External USB hard drive.

marthe · #1 September 17th, 2005, 06:12 PM

I have an external USB hard drive taken from a Dell laptop running Windows, plugged into my Mac (OSX 10.2.8). When I connect it the computer recognizes it but obviously can't read it without formatting. Is there any way I can get my data off this drive?

Thanks very much.

barhar · #2 September 17th, 2005, 07:03 PM

'However the CD which came with it only has drivers for Windows.', such is not required for use on a Macintosh.

'When I plug the drive into the computer's USB port it shows up in the Apple System Profiler, but I don't know how to access it, or even check to see if it's compatible with a Mac.' - the Mac has recognized the MHT2040AT; else, it would not be listed in 'Apple System Profiler'.

You will want to erase and format the MHT2040AT. To do so (assuming you do not care the data currently on the hard disk drive) ...

01. Locate and double click on 'Disk Utility', in the '/Applications/Utilities/' folder.
02. Locate and click once on your hard disk drive, listed in the left hand side column.
03. Select the 'Erase' tab, 'Mac OS Extended' in the 'Volume Format:' popup menu, enter a name in the 'Name:' text edit field, and then click on the 'Erase' button.
04. Quit 'Disk Utility'.

The external drive should now be displayed on the 'Desktop'.

marthe · #3 September 17th, 2005, 07:10 PM

Hi barhar,

Thanks very much for the reply. Before it wasn't even showing up in disk utility, but I've just realized it will if I plug in both of the USB plugs which are attached to the drive, and edited my question to ask if there's any way to access the drive without erasing it (you replied too quickly!

).

barhar · #4 September 17th, 2005, 09:36 PM

WIth respect to the edited post - 'When I connect it the computer recognizes it but obviously can't read it without formatting. Is there any way I can get my data off this drive?', by 'the computer recognizes' it - are you saying that the hdd's icon now appears on the 'Desktop'?

if so, press and keep pressed the <option> key as you click on the external hdd's 'Desktop' based icon and drag the icon onto your Mac's hdd (releasing the <option> key once the copy process starts). If you fail to press the <option> key during the drag process - no copying will be performed and only an 'alias' will be placed onto your Mac's hdd.

marthe · #5 September 18th, 2005, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barhar

WIth respect to the edited post - 'When I connect it the computer recognizes it but obviously can't read it without formatting. Is there any way I can get my data off this drive?', by 'the computer recognizes' it - are you saying that the hdd's icon now appears on the 'Desktop'?

No, when I connect it the computer pops up a window asking if I want to initialize it or ignore. If I click ignore the only way I can see it's connected is by going into Disk Utility (which then crashes!).