External Hard Drive Keeps Disconnecting on its own

Question

External Hard Drive Keeps Disconnecting on its own

Ive been working on a rather large project on Final Cut Pro for some time now and my SeaGate 1tb FreeAgent external hard drive im using keeps disconnecting on me, this makes it impossible to export large files because it will disconnect before they have enough time to finish the export. Some times the hard drive will stay connected for almost an hour, but usually it will disconnect at around 30 minutes.

Ive tried setting the Energy Saver setting so neither my computer or my display will go to sleep, ever. Ive checked the external harddrive itself with disk utility several times and its always fine. Ive tried different cables, unpluging other unused usb and firewire cables, Ive upgraded my ram, just about everything i can find it the forums, and still no luck. I have other hard drives that i use that work fine. What solutions are out there? Please help.

Im using a Intel Imac 24th 2.16 Core 2 Duo with 2.5 GB of Ram.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Jun 22, 2011 12:06 PM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Jun 22, 2011 12:10 PM in response to moefromrialto

Assuming the computer isn't at fault there are three possibilities:

1. Need to reinstall OS X and upgrade to the current version - 10.6.7.

2. Contact Seagate's tech support for assistance.

3. Return it for something else (avoid Western Digital.)

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Answer 2

Jun 22, 2011 12:25 PM in response to Kappy

Ill try upgrading but ive done that in the past and it didnt work.

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Answer 3

Jun 22, 2011 1:54 PM in response to Kappy

Just upgraded my OS to 10.6.7, then i tried to export a large clip, the hard drive stayed connected for a while longer than it had recently but still disconnected in less than an hour. What else can i do? What can be causing this?

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Answer 4

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

Jun 22, 2011 1:58 PM in response to moefromrialto

I would check to see but 'green' drives can be trouble in external cases.

WD drives are fine, even green, just not MyBook - and make sure that any are Mac-compatible, or try a more Mac friendly.

http://www.macsales.com/firewire

iMac (Intel)

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Answer 5

Jun 22, 2011 2:06 PM in response to moefromrialto

Also the drive seems to disconnect quicker when it is hot, could it be a temperature issue.

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Answer 6

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Jun 22, 2011 3:27 PM in response to moefromrialto

I would first contact Seagate's tech support for a possible solution. If that doesn't prove successful then I would try a different product or consider building your own.

Basic Backup

Get an external drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):

Super Flexible File Synchronizer

Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore. Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files.

Although you can buy a complete external drive system, you can also put one together if you are so inclined. It's relatively easy and only requires a Phillips head screwdriver (typically.) You can purchase hard drives separately. This gives you an opportunity to shop for the best prices on a hard drive of your choice. Reliable brands include Seagate, Hitachi, Western Digital, Toshiba, and Fujitsu. You can find reviews and benchmarks on many drives at Storage Review.

Enclosures for FireWire and USB are readily available. You can find only FireWire enclosures, only USB enclosures, and enclosures that feature multiple ports. I would stress getting enclosures that use the Oxford chipsets especially for Firewire drives (911, 921, 922, for example.) You can find enclosures at places such as;

All you need do is remove a case cover, mount the hard drive in the enclosure and connect the cables, then re-attach the case cover. Usually the only tool required is a small or medium Phillips screwdriver.

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