My passport for Mac: DOESNT work on pc's?

[bruleke]

If the computer is not suplying enough power you'll know because the drive will make repeated clicking noises every few seconds. Also you will not feel the slight vibration of the disk spinning. These are two easy ways to confirm it's power and not configuration.

I have the WD Passport Studio which has USB2 and FW800 and on my old PBG4 it could not deliver enough power to the drive on USB and it would click once every 1-2 seconds forever. That's why I bought the FW800 drive because I connect it on FW and have no power problems.

Power really should not be an issue on most computers, I think my PBG4 was in the minority that it could not power the drive via USB. Desktop computers especially they should have no difficulties powering the drive via USB. Are all the computers you connect laptops?

Ruahrc

All laptops.

MAC: OK
WINDOWS: makes the "new usb drive connected" balloon and sound but DOESNT appear on MY COMPUTER or drive manager. I tried it on 4 windows laptops.

Conclusion: not enough power, I'd say?

Solution: Special cable or buy another hard drive?

 

[patrixl]

Could you post a screenshot of what it looks like, in Disk Utility, on the Partition tab for this hard drive? Maybe this will give an extra clue, perhaps the partition map type isn't compatible with Vista in this case, perhaps.. who knows. If we can see that, and eliminate that possibility of partitions/file system being the cause, then we can with more certainty say it is a power issue.

cmd-shift-4, then click the disk utility window, will create a screenshot file on your desktop that you can attach...


Patrix.

 

[bruleke]

Could you post a screenshot of what it looks like, in Disk Utility, on the Partition tab for this hard drive? Maybe this will give an extra clue, perhaps the partition map type isn't compatible with Vista in this case, perhaps.. who knows. If we can see that, and eliminate that possibility of partitions/file system being the cause, then we can with more certainty say it is a power issue.

cmd-shift-4, then click the disk utility window, will create a screenshot file on your desktop that you can attach...


Patrix.

Oh thats a good idea, but unfortunately my old white macbook was sold and I am waiting my brother to return from Portugal. He bought the macbook pro 2.4 there.

When he comes back, can I contact you using private message? I didnt know about that "partition map" at all...

I hope this is a hope

 

[Vanarak19]

Did you change the partition scheme to MBR? It wont read the apple style.

click on options under the partition tab in Disk util.

This is the issue im sure.

 

[bruleke]

Did you change the partition scheme to MBR? It wont read the apple style.

click on options under the partition tab in Disk util.

This is the issue im sure.

So, thats it?
I go to the partition map and change it to "MBR"?

then, format to fat32?

Thats it?

I will try it on July 10th (the date I will get my new macbook pro)

 

[lag1090]

So, thats it?
I go to the partition map and change it to "MBR"?

then, format to fat32?

Thats it?

I will try it on July 10th (the date I will get my new macbook pro)

Forgot about the partitioning scheme. That should fix the problem.

In the future, do yourself a favor and just buy the regular version.

 

[bruleke]

Forgot about the partitioning scheme. That should fix the problem.

In the future, do yourself a favor and just buy the regular version.

sorry, i didnt understand about the partition scheme. Could you detail it?

Yeah yeah ahaha! I wont buy anything made for mac which has the SAME version for PC

 

[fireshot91]

sorry, i didnt understand about the partition scheme. Could you detail it?

In Disk Utility, click on your hard drive, then go to the Partition tab.

Under either Advanced or Options (I forgot which one, as I'm on a XP right now, I can't check) and choose Master Boot Record (MBR)

 

[bruleke]

In Disk Utility, click on your hard drive, then go to the Partition tab.

Under either Advanced or Options (I forgot which one, as I'm on a XP right now, I can't check) and choose Master Boot Record (MBR)

Then, i create a partition AND format or just create a partition?

You guys rock!

 

[lag1090]

sorry, i didnt understand about the partition scheme. Could you detail it?

Yeah yeah ahaha! I wont buy anything made for mac which has the SAME version for PC

When you're partitioning the drive in Disk Utility, select the number of partitions. Then click the options button near the bottom of the window. Select "Master Book Record" and click ok. Then click apply to repartition the drive.

Then, i create a partition AND format or just create a partition?

You guys rock!

Just partition it.

 

[bruleke]

Just partition it.

THANKS!
I will try it!

Thanks thanks thanks! I dont have my macbook pro now but I am already feeling happy... I think that's gonna work!

 

[patrixl]

Just a caveat here, I myself have a Seagate Agent To Go (or hwatever) hard drive, 320GB..

and I partitioned it using an Apple GUID partition map, and have 3 partitions on it: 2 HFS and 1 FAT... and my XP computers can still read the FAT partition, even if it's not an MBR partition map.

So it may or may not help, but it's something to try before looking for that power cable.

 

[Ruahrc]

When you plug the drive in to the Windows computer does it actually spin up? What about the clicking noises? The power from the USB will power the electronics on the drive, making it appear to Windows, but if you can't supply enough power to actually start the drive motor then it will never show up. I suspect this is what is happening but it's easy to confirm just let us know if the drive is spinning or not?

Ironically there is plenty of power to keep the motor running, but starting the drive is the hardest part. I heard some stories once about people "jumpstarting" the drive either over FW or 2 USBs, then quickly changing the cable to a standard USB cable. If done quickly, the drive will still be spinning when you plug it into the computer, and there will be enough power to start the drive and maintain the rotation. Again, because the actual starting of the drive is only momentary and is what keeps it from working reliably on USB.

Ruahrc