Restoring Data from External HD to Mac

[TheGrudge]

My sister in law just had her Windows PC tank, so I convinced her to get a new iMac. She loves it, but all of her backups are on a "Seagate Replica" external drive.

I remotely connected to her iMac tonight and it took me 2 hours just to get the Mac to read the files on her Seagate since it is formatted in NTFS. I finally have it so the Mac can read the drive and the files within, but I've no idea how to go about restoring her files.

I thought I could just download the Seagate Software for Mac, point it in the direction of the external and that would be it, but no. So I figured worst case scenario I have to located her "Pictures" folder on the Seagate external and drag them to her Mac manually. That won't work either. It looks like everything is saved in some proprietary Seagate format. There are tons of folders called 00 01 02 etc and when I do find a large file (over 300MB) it's just a black square.

Any idea on what I can do to fix this? Maybe I could hook the drive up to a Windows PC, burn the key data to a DVD and then move it to a Mac that way, I don't know.

 

[GGJstudios]

Native Mac OS X can read NTFS drives, it just can't write to them, unless you enable that. The format of the drive won't impact the file transfer time. That's primarily a function of connection method (USB vs Firewire).

NTFS (Windows NT File System)

• Read/Write NTFS from native Windows.
• Read only NTFS from native Mac OS X
  [*]To Read/Write/Format NTFS from Mac OS X, here are some alternatives:
  • For Mac OS X 10.4 or later (32 or 64-bit), install Paragon (approx $20) (Best Choice for Lion)
  • For 32-bit Mac OS X, install NTFS-3G for Mac OS X (free) (does not work in 64-bit mode)
  • For 64-bit Snow Leopard, read this: MacFUSE for 64-bit Snow Leopard
  • Some have reported problems using Tuxera (approx $36).
  • Native NTFS support can be enabled in Snow Leopard and Lion, but is not advisable, due to instability.
• AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule do not support NTFS
• Maximum file size: 16 TB
• Maximum volume size: 256TB
• You can use this format if you routinely share a drive with multiple Windows systems.

 

[TheGrudge]

Native Mac OS X can read NTFS drives, it just can't write to them, unless you enable that. The format of the drive won't impact the file transfer time. That's primarily a function of connection method (USB vs Firewire).

NTFS (Windows NT File System)

• Read/Write NTFS from native Windows.
• Read only NTFS from native Mac OS X
  [*]To Read/Write/Format NTFS from Mac OS X, here are some alternatives:
  • For Mac OS X 10.4 or later (32 or 64-bit), install Paragon (approx $20) (Best Choice for Lion)
  • For 32-bit Mac OS X, install NTFS-3G for Mac OS X (free) (does not work in 64-bit mode)
  • For 64-bit Snow Leopard, read this: MacFUSE for 64-bit Snow Leopard
  • Some have reported problems using Tuxera (approx $36).
  • Native NTFS support can be enabled in Snow Leopard and Lion, but is not advisable, due to instability.
• AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule do not support NTFS
• Maximum file size: 16 TB
• Maximum volume size: 256TB
• You can use this format if you routinely share a drive with multiple Windows systems.

I know it can natively read NTFS but it wasn't picking up the drive properly. It would show a Seagate drive but the only files on it were the software install files -- all the backups were missing. Once I installed an NTFS reader for the Mac it picked up the drive properly, putting an icon on the desktop.

I think the install files etc for the drive are on a separate partition and I remember reading something last night about how Lion can only read NTFS from a single partition - not if the drive is divided up.

 

[GGJstudios]

I think the install files etc for the drive are on a separate partition and I remember reading something last night about how Lion can only read NTFS from a single partition - not if the drive is divided up.

Lion can read partitioned drives quite easily, regardless of format.

 

[TheGrudge]

Lion can read partitioned drives quite easily, regardless of format.

I believe you, but something is messed, because it wasn't reading anything last night until I installed NTFS for Mac that was available for download on the Seagate website.

Anyway, I can see all the files now - but none of them mean anything to the Mac so back to the drawing board.

