though it's out of warranty!

Crappy 1 year for an external!? I'll never buy from Buffalo Technologies again..

Edit: But just to confirm, it couldn't have anything to do with being off over extended periods of time and not in use. I have heard this could be a problem?

 

[cgbier]

Does your give off clicking noises when it is trying to mount? Had that with a bunch of LaCies ("the click of death"). They mounted if they wanted to, until they gave up completely.

I got them replaced by LaCie (warranty), but they never told me what the issue was.

Had also one with dead A/C adaptor - seemed to have been(?) a huge issue with LaCie.

Buffalos are dogs. More trouble than anything else. I have very positive experience with Western Digital ext. drives. They just don't want to die.

 

[WRP]

I have had similar problems for years. If I unmount a drive, turn it off and then back on it never mounts again. If I plug it into another FW800 port it immediately mounts. If you are unmounting it, turning the drive off and then just turning it back off without unplugging it and replugging it in I have seen this happen for years.

 

[MacOG728893]

I have had similar problems for years. If I unmount a drive, turn it off and then back on it never mounts again. If I plug it into another FW800 port it immediately mounts. If you are unmounting it, turning the drive off and then just turning it back off without unplugging it and replugging it in I have seen this happen for years.

You beliebe pluggin and replugging in the FW cord while off does the trick?