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Segate Expansion External Drive 1TB - Need Help!

lizzieish

lizzieish

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 23, 2009
19
0
UK
Hello everyone! I need some help with my new external hard drive I just got out the box!

I bought the Seagate Drive and it's come with no instructions at all, just plug it in and go! However, I can see the drive, but when I try put anything in it it says

"The item cannot be moved because "Expansion Drive" cannot be modified"

So I panicked! Other people online have said how they use one with their Mac. Some people have mentioned about having to reformat something to make it work with Mac though?

If anyone could tell me how to get it working with my Mac I would be so grateful!
 
As this drive was most probably formatted with NTFS (Windows file system, that can only be read by Mac OS X, not written to, unless you use NTFS-3G), you need to format it with HFS+ (Mac OS X Extended) with the help of Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.

If you wan to use that drive solely on Mac OS X that should suffice, but if you want to also be able to transfer files to Windows PCs, you could consider partitioning it.

MRoogle will give you plenty of answers if you have any regarding the partition issue.
 
So, I did that (I think) And now I am faced with this

Picture2.png


I am so stuck I really don't know what to do!

Edit: I found this online

http://www.ehow.com/how_2063795_format-hard-drive-mac-os.html

If I do this will it help? I am a little confused by step number 2 on this page though?
 
From the Volume Scheme list select 1 partition and press the Partition button.

Or select the disk1s1 on the left and click on the Erase tab and hit the Erase button.

For both ways select Mac OS Extended (NOT Journaled) format.


Or do you wanna have two partitions, one for Mac OS and one for Windows?
 
No I just want it to work on Mac.

Picture1.png


This has already scared the crap out of me once tonight as I clicked it and the icon for the hard drive vanished from my desktop - am I good to click?

Thankyou for your help just really don't wanna break my new box!
 
There is no data of yours on that HDD, right?

If so, click Partition.

And the icon has to vanish, because the volume has to get inaccessible for the user to let the system do its work - rewrite the HDD with a new partition table so that you can write to it.

After that is finished, after two minutes maximum, the icon reappears.

You can also change the name if you want by right clicking on the HDD in Finder and selecting Get Info and entering a name in Name & Extension (Boot Camp in the following image).

mac-bootcamp-disk-get-info.png
 
Ok, I clicked it and it didn't do anything, I clicked off that screen then clicked back and it's like this again

Picture2-1.png


Like I haven't done anything? And my icon isn't back either :cool:
 
lizzieish said:
Ok, I clicked it and it didn't do anything, I clicked off that screen then clicked back and it's like this again

Picture2-1.png


Like I haven't done anything? And my icon isn't back either :cool:
Click to expand...

What exactly have you done?

Option 1:

spinnerlys said:
From the Volume Scheme list select 1 partition and press the Partition button.
Click to expand...

or

Option 2:

spinnerlys said:
Or select the disk1s1 on the left and click on the Erase tab and hit the Erase button.
Click to expand...
 
lizzieish said:
Option 1 :)
Click to expand...

And you have selected 1 partition like in the following image is shown and circled with a red 3 above it?

disk-utility-formatter-error.jpg

These are the steps to take in succession to properly format your drive.



If that does not work, go to the Erase tab instead, but let 931.5GB Seagate Deskt... selected and hit the Erase button there after you selected a name and Mac OS Extended (NOT Journaled) as format.
 
This is fast paced, I'm just sitting and watching you guys go back and forth. Trust this guy, he's awesome.
 
Oh my God if I ever meet you I shall buy you a pint, I just did the erase thing and it works! Happy Lizzie!

Thankyou SO much for your help I really was so stuck with it on my own!

Thankyou again!!!
:D:D:D:D:D
 
lizzieish said:
Oh my God if I ever meet you I shall buy you a pint, I just did the erase thing and it works! Happy Lizzie!

Thankyou SO much for your help I really was so stuck with it on my own!

Thankyou again!!!
:D:D:D:D:D
Click to expand...

No problem, that's why (what) we are here (for). I think.

Have a good night and greetings to that island you're sitting on. Haven't been there awhile.

And to upaymefixit: Thanks, but that comment about my awesomeness, though flattering as it is, is a little bit exaggerated. But thanks nonetheless.
 
I also think you have awesomeness :)

Going to go play with my new shiny box now!

x
 
I also need help

I have the same issue and have followed these steps and it still doesn't work. Can someone take me through step by step to sort this. I have a MacBook and wish to only use it on a Mac
 
I have the same problem

Hi,

Ive read these responses. I have data on the drive that I dont want to loose. How do I partitiion the expansion drive so I can add stuff from my mac, without loosing what is already on there?

Cheers
 
Cloeymac - Same problem

Hey I have the same problem as Cloeymac. Am about to formatt my seagate as per the threads above but the Mac threatens to delete all my saved data existing on the Seagate. Any suggestions ?
 
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