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external USB2 HD
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jul 2007
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i have purchased an external USB2 HD, but when i connect it to my powerbook G4, it won't appear on my desktop ... BUT at work we have different mac models and there was no problem. When i connect the external drive on a keybord on one of the workcomputers, i'll get the same problem, the powerbutton light works but that is all. The USB output is on all macs 500 Ma ... even at home on the old iMac G3 it works. I have PowerBook G4 - OSX.4.11 - 1,67 Mgz .... Help !!!!!!
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Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Oakland, CA
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It sounds like your PB USB port is underpowered for the drive, just like the USB port on your keyboard at work. Is there anything else plugged into the port on your PB? Did you drive come with a power cable you could try?
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17" MBP C2D 2.33/3 GB RAM/500 GB 7200 rpm/Glossy Display|-|
17" iMac CD|-|15" PB G4 1.25 GHz|-|iBook g4 1Ghz|-|Pismo
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jul 2007
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No there is nothing els connected, only my mouse
and no there is no power cabel
is it possible to power up there usb ports?
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Forum Regular
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Los Angeles
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Your only option would to purchase a powered USB hub. It isn't that expensive and you gain a few extra ports. The only downside is that it doesn't make things very portable.
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Administrator  Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: San Antonio TX USA
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The keyboard USB port on the machines at work will be underpowered; it's not really intended to power anything that takes much power. The unused port on my newish iMac's keyboard won't power a port-powered drive either. Your PowerBook too has relatively underpowered ports. It is possible to use an external power supply for the drive? Otherwise, Cottonsworth's advice is good: try it with a powered USB hub.
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Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jul 2007
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Thanks for your advice guys, but i don't like to take a Hub+cabels with me, so i'll go to the shop to change the HD for a model with FireWire.
MArC
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Moderator  Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Jose, CA
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A Firewire drive might require external power as well. The choice of external port doesn't completely solve the problem.
Steve
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Celebrating 10 years and 4000 posts on MacNN!
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Moderator  Join Date: May 2001
Location: Hilbert space
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The problem is not really that of underpowered USB ports, it's that external harddrives draw a lot more power than USB ports should be able to deliver according to the specs. According to the specs, high-power USB devices must not draw more than 500 mA (at 5 V) which means that devices should not consume more than 2.5 W.
Especially during spin-up, notebook drives may need a lot more than 2.5 W. Even the most energy-efficient drives consume more than 2 W at spin-up, very close to the maximum in the specs (and the electronics in the enclosure also needs some power). Idle power consumption is typically lower and in the range of 0.5-1.5 W. The solution by other hardware manufacturers (including Lacie, for example) is to overpower USB ports.
FireWire has a much, much better track record, because devices can easily pull as much as 8 W from the machine without breaking a sweat. This is plenty for notebook drives.
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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Truckee, CA
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Sorry, but you made a bad purchase. USB2 hard drive performance on Macs is overall poor even if you use a powered hub or otherwise resolve the power issues. Mac folks are by far best off with Firewire or eSATA. If you bought it from a good vendor like OWC trade it out for a FW400/800 drive.
I use OWC's Mercury-to-go line of external FW drives that work bus or externally powered, but I do try to use the external power whenever possible. The external power brick fits in the same case with the drive and FW cable.
Find the latest Performance Upgrades, Firewire and USB Hard Drives, SATA, Memory, Laptop Battery, and more at OWC
-Allen Wicks
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