How Can Hardisks from iMacs be Reused as External Drives?

[Alvin777]

Hello Apple and Mac friends.

I upgraded the Late 2015 5K iMac' 2TB hardisk to SSDs. If you use the former 2TB hardisk as an internal drive, it will be seen by any computer regardless of OS and will function normally but if you plug it in a USB external dock or USB external enclosure, no type of OS will see it (not even as an unmounted volume, nor as an uninitialized hard drive).

It seems Apple had Seegate customize for them a hardisk (the model is not found anywhere, Seagate model: ST2000DM001), is there an app or hardware hack to turn the hardisk into an external hardisk so it can be reused (it's still good to put huge, not so important files in it, no bad sectors, to also help save the planet and be carbon neutral)?

Thank you.

 

[Bigwaff]

Never have heard of this.

It seems Apple had Seegate customize for them a hardisk (the model is not found anywhere, Seagate model: ST2000DM001)

This model drive was quite common back in the Fusion Drive era. Tons for sale on eBay.

If you use the former 2TB hardisk as an internal drive, it will be seen by any computer regardless of OS and will function normally but if you plug it in a USB external dock or USB external enclosure, no type of OS will see it (not even as an unmounted volume, nor as an uninitialized hard drive).

You have tried multiple permutations of different OS’s with this drive? Please post specific OS and USB findings. It would be most interesting.

 

[Alvin777]

Never have heard of this.

This model drive was quite common back in the Fusion Drive era. Tons for sale on eBay.

You have tried multiple permutations of different OS’s with this drive? Please post specific OS and USB findings. It would be most interesting.

Hi, it seems this hard disk has a security feature, it won't turn ON if it's used with an external enclosure which have a slightly different power configuration coz' usually external enclosures or docks have their own power. I just have to find the pin that I need to tape that detect that's it on an external enclosure (detect it by checking if there's current in that pin, if it has current I believe it the disk won't spin, it'll just get a little warm). It's similar to the security in DVR for CCTVs and Western Digital drives used for their USB external enclosures:

I wonder which pin I should put tape on, on the plug for power (the area with many pins)?

 

[Bigwaff]

it won't turn ON if it's used with an external enclosure which have a slightly different power configuration coz' usually external enclosures or docks have their own power. I just have to find the pin that I need to tape that detect that's it on an external enclosure

You are positive your enclosure is providing enough power?

 

[Alvin777]

You are positive your enclosure is providing enough power?

Hi, yeah, my other drives (SSD and hardisks) are mounting and are ok. I put it back in a PC, it's for a mean time a NAS 2TB hardisk (Sharing is On) for big unimportant files (on the other room), until I can mount it as an external drive if it's possible and be an external drive.