FreeAgent Products

[Paul1]

I am using Mac OS 10.4.11.  When I tried to copy files to the external hard drive, I got a message saying it cannot be modified, so I tried following the online user guide for Mac, but I don't seem to have MacInstall: all I have is System Volume Information and Warranty and Customer Support.pdf.  So I downloaded the other programs, and when I double clicked on MacInstall, nothing happened.  I'm stuck.

[chris]

The EXACT same thing has happened to me. an answer would be great.

[Paul1]

I called the 800 number and solved the problem.  You have to "partition the hard drive."   Click "GO" in the menu bar, then "Utilities", then double click on "Disk Utility", select the "Seagate" icon at the left (it doesn't matter which one), select "erase" top right, and under "Volume Format", select "Mac OS Extended."  You can name the disk if you want.  Then click "Erase."  I'm no techie, but I'm guessing this sets up the hard drive to be used with OS X.

Not sure what this did, but I am now enjoying my hard drive with no more problems.  Strange that this procedure resembled nothing I found hunting around on the support website....

[kadi]

Hi Paul
You saved a me a hell of a lot work. It would help us idiots if there were at least some kind of basic set up instructions with the package to overcome this problem. It obviously happens a lot

Thanks
Kadi

[Miko]

Please know this-the action of creating a partition with the Mac Disk Utility WILL solve the problem re: the error message "...cannot be modified" with OS 10.4.11. HOWEVER, creating a partition will ERASE any EXISTING information you may ALREADY have saved on the disk during previous use backing up PC (Windows-based) platform computers.

When I clicked "Partition", all ready to create a 50GB volume on this drive dedicated to my Mac, the Disk Utility immediately popped up a dialogue that informed me "All existing volume will be erased."

If there is anyway around this, I'd like to know. But as far as I can tell, if you want to use your Seagate FreeAgent drive with both Mac and PC, the information on the drive is only good until you switch platforms. Once you do, you have to erase and start from scratch.

Now maybe, once you create the Mac partition, you will be able to use the rest of the drive with a PC and not have to erase each time. Maybe the volumes CAN co-exist. But for me, I already have PC info on here, so I have to "dump" this somewhere else before I use Disk Utility.

If you have experience in this, let me know.

[Hannibal]

Most external drives come formatted with Microsoft's NTFS file system. The Mac OS can read from NTFS but not write to it.This is why we get the message stating that the volume cannot be modified when trying to write to it. If the drive will be used exclusively with the Mac, then simply erase/format to Mac OS Extended in the Disk Utility. - However if you want to use it with both Macs and Windows-based systems, then the easiest thing to do is install the NTFS-3G driver which enables the Mac to both read AND write to/from NTFS partitions.

http://www.ntfs-3g.org/index.html#download

If you prefer to maintain both NTFS and HFS+ partitions on the same drive, you can use the following method to format the drive. It requires the use of  PC running Windows as well as a Macintosh.

http://www.daniweb.com/forums/thread40892.html

-Hannibal

[Miko]

Well well well... YOU sure sound like you know what the HELL you're talking about!!!! Thank God somebody out there does! (I'm just being fecetious.)

What I really mean is, thanks, that's GREAT info. I believe I will explore option one and check out the Mac driver that facilitates OS X reading from an NT file system. And where do I get such a driver? Oh wait .. the link has been so generously provided ...

Niiiiicey Niiiiiice !

If in some case this proves bothersome, I do have PC running Win2k, so I can also try option 2.

Over and out.

Miko

[spicelatin]

Hello Paul If I follow your directions and finally click erase will I lose all the files I already have on my drive?

I don't know why it stopped allowing me to export files.

The only thing that has changed on my system is I upgraded to Snow Leoperd from Tiger.

[spicelatin]

It worked! I took a chance and clicked erase! Thanks Paul for the information even though when I looked you posted this information back in 2007..wow

[Brynn]

Yay!  This worked for me too, and I'm Mac illiterate... I 'trusted' you all and now I can use it.  Problem is... now I have no idea how to password protect anything on my external hard drive.  I want to store all my music/pictures and private documents on it lest I have a long overdue crash on this Mac.... it's old and acting up.  Also, anyone know the best way to get my iphotos and itunes librarys to store in a cohesive manner??  (Nervous.)