Formatting New External Disk - Resource B…

Formatting New External Disk - Resource Busy Error

I just bought an external Vantec NexStar MX dual drive enclosure and 2 Seagate 1TB SATA drives to put into the enclosure. I intend to use one drive to store media and the other drive to back-up data. When I plug in the enclosure with the 2 new drives, Disk Utility only recognizes one drive. That's okay, as I think that as long as I can format the first drive, the second drive will be recognized and I can format the second drive.

Well, I'm having problems formatting even the first drive. In disk utility, I go to the Partition tab, select the "Volume Scheme" at 1 partition, name the partition "Media", set GUID, select the format as "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" then pressed "Apply". Immediately I get "Partition Failed - Resource Busy".

I am not currently using Time Machine (although it is in the toolbar) and have searched the internet for an answer, but have been unsuccessful. Can anyone suggest how to format an external hard drive(s) for use on my Mac Mini? For a task so simple, I can't believe that I can't figure it out.

Mac Mini, Mac OS X (10.5.4)

Posted on Sep 2, 2008 5:45 PM

Jan 24, 2009 7:00 AM in response to LeDuc

I apologize to jump into the fray with my own newbie question. I have a new Macbook Pro 15.4" with 10.5.6. I just bought a Nexstar 3 Enclosure with usb/firewire/esata (had never heard of that until buying this enclosure) for the purpose of using the external (I got a 500 gig seagate sata drive to put in it) for the purpose of running the external via firewire 400 via my Merax Duo Xpress Card with two firewire 400 and one usb 2 slot. the merax card works fine-- i've been running my m-audio firewire 1814 with it.

i'm 99% sure i installed the hard drive into the enclosure properly. according to the nexstar documentation, it should just show up. it does not.

also, just for (very stupid, apparently) fun, i inserted their software/drivers cd-- a mini cd-- into the cd slot. oops. apparently you can't do that. 'cause the cd doesn't read and isn't coming out. thank god i got the apple care thing and hopefully they can get it out without too much trouble (unless anyone knows a trick?-- i know, don't be stupid--- but other than that).

anyway, i want to run the firewire external in conjunction with pro tools m-powered and just get it to show up. does anyone know what to do to make this thing work? help! 🙂

thanks.