I am attempting to install a new HDD onto a MAC that has a HDD that is getting ready to go out. I am not familiar with MAC machines at all. The issue i am having is this, every time we try to format the new HDD it errors out stating that the formatter is not working correctly, after that the HDD is no longer visible in the Disk Utility.
Any Ideas, the HDD is a Western Digital Caviar Blue HDD 640Gb the model # is WD6400AAKS. I checked WD's website and it shows that the drive is compatible.
Thanks in advance for your help.
-E-
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Ok the process is as follows , i start the MAC off of the OS disk, once the installer comes up i am attempting to use the disk utility like socratesphilo stated, i make it past the erase, HDD but then it fails the formating of it, i kept it on MAC OS Extended (Journaled) and typed in the name i wanted and it fails with the same error. See Attached logs.
Here are the MAC SPECS,
Hardware Overview:
Model Name: Power Mac G5
Model Identifier: PowerMac7,3
Processor Name: PowerPC G5 (3.0)
Processor Speed: 2.5 GHz
Number Of CPUs: 2
L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB
Memory: 1 GB
Bus Speed: 1.25 GHz
Boot ROM Version: 5.1.8f7
Serial Number (system): G84352KBQPP
Hardware UUID: 00000000-0000-1000-8000-00
----
Maxtor 6Y160M0:
Capacity: 152.67 GB
Model: Maxtor 6Y160M0
Revision: YAR51HW0
Serial Number: Y45E504E
Removable Media: No
Detachable Drive: No
BSD Name: disk1
Protocol: ata
Unit Number: 0
Socket Type: Serial-ATA
Bay Name: "A (upper)"
Mac OS 9 Drivers: No
Partition Map Type: APM (Apple Partition Map)
S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified
Volumes:
Mac160_HD:
Capacity: 152.55 GB
Available: 59.53 GB
Writable: Yes
File System: Journaled HFS+
BSD Name: disk1s3
Mount Point: /Volumes/Mac160_HD
----
WDC WD2000JD-60KLB0:
Capacity: 186.31 GB
Model: WDC WD2000JD-60KLB0
Revision: 08.05J08
Serial Number: WD-WCAMT1113097
Removable Media: No
Detachable Drive: No
BSD Name: disk0
Protocol: ata
Unit Number: 0
Socket Type: Serial-ATA
Bay Name: "B (lower)"
Mac OS 9 Drivers: No
Partition Map Type: APM (Apple Partition Map)
S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified
Volumes:
WorkFiles-200GB:
Capacity: 186.19 GB
Available: 39.9 GB
Writable: Yes
File System: Journaled HFS+
BSD Name: disk0s3
Mount Point: /
The HDD i am installing is internal. WD6400AAKS
Physical Specifications:
Model Number WD6400AAKS
Formatted Capacity 1 640,135 MB
Used Sectors Per Drive 1,250,263,728
Interface 300 MB/s Serial ATA 2.0 (backwards compatible with Serial ATA 1.0)
Bytes Per Sector 512
Dedicated Landing Zone Yes
Actuator Latch/Auto Park Yes
--------------------------
Performance Specifications:
Data Transfer Rate (maximum)
- Buffer to Host
- Buffer to Disk
300 MB/s max2
972 Mbits/s max
Average Read Seek 8.9 ms (average)
Track-to-track Seek3 2.0 ms (average)
Full Stroke Read Seek3 21 ms (average)
Average Latency 5.5 ms
Rotational Speed 7200 RPM
Read Cache Adaptive
Write Cache Yes
Buffer 16 MB
Drive Ready Time 7.0 sec average
Start/Stop Cycles 600,000 min
Error Rate
(non-recoverable) <1 in 1014 bits read
LBA support Yes
Here are the logs from the Disk Utility:
**********
2009-11-02 07:53:53 -0600: Disk Utility started.
2009-11-02 07:57:27 -0600: Preparing to erase : MAC_HD640
2009-11-02 07:57:27 -0600: Partition Scheme: Apple Partition Map
2009-11-02 07:57:27 -0600: 1 volume will be created
2009-11-02 07:57:27 -0600: Name : MAC_HD640
2009-11-02 07:57:27 -0600: Size : 596.2 GB
2009-11-02 07:57:27 -0600: Filesystem : Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
2009-11-02 07:57:27 -0600: Creating partition map.
2009-11-02 07:57:29 -0600: Formatting disk3s3 as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with name MAC_HD640.
2009-11-02 08:00:22 -0600: Disk Erase failed with the error:
File system formatter failed.
2009-11-02 08:00:23 -0600: Erase complete.
2009-11-02 08:00:23 -0600:
2009-11-02 08:00:23 -0600: Disk Utility failed during an unspecified action with the error:
File system formatter failed.
2009-11-02 08:00:23 -0600: Erase complete.
2009-11-02 08:00:23 -0600:
2009-11-02 08:00:23 -0600: Erase complete.
2009-11-02 08:00:23 -0600:
2009-11-02 08:06:41 -0600: Name : disk3
Type : Volume
Disk Identifier : disk3
Mount Point : Not mounted
Writable : No
Capacity : 0 Bytes
Used : 0 Bytes
Number of Files : 0
Number of Folders : 0
Owners Enabled : No
Can Turn Owners Off : No
Can Be Formatted : No
Bootable : No
Supports Journaling : No
Journaled : No
Disk Number : 3
Partition Number : 1
2009-11-02 08:06:41 -0600:
**********
2009-11-02 08:43:47 -0600: Disk Utility started.
2009-11-02 08:45:28 -0600: Verifying volume disk3s3
Starting verification tool: 2009-11-02 08:45:28 -0600
2009-11-02 08:45:41 -0600: Error: Filesystem verify or repair failed.2009-11-02 08:45:41 -0600:
2009-11-02 08:45:41 -0600: Disk Utility stopped verifying disk3s3 because the following error was encountered:
Filesystem verify or repair failed.
2009-11-02 08:45:41 -0600:
2009-11-02 08:49:52 -0600: Mount of disk3s3 failed
2009-11-02 08:50:14 -0600: Verifying volume disk3s3
Starting verification tool: 2009-11-02 08:50:14 -0600
2009-11-02 08:50:32 -0600: Error: Filesystem verify or repair failed.2009-11-02 08:50:32 -0600:
2009-11-02 08:50:