Trying to format a WD 1TB external hard drive (formatted with Windows) with MacBook Pro via the erase command and with Apple Mac OS Extended (Journaled) selected in disk utilities did not work. The disk title disappeared. An error message said "not enough memory".
Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8), 2.6Ghz,2Gbyte
Lanny wrote:
Was just trying to clarify kaz-k's remarks to the OP.
But, yes there are WD drives that accept external power:
https://www.wdc.com/products/external-storage/wd-elements-desktop.html
Ah - but that's a desktop drive. I've even got a couple of WD external desktop drives, and they require use of a 12V power supply. But bus-powered drives are another matter. Some older ones do have a coax port for a 5V external power supply, but this is becoming exceedingly rare these days since most drives can easily power off of a 500 mA USB port.
If the OP has one of those, it won't even communicate at all unless there's an external power supply, which would have come in the box.
Lanny wrote:
The suggestion is that perhaps your WD drive needs to be hooked to an external power supply of its own, that it's not getting enough power from your laptop.
Never seen a WD external bus-powered drive with any means of connecting an external power supply. I did buy one over a decade ago and the instructions said that it might require use of a dual-plug USB cable designed to extract power-only out of a second USB port. I bought another USB external drive that came with a cable like that.
Most of the newer ones can easily be powered by a single USB port. I've got one (Seagate though) that System Report says is asking for 160 mA connected directly to the port or 100 mA if connected to a hub. That can be done if the enclosure is carefully matched to the drive (i.e. designed that way by the manufacturer). External enclosures often ask for "worst case" power provisioning, assuming that the drive will be a power hog.
Was just trying to clarify kaz-k's remarks to the OP.
But, yes there are WD drives that accept external power:
https://www.wdc.com/products/external-storage/wd-elements-desktop.html
Hi,
Just wonder your WD drive is bus power or self power.
If it's a bus power, it is possibility that power shortage causes the trouble.
It is bus powered, but the laptop is connected to its power supply
The suggestion is that perhaps your WD drive needs to be hooked to an external power supply of its own, that it's not getting enough power from your laptop.
I think it is High Sierra. I have formatted hard drives on this laptop before using the previous OS
cannot format external hard drive OS 10.13.3