 

[GGJstudios]

I believe you, but something is messed, because it wasn't reading anything last night until I installed NTFS for Mac that was available for download on the Seagate website.

Anyway, I can see all the files now - but none of them mean anything to the Mac so back to the drawing board.

What do you mean "none of them mean anything to the Mac"? Do you mean you can see the files, but not open them? Was the Seagate drive encrypted?

 

[TheGrudge]

What do you mean "none of them mean anything to the Mac"? Do you mean you can see the files, but not open them? Was the Seagate drive encrypted?

When I first plugged the drive in, it wouldn't put an icon to it on the desktop - even though I went into Finder and said "display connected external drives on the desktop". Even though it wouldn't appear as the little orange external drive, I could access it by clicking on Mac Hard Disk and then viewing it in Finder. When I browsed the files though, all I could see were files pertaining to the Seagate Software; install files...that kind of thing.

After installing an NTFS reader from the Seagate Website, an orange drive icon popped up on the desktop and I could see a lot more files. Problem is, it's a hodge podge of files and folders. When I do finally located a folder with some big files, they dont' contain photos or word docs as I would expect to see. I just see a ton of files that the Mac recognizes, but can do nothing with. By that, I mean the icons are just black rectangles and you can tell they're Windows files. They're called things like Seagate458959494933 and so on.

It's almost like you need the Seagate software to restore them. Trouble is, they don't make the backup software for the Mac - at least that I can see.

My sister-in-law does have her old HD also - the one from her desktop that has Vista on it. I'm almost thinking a file restore from that would be MUCH easier but I don't have any Windows PC's!

 

[GGJstudios]

After installing an NTFS reader from the Seagate Website,

You don't need software of any kind for Mac OS X to read NTFS drives. For writing, I wouldn't recommend Seagate's software for NTFS. See the links I posted earlier for trusted apps. For example, I've used Paragon to read/write to dozens of NTFS drives from various computers, with no problems at all.

I suggest you uninstall any Seagate software and install Paragon. The most effective method for complete app removal is manual deletion:

Best way to FULLY DELETE a program​

 

[TheGrudge]

You don't need software of any kind for Mac OS X to read NTFS drives. For writing, I wouldn't recommend Seagate's software for NTFS. See the links I posted earlier for trusted apps. For example, I've used Paragon to read/write to dozens of NTFS drives from various computers, with no problems at all.

I suggest you uninstall any Seagate software and install Paragon. The most effective method for complete app removal is manual deletion:

Best way to FULLY DELETE a program​

It was Paragon software, but it was offered through the Seagate website. And I know you SHOULDNT need anything to view NTFS files, but I'm telling you....it wouldn't read them UNTIL I installed it. I know that's messed up, but that's what happened.

 

[GGJstudios]

It was Paragon software, but it was offered through the Seagate website. And I know you SHOULDNT need anything to view NTFS files, but I'm telling you....it wouldn't read them UNTIL I installed it. I know that's messed up, but that's what happened.

There's something involved here beyond NTFS formatting, if you can't read the files natively in Mac OS X. What about my encryption question?

 

[TheGrudge]

There's something involved here beyond NTFS formatting, if you can't read the files natively in Mac OS X. What about my encryption question?

I don't believe it was, but judging from the look and inaccessibility of files it may be.

Anyway, I've had her take her old HD and external to the "Geek Squad" where they offered to transfer all the files to her Mac in the first place. They have all that set up in store so let them deal with it

 

[Fishrrman]

"My sister-in-law does have her old HD also - the one from her desktop that has Vista on it. I'm almost thinking a file restore from that would be MUCH easier but I don't have any Windows PC's!"

This comment might point the way to the solution.

The old internal drive -- this is the one she has, and it had all the files she wants on it, is this a correct assumption? Is it a "SATA" type drive?

If that's the case and if she's willing to spend about $20, get one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=usb+sata+dock&x=0&y=0
(many items shown, they all work the same, just get one you like that's cheap)

Plug the dock into the Mac, put the old internal drive into the dock, turn it on.

Does it mount on the desktop?

Can you now see the files she wants to retrieve?