I just got my new 320GB 2.5" Hitachi Travelstar 7K320 7200RPM SATA Notebook Drive with 16MB Cache from OWC and found it is not recognized when I try to install the OS from the optical disk.
I took it back out and examined it and found that it does not have all of the pins the original has. It is lacking the set on the far left (when viewed from the top, with pins up). Being an SATA, it seems that it should be configured as a standard? Has anyone else had this problem?
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder. If you need to reformat your startup volume, then you must boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the
Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger or Leopard.)
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing.
SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the
Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Click on the
Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (only required for Intel Macs) then click on the
OK button. Set the number of partitions from the dropdown menu (use 1 partition unless you wish to make more.) Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the
Partition button and wait until the volume(s) mount on the Desktop.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the
Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the
Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on
OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the
Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
Steps 4-6 are optional but should be used on a drive that has never been formatted before, if the format type is not Mac OS Extended, if the partition scheme has been changed, or if a different operating system (not OS X) has been installed on the drive.
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder. If you need to reformat your startup volume, then you must boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the
Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger or Leopard.)
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing.
SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the
Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Click on the
Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (only required for Intel Macs) then click on the
OK button. Set the number of partitions from the dropdown menu (use 1 partition unless you wish to make more.) Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the
Partition button and wait until the volume(s) mount on the Desktop.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the
Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the
Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on
OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the
Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
Steps 4-6 are optional but should be used on a drive that has never been formatted before, if the format type is not Mac OS Extended, if the partition scheme has been changed, or if a different operating system (not OS X) has been installed on the drive.
I am having the same problem with my gf's macbook. I replaced the crashed hard drive with a 120 Hitachi, but it wont recognize it. I've tried every combination of keys on start-up, and have installed/reinstalled a few times. I keep finding one of the new pins bent over when I pull the unit out, and I've tried many times to gently align the unit in as many ways as possible.
Bent pins are not good. Call Hitachi tech support to see if there's anything you may need to do to get the drive recognized. I have installed their 7K200 model in my MBP without any problems.
