Trouble Reading external HD

Question

Trouble Reading external HD

When I recently bought a new MacBook (no firewire) I rather foolishly bought a connector which reputed to adapt firewire to USB. I have a Firewire Ext HD (LaCie, Porsche) which was attached to my old Mac Mini (10.4, PowerPC G4). Hoping that the adaptor would make it work with the MacBook I connected it all up. No show. Didn't come up on the desktop so I disconnected it and re-connected it to my old Mac Mini with the Firewire cable. Guess what, now it won't show on the Mac Mini's desktop either.

I don't even mind losing the info on the HD, I just want to get it to work again, re-formatted if nec.

Anything I can do? I've zapped the PRAM on the Mac Mini and run Disk Warrior, plus I've run Disk Utility from the start-up disk but without success.

Also, my Mac Mini has decided that it is no longer connected to the router via ethernet. I used to communicate between the MacBook and the Mac Mini through the MacBook's wireless connection to the same router, which meant I could print on my old HP Deskjet 970 CXi wirelessly. Cool. But now I have to connect the HP to the MacMini with its USB to use it. The Mac Mini tells me that I'm not connected when I am, do I have a motherboard problem there then?

Anyone who can help would be grately appreciated by this dope.

Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Jul 14, 2012 12:00 AM

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Answer 1

BDAqua

Level 10

239,219 points

Jul 14, 2012 12:14 AM in response to John the Greek

Hi John,

I rather foolishly bought a connector which reputed to adapt firewire to USB.

I've never heard of such a thing, can you provide a link?

Guess what, now it won't show on the Mac Mini's desktop either.

What exact drive/model is this?

Also, my Mac Mini has decided that it is no longer connected to the router via ethernet.

Whew, let's work on that later, let's see if we can figure out one problem at a time! 🙂

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Answer 2

Jul 14, 2012 12:34 AM in response to BDAqua

BDAqua wrote:

I've never heard of such a thing, can you provide a link?

They exist and I have seen others types advertised. How well they work is another issue, as OP suggests.

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Answer 3

Jul 14, 2012 12:37 AM in response to BDAqua

Well, it was thru Ebay and it looked like this when it arrived...

The external HD is an 80g (yea, I know small by today's models, but it's a good robust drive) LaCie. It looks like this...

The HD doesn't seem to have much info on the case. On the back it's just got two Firewire ports, an on/off switch and the socket for the power cable. The invoice from InMac (Sept 2005) describes is as: LaCie 80GB 7200rpm ext FW HD. P3 Model by FA Porsche 300699EK.

The Mac Mini is an aging (7 years old) 1.42ghz PowerPC G4 running 10.4.11

The MacBook is 2.4ghz Intel Core system 10.6.8.

Hope that helps.

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Answer 4

BDAqua

Level 10

239,219 points

Jul 14, 2012 12:40 AM in response to Michael Wasley

Thanks Michael, I don't understand how it would work without some drivers, but oh well! 🙂

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Answer 5

BDAqua

Level 10

239,219 points

Jul 14, 2012 12:42 AM in response to John the Greek

The Mac Mini is an aging (7 years old) 1.42ghz PowerPC G4 running 10.4.11

Well at least that has Firewire, & you might consider File Sharing!?

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Answer 6

Jul 14, 2012 12:54 AM in response to BDAqua

On the Mac Mini, personal file sharing is on, because I used to access files on the Mini from the MacBook before the Mini decided that it was no longer connected!!

Is this what you meant?

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Answer 7

Jul 14, 2012 12:59 AM in response to Michael Wasley

That link (in Michael's reply) is it!!! Keep clear I'd say!!

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Answer 8

BDAqua

Level 10

239,219 points

Jul 14, 2012 1:08 AM in response to John the Greek

Well, with the FW Dive connected to the Mac with FW, you should be able to transfer files to or fro using Fike Sharing to the one without FW, but not as fast of course.

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Answer 9

Jul 14, 2012 1:29 AM in response to BDAqua

Thanks for those thoughts BDA. But that's not really the problem. The main problem is not being able to see the ext. HD on my Mac Mini's desktop, which has been the case ever since I'd tried using the USB adapter to connect the LaCie to the MacBook. If I could see it, then I could at least transfer stuff using a USB stick from the MacBook to the Mini, which, as I mentioned earlier (and, granted, it's a seperate issue) has decided that it's no longer connected to the router, even though mechanically it is, with the ethernet cable.

On the Mini, when I look at System Prefs/Network Status/Built-in Ethernet, it says: "The cable for built-in ethernet is not plugged in" when in fact it is.

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Answer 10

BDAqua

Level 10

239,219 points

Jul 14, 2012 10:45 AM in response to John the Greek

Hmmm, that cable not plugged in can be so many things, bad cable, fried Ethernet port, router problems, weak PRAM Battery, PRAM Reset needed, etc.

On that adapter, I still have no idea how it could work, considering the totally different voltages & amperages of FW vs. USB, & the timing of the signals, etc.!???

I think you may need to pull the drive & get one of these...

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/U3NVSPATA/

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Answer 11

Jul 15, 2012 9:28 AM in response to John the Greek

Have you considered that you may have damaged some electronic components? If you have this may explain the various difficulties with your Mac. It could be eg something affecting a particular voltage which may well stop more than one port functioning. In these circumstances software is unlikely to give any meaningful diagnostics.

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