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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Disk image doesn't show?

bg88 - Nov 9, 2007 - 4:34 pm

I used disk utility and formatted my fire wire drive to fat32. The only problem is the disk image doesn't show on my desktop. How do I solve that problem?

Also I want to copy or move to that drive such items as mp3's and documents and jpg's and the like to use on a Windows PC in Toronto. Can I move those items myself or do I need a backup program as the drives are now formatted differently?

earthsaver - Nov 9, 2007 - 4:45 pm

In Finder's Preferences, are External Disks set to show on the Desktop? I presume so because that's probably where you've found it before, but does it show up in Disk Utility? What about in a Finder window? If yes in DU, then you can try ejecting the disk, disconnecting it from your Mac, reconnecting it, and hoping for the best.

If you resolve this issue, then you can manually move those files to the drive. A backup application would do so no differently.

- Ben

bg88 - Nov 9, 2007 - 5:45 pm

I got an error message on my desktop that the disk I inserted was not readable by my computer. It gave me 3 buttons to press. To cancel or to eject or to initialize. I picked the last one. Then DU opened and the image showed there but the only option that would work was the eject button at the top. Now 3the disk image doesn't show anywhere.

Now I'm more confused then I was when I started this. Don't tell me that my ppc will only recognize a drive formatted mac?

earthsaver - Nov 9, 2007 - 11:08 pm

I can't tell you that because it's not true. Ever since the PowerPC was released in 1994, Macs have been capable of reading and writing to DOS and Windows-formatted disks.

Initialization is a step before formatting. That is, it still requires you to Erase the hard disk for use with a particular operating system. Regardless of the available buttons on the Disk Utility toolbar, you need to choose the initialized disk in the sidebar and Erase it.

By the way, does this hard drive have a USB port or does the Toronto PC have FireWire?

bg88 - Nov 10, 2007 - 2:37 am

To answer both points. As part of the formatting process DU did ask me to choose the disk I wanted to format and it did give me a message that it would have to erase the drive first. So in using DU I didn't have to erase the drive myself first.

Now for some reason it doesn't see the drive and won't mount it.

As for Toronto, this drive is a fir wire and most modern pc's have a fire wire port or so my brother tells.


I'm still at a loss as to what to do now??

bg88 - Nov 10, 2007 - 3:13 am

BTW I just opened DU and when I clicked on the drive it says that it's formatted MS DOS (fat32) and not mounted. So I clicked on the button at the top to mount it but nothing happens.

earthsaver - Nov 10, 2007 - 8:51 am

So, notice how DU can see the drive differently than the Finder. So, back to my first response, can you try ejecting the disk, disconnecting it from your Mac, reconnecting it, and hoping for the best. Or are you saying the Eject button is not available?, for either the formatted volume or the disk itself. Somehow you must have a way to get the disk to disappear from DU, as when I choose to unmount a particular volume, it goes gray, but when I choose to eject it's parent disk, the whole family goes away.

Once you do that, you can safely disconnect the drive from your computer. Then, I suggest restarting. When you're all back to the Finder, try connecting the drive again. See what you can find in Disk Utility. You might need to try erasing the disk again as Mac OS Extended and trying to mount it, before reerasing to FAT32.

bg88 - Nov 10, 2007 - 9:01 am

BTW I just opened DU and when I clicked on the drive it says that it's formatted MS DOS (fat32) and not mounted. So I clicked on the button at the top to mount it but nothing happens.

bg88 - Nov 10, 2007 - 9:16 am

I just did a restart after turning off the fire wire drive and unplugging it. I got message window with a red stop sign telling me that it can't read the inserted disk and giving me 3 buttons to choose from. Ignore or initialize or eject. As I wasn't quick enough the message mysteriously disappeared.

bg88 - Nov 10, 2007 - 9:24 am

I just opened DU again and chose erase and it erased it while formatted fat32 and mounted it. I thought that as you suggested I would have to change it back to mac and then again to fat32 but that wasn't required.

What then was the problem?

Part B Can you recommend a freeware backup utility so I can keep my docs mp3s etc current on that drive?

bg88 - Nov 10, 2007 - 9:40 am

I just opened DU again and chose erase and it erased it while formatted fat32 and mounted it. I thought that as you suggested I would have to change it back to mac and then again to fat32 but that wasn't required.

What then was the problem?

Part B Can you recommend a freeware backup utility so I can keep my docs mp3s etc current on that drive?

earthsaver - Nov 10, 2007 - 11:11 am

I don't know what happened. Apparently the first format attempt wasn't successful. As for a simple, free backup utility, I recommend iBackup. There's a simple scheduler in the Profile Settings sheet, accessible in the View menu or the little droplet/action menu below the sources sidebar. Also, since you'll be backing up to a Windows drive, you'll probably need to check Backup to Windows in the Advanced pane.

Glad you got it figured out. Let me know if you need anything else before we close your question.