Ok,
I've seen a bunch load of posts on this subject all around the internet and couldn't yet resolve it. So I'll tell you all I got and see if you have a solution.
So, I have this Mac Mini (he's got 1.5 years on the run) running a OS X Lion 10.7.5 software. Up until two weeks ago, it could read drives perfectly (both flash drives and external hd drives). One day, though, it just stopped (reading both of them). When I plug it, it won't exactly mount, but it shows up on Utility Disk, where both partitions' names/icons are greyed out.
I tried already to verify it, or to repair it, but nothing. Also, I don't know if it matters, but the S.M.A.R.T. status is "not supported". Plus when I try to eject right there on Utility Disk, it won't let me, saying it might still be in use. I've been usually just ripping it off of the computer, then. Well...
I know for a fact that it's not a "drive" problem, but a computer or software problem. I tried a few flash drives and two WD Passport external drives (one of which was bought less than a month ago) and got nothing. None of them are being properly mounted.
Then, I got this WD with two partitions and plugged in a PC running Windows 7; could read the PC partition but naturally not the Mac partition. Then, I got the PC to run a flash drive Ubuntu and could access the data from both Mac and PC partitions (took the opportunity to back it all up to my PC, no files corrupted).
"A USB entry problem, then?", you'd probably infer. Only maybe, Holmes. Unlikely, I may say, since we took the computer to tech assistence and they found nothing; and also, the keyboard (may I add, the only other used USB entry of the whole computer) works fine.
Some say that the computer's gotten old and now can't summon the right amount of energy to mount a drive. I'd agree if the computer could mount regular 8 gb flash drives (it doesn't). The problem is not only with external hard drives, but with low-energy-consuming flash drives as well. And, also, my computer is a year and a half old. Not much, right?
TechTools pro won't recognize the drives and won't help me. So that's... well.
Still, even though I got to back my files up via a 7-years-old-Ubuntu-version (thanks heaven independent softwares!), my greatest problem is to put those files back to my Mac, preferably via USB. Who wouldn't want to have their drives working again in his computer?
Finally, that's my tale. I know it's long, but I hope someone reads it. Can you pleeease help me?
P.S.: Sorry for any grammar mistakes, I'm not an anglophone.
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I went to another forum asking for suggestions and they gave two possibilities:
1) Reset the NVRAM/PRAM.
2) Enter in safe mode version.
So, when I reset the NVRAM/PRAM, I had a flashdrive in the computer. After logged, the drive was there, appearing, and I could see all data. Though, when I put the WD Passport, it just didn't appeared again. And at Utility Disk, there was the greyed names of the external hard drive's partitions.
So I turned the PC off, turned it on again reseting the NVRAM/PRAM with the WD alredy on the computer. Logged in, there was both MAC and PC partitions on my desktop, I opened one of them and there were all the files. Unfortunately, when I tried to move some of them to my computer, everything got bugged and the driver wouldn't shut down the window and I got a permanent time-rainbow-thingy on my screen.
When I entered on safe mode, I couldn't even visualize the Utility Disk, and there was no drives on the desktop or anything.
Don't know... feel like the problem was partially resolved. I got to see the files, which was great, but couldn't recover them.
What do you guys think?
I've seen a bunch load of posts on this subject all around the internet and couldn't yet resolve it. So I'll tell you all I got and see if you have a solution.
So, I have this Mac Mini (he's got 1.5 years on the run) running a OS X Lion 10.7.5 software. Up until two weeks ago, it could read drives perfectly (both flash drives and external hd drives). One day, though, it just stopped (reading both of them). When I plug it, it won't exactly mount, but it shows up on Utility Disk, where both partitions' names/icons are greyed out.
I tried already to verify it, or to repair it, but nothing. Also, I don't know if it matters, but the S.M.A.R.T. status is "not supported". Plus when I try to eject right there on Utility Disk, it won't let me, saying it might still be in use. I've been usually just ripping it off of the computer, then. Well...
I know for a fact that it's not a "drive" problem, but a computer or software problem. I tried a few flash drives and two WD Passport external drives (one of which was bought less than a month ago) and got nothing. None of them are being properly mounted.
Then, I got this WD with two partitions and plugged in a PC running Windows 7; could read the PC partition but naturally not the Mac partition. Then, I got the PC to run a flash drive Ubuntu and could access the data from both Mac and PC partitions (took the opportunity to back it all up to my PC, no files corrupted).
"A USB entry problem, then?", you'd probably infer. Only maybe, Holmes. Unlikely, I may say, since we took the computer to tech assistence and they found nothing; and also, the keyboard (may I add, the only other used USB entry of the whole computer) works fine.
Some say that the computer's gotten old and now can't summon the right amount of energy to mount a drive. I'd agree if the computer could mount regular 8 gb flash drives (it doesn't). The problem is not only with external hard drives, but with low-energy-consuming flash drives as well. And, also, my computer is a year and a half old. Not much, right?
TechTools pro won't recognize the drives and won't help me. So that's... well.
Still, even though I got to back my files up via a 7-years-old-Ubuntu-version (thanks heaven independent softwares!), my greatest problem is to put those files back to my Mac, preferably via USB. Who wouldn't want to have their drives working again in his computer?
Finally, that's my tale. I know it's long, but I hope someone reads it. Can you pleeease help me?
P.S.: Sorry for any grammar mistakes, I'm not an anglophone.
----------
I went to another forum asking for suggestions and they gave two possibilities:
1) Reset the NVRAM/PRAM.
2) Enter in safe mode version.
So, when I reset the NVRAM/PRAM, I had a flashdrive in the computer. After logged, the drive was there, appearing, and I could see all data. Though, when I put the WD Passport, it just didn't appeared again. And at Utility Disk, there was the greyed names of the external hard drive's partitions.
So I turned the PC off, turned it on again reseting the NVRAM/PRAM with the WD alredy on the computer. Logged in, there was both MAC and PC partitions on my desktop, I opened one of them and there were all the files. Unfortunately, when I tried to move some of them to my computer, everything got bugged and the driver wouldn't shut down the window and I got a permanent time-rainbow-thingy on my screen.
When I entered on safe mode, I couldn't even visualize the Utility Disk, and there was no drives on the desktop or anything.
Don't know... feel like the problem was partially resolved. I got to see the files, which was great, but couldn't recover them.
What do you guys think?
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