I was on the phone with Apple support for almost 2 hours. We cannot get my external hard drives to be recognized? One drive is for time machine and the other has ALL my personal files. Can Anyone help with this issue. I have searched and searched and only find problems, but NO solutions that actually work. Please!!
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Yosemite and external HD's
- Thread starter Dolphrider
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I have a 2TB Seagate Barricuda as my Time machine drive and a 1TB western digital as a drive with ALL my personal data. They are mounted in a StarTech HD docking station through USB directly into the computer. All of my other USB devices work and have even spent 90min with AppleCare and still nothing
A few questions:
- Is StarTech docking station new and the problem only started happening after you starting using the dock?
- Have you tried plugging the dock in different USB ports?
- Have you tried using the dock with a different Mac computer?
- Have you tried using only one hard drive at a time in the dock?
I don't have the connections to directly connect the hard drives to the computer. They worked perfectly before the upgrade.
The dock is not new and worked perfectly before the upgrade.
I have tried all the USB ports
I do not have another Mac to try them on
Yes, I have tried only 1 HD
I've disconnected all USB and rebooted and plugged only the HD USB in. Still nothing
I have tried all the USB ports
I do not have another Mac to try them on
Yes, I have tried only 1 HD
I've disconnected all USB and rebooted and plugged only the HD USB in. Still nothing
I have read of many people having this issue. They have even gone and bought a new dock, which I don't want to $ for if I don't need to. And in their cases it still didn't work. I find it hard to believe that both HD failed at exactly the same time just as I upgraded software? Doesn't that sound unlikely?
OP:
It -might- be the dock hardware, sometimes things just don't work no matter what you try.
Is the dock a "single bay" dock, or does it have "dual" bays?
If you connect the drives and dock to a DIFFERENT Mac, running an older version of the OS, do they mount on the desktop "as normally expected"?
When you connect the dock in question, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER HARDWARE connected to your USB ports? I know this sounds strange, but I've had experiences where if I tried to connect two USB drives/docks at once, things went fuzzy...
Are you connecting directly to the USB port on the back of the Mac, or is there a hub "in between"?
Have you opened System Information and checked the "USB" info?
Does it show the presence of the Startech dock/controller chip?
At the very least, have you tried a different USB connecting cable?
Is there any way to boot the Mac into the older version of the OS, so you can verify that the dock is still working with it?
Various USB enclosures and docks (and dongles) use different USB controller chips.
It's -possible- that the chip in the Startech is somehow being "overlooked" by the Yosemite OS.
It might be possible to get another dock which WILL be recognized by Yosemite, and then you'll be back to normal.
Have you tried Startech tech support (not Apple)?
Do they have any kind of tech support boards?
You need to get some paper and start taking notes.
It -might- be the dock hardware, sometimes things just don't work no matter what you try.
Is the dock a "single bay" dock, or does it have "dual" bays?
If you connect the drives and dock to a DIFFERENT Mac, running an older version of the OS, do they mount on the desktop "as normally expected"?
When you connect the dock in question, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER HARDWARE connected to your USB ports? I know this sounds strange, but I've had experiences where if I tried to connect two USB drives/docks at once, things went fuzzy...
Are you connecting directly to the USB port on the back of the Mac, or is there a hub "in between"?
Have you opened System Information and checked the "USB" info?
Does it show the presence of the Startech dock/controller chip?
At the very least, have you tried a different USB connecting cable?
Is there any way to boot the Mac into the older version of the OS, so you can verify that the dock is still working with it?
Various USB enclosures and docks (and dongles) use different USB controller chips.
It's -possible- that the chip in the Startech is somehow being "overlooked" by the Yosemite OS.
It might be possible to get another dock which WILL be recognized by Yosemite, and then you'll be back to normal.
Have you tried Startech tech support (not Apple)?
Do they have any kind of tech support boards?
You need to get some paper and start taking notes.
Yes Fisherrman, I have tried every suggestion you have made except trying another Mac, I don't have access to another Mac. And no I haven't downgraded my software just yet. I certainly can't use Time Machine because that is one of the externals (yes, it is a 2 bay docking station).
OP wrote:
"I certainly can't use Time Machine because that is one of the externals (yes, it is a 2 bay docking station)."
Try this.
If you have both HDDs in the 2-bay dock, take both out.
Now select one of the drives (could be either one).
Try it in one of the bays.
If it doesn't show up, try it in the OTHER bay.
You may have already tried this, but if you haven't, try it and tell us what happens.
Addendum:
Something tells me you are not going to resolve this until you buy new hardware.
That means either a new USB3 enclosure, or a new USB3/SATA dock...
"I certainly can't use Time Machine because that is one of the externals (yes, it is a 2 bay docking station)."
Try this.
If you have both HDDs in the 2-bay dock, take both out.
Now select one of the drives (could be either one).
Try it in one of the bays.
If it doesn't show up, try it in the OTHER bay.
You may have already tried this, but if you haven't, try it and tell us what happens.
Addendum:
Something tells me you are not going to resolve this until you buy new hardware.
That means either a new USB3 enclosure, or a new USB3/SATA dock...
Last edited:
Have same issue as OP. 2015 rMBP 13". Yosemite 10.10.5. Toshiba Canvio Connect no longer recognized after prior flawless operation. Purchased a new Canvio Connect II, and it does not get recognized. Spent over 2 hours on phone with Apple Support Senior Advisor/Technician. No luck, he said he would take issue to engineers. Both USB ports work just fine with other peripherals. He's supposed to call back in a couple of days.
Ugh. Yes I probably need new hardware but I'm afraid I'll fork out $100 and it won't work either! Come on Apple, who in this day of age doesn't run more than 1 HD???
Is there anyone out there using a docking station that IS working with 10.10.5? Maybe I should start there.
I have a problem with external hard drives. Based on OP:s description problem isn't exactly same but probably related.
Drives won't mount about 20% times I connect them to Mac Mini 2014. Yosemite 10.10.5, problem also occurred occasionally on previous Yosemite versions. Affected products are WP My Passport and Deltaco Docking Station. I have spend several hours on the phone with Apple Senior Adviser without results, next I'm waiting word from engineers...
I am certain problem isn't in external drives because they mount without problems in Macbook Air with Mavericks 10.9.5 installed and I have clean installed Yosemite on the Mini and problems remain. Changing USB cables had no effect. Either Mini has defective USB port/s or Yosemite USB drivers have bugs...
Drives won't mount about 20% times I connect them to Mac Mini 2014. Yosemite 10.10.5, problem also occurred occasionally on previous Yosemite versions. Affected products are WP My Passport and Deltaco Docking Station. I have spend several hours on the phone with Apple Senior Adviser without results, next I'm waiting word from engineers...
I am certain problem isn't in external drives because they mount without problems in Macbook Air with Mavericks 10.9.5 installed and I have clean installed Yosemite on the Mini and problems remain. Changing USB cables had no effect. Either Mini has defective USB port/s or Yosemite USB drivers have bugs...
OP wrote above:
"Is there anyone out there using a docking station that IS working with 10.10.5? Maybe I should start there."
I have two docks from plugable.com that both work with 10.10.5.
One is a "lay-flat" style dock, and the other is an "upright" version.
Both are USB3 with UASP support.
Aside:
DO NOT buy ANY USB3 dock or enclosure unless it is specifically stated to have UASP support.
UASP = USB attached SCSI protocol, required to get the full speeds that USB is capable of.
"Is there anyone out there using a docking station that IS working with 10.10.5? Maybe I should start there."
I have two docks from plugable.com that both work with 10.10.5.
One is a "lay-flat" style dock, and the other is an "upright" version.
Both are USB3 with UASP support.
Aside:
DO NOT buy ANY USB3 dock or enclosure unless it is specifically stated to have UASP support.
UASP = USB attached SCSI protocol, required to get the full speeds that USB is capable of.