how to read NTFS drives in Lion

rikysara wrote:

OK, thank you guys. I'll try to get the cabkle or re-format the drive. Not a tech savy, but I cannot see any Y cable option in the USB hard drive I have.... Is a Western Digital

If it is now not accessible, because of the lack of enough power from one USB port, Reformatting will not solve that problem. It will still not get enough power from just one USB port.

It can recognize that it is attached to the bus, but not provide enough power to spin up the drive and mount it.

USB was only designed as a data and low power interface, like keyboards and mice. Drive manufacturers have tried to eek out as much power as they can to spin up the drives, but it doesn't always work. Some drives will work on your Mac, but others will not. I had a FireLite drive that wouldn't work, but an iOmega eGo did.

rikysara wrote:

Wait, I just realized one thing. If this is the case, then why I can still see the external hard drive with utility and be able to format it?

Can you actually format it? Or does it just look like you have access to format it?

I suspect that when you go to format it that will fail as it is not getting enough power to do anything to the drive except show up in Disk Utility.

Yes the iMac should put out enough power on just one USB port to power the drive fully.

No, the only way to change the format is to re-format, which would erase the drive.

rikysara wrote:

So, if that would solve the issue and I should be able to read and copy the files I have I can wait until I get back home.

Thanks a lot for all the help

So if WHAT would solve the problem? You mean connectinig it to your iMac? If YES then it would solve the problem of accessing and copying the files off it to the iMac, and then you could transfer them to your Air. But it will not solve the problem of the Air not supplying enough power from only one USB port. Nothing you do except using a Y USB cable will solve that problem.

It really is hit and miss with these USB powered drives. Some work OK SOMETIMES and then don't at other times and some never work correctly but a different one of the same brand and type work all the time. The only way to make sure they all work all the time is to use the Y cable. Not really sure why they are still being sold without including a Y cable. This and many other forums, Windows and Mac forums, are filled of posts just like yours.

We ran into this at work with PC towers, using same brand drives. Some worked, some didn't. You would think a Desktop tower could provide the power needed, which makes me suspect the drive quality control. Almost 100% of the front USB ports wouldn't power the drives, and only a few of the back ports would, either. These were older 500 Gb drives.

Newer, better drives seem to work well, but I'm not sure how to define better. I know my iOmega eGo works great everywhere.

I'm trying now to upload the "Paragon NTFS for Mac X OS" Software for you.

When it will finish, I'll post an external link for you (I'm uploading it on Depositfiles website).

I'm using it with my Windows NTFS Hard-drives. You just install and go!

You can read some usefull information about this Software at http://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/

I'm sure he can get Paragon for himself on their website, but that isn't his problem. The drive is not getting enough power from his USB port to spin up the drive. Nothing will read the drive because it is not mounting due to low power, not file system.