External hard drive not recognized to install

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External hard drive not recognized to install

I have a MacBook from Dec 2008 that I've upgraded to OS X 10.8.4. I just purchased a WD My Passport external hard drive for Mac. It should just open the installation guide when plugged in but nothing happens. I turned off/on the computer, checked for missing updates, tried to manually install the hard drive utilities to no avail. The external hard drive makes a noise and the indicator light blinks when I plug it in the the USB cord (it's configured for 2.0 & 3.0) but nothing shows up on the computer. Does it have somthing to do with upgrading to Snow Leopard/Mountain Lion? Did some driver get lost along the way? The only solution I can think of is that the WD drive is defective, but I hope not. Help is much appreciated.

MacBook, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4), external hard drive not recognized

Posted on Aug 25, 2013 4:07 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 25, 2013 4:13 PM in response to jayelleffe

How is the disk formatted?

For OS X to install it must be HFS+ with a partition map opf GUID.

The vast majority of disks are formatted for Windows, hence OS X is not able to install in them.

Allan

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Answer 2

jayelleffe Author

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Aug 25, 2013 4:25 PM in response to Allan Eckert

Well, it's My Passport for Mac so it should be formatted for Mac OS.

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Answer 3

Aug 25, 2013 4:28 PM in response to jayelleffe

Your level of interest is underwehlming.

Allan

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Answer 4

jayelleffe Author

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Aug 25, 2013 4:38 PM in response to jayelleffe

This website says it uses SES drivers that I should not neet to download????

http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1708/session/L2F2LzEvdGltZS8xMzc 3NDczNDE5L3NpZC9pWWl1a0h5bA%3D%3D

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Answer 5

jayelleffe Author

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Aug 25, 2013 4:45 PM in response to Allan Eckert

Hey, I'm trying.

WD website says:

Does my Western Digital Hard Drive require a driver? Where do I get one?

Most current WD drives do not require additional drivers on the Windows or Mac OSX Operating System (OS) beyond the ones that are included with the OS.

In order to simplify the installation process WD elected to use the standard drivers that are built into common operating systems. While there are a few exceptions to this, in general, there are no drivers provided by WD for our drives. That's because the drivers a WD hard drive or SSD uses are part of the Operating System being used. As such, any trouble with these drivers should be handled by the regular line of support for the Operating System in question - in most cases by contacting the system's manufacturer, IT department, or the publisher of the OS.

http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1708/session/L2F2LzEvdGltZS8xMzc 3NDczNDE5L3NpZC9pWWl1a0h5bA%3D%3D

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Answer 6

A.E.S.

Level 2

485 points

Aug 26, 2013 10:10 AM in response to jayelleffe

hi.

open Disk Utility and check if the external HD is listed. If not, you need to download the driver. If you see the external HD, check the format or reformat it using the right window pane.

hope this helps.

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Answer 7

jayelleffe Author

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Aug 26, 2013 7:07 PM in response to A.E.S.

No, it does not show in disk utility. But I'm not sure what to do b/c the manufacturer says there is no driver to install, it all comes pre-loaded. Should I assume this hd is defective?

Thanks for the help.

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Answer 8

A.E.S.

Level 2

485 points

Aug 27, 2013 9:42 AM in response to jayelleffe

Have you tried the internet for possible drivers?

If all else fail, you can bring hte external HD to the store where you bought it together with your macbook so that they can see the issue. Ask for a replacement and test it at the store just in case.

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