Trouble with external HD

[jigsawnightlife]

I recently bought an external hard drive that claims to be OSX compatible, but when i plug it into the usb, it isnt being recognized. Im new to mac, so there may be something im missing. Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Does it appear if you launch "Disk Utility"? Perhaps it just needs to be formatted (ie, prepared for use).

 

[jigsawnightlife]

No, it doesnt show up in disk utility, system profiler, or on the desktop. It lights up when i plug it in, and i can hear it working, but thats it.

Im running OSX 10.5.6 if that helps at all..

 

[icemanjc]

Is is powered by a power adapter or USB?

 

[jigsawnightlife]

Its usb powered. Im pretty sure the problem isnt with my usb ports, because they recognize my ipod with no problem.

 

[lbj]

Not all USB ports are equal. Try one of the primary ports on the back of your Mac, even if only temporarily, to see if that is the problem.

 

[fryke]

On some LaCie products, power supplies fail after a while. They still deliver enough power to get the lights on, but the drive just won't mount. If it's that, get the power supply replaced under warranty.