Menu
I plug in a Seagate GoFlex 500GB external hard drive into my PowerBook (specs at bottom of post). I go into Disk Utility to try to resize one of my partitions so I can back my Mac up. I click the final 'Continue' button, and a few seconds later I get an error saying that the partition was not completed correctly and that the drive was removed. It was not. It shut itself off briefly (less than a second because I saw the light (normally always on) go out and come back on)!
The software lets you quickly install your new disc drive with wizards that guide you through the processes of creating and formatting partitions on your disc drive, transferring data,.
I disconnect my hard drive and plug it into a PC. I pull up Disk Management (Windows equivalent of DU) and I try to resize the volume. Not possible. Okay. But they both are read and I could open each one's folder. So I plug it into my Mac again and after several seconds of it not showing up, I hold it to my ear. First, it spins up. It clicks the whole time. Next, it gradually spins down while making four whines/beeps (inaudible unless you are holding the unit up to your ear), each seperated by 3/4 of a second. Then it spins up again and repeats. I now plug in another 640GB unit and it clicks rapidly (inaudible unless held to ear). Both drives are then plugged into the PC. In Disk Management they show up. I format one of the volumes on the 500GB drive (I realized I did not need the data) and I removed the volume's drive letter. But the drives do not show up on my Mac anymore. (The 500GB model used to!!!!!)
One drive had a USB 3.0 adapter. One had a 2.0 adapter. I swap around the adapters and I achieve the same result. BTW, I also have a keyboard in the other USB port. It was there from the start.
The 500GB drive is NOT corrupted. In fact, I used to use it for Time Machine. My TM data is still on that drive and I dare not erase it. The drive is not powered by an AC adapter, either.
I don't want to go out and get another hard drive because I'm looking to sell my PB.
What went wrong? How come it no longer connects? I can't have killed the drive becuase it reads on a PC.
PowerBook, Mac OS X (10.5.8), G4 Aluminum, 1.5/1.67 GHz, 1 GB RAM
Posted on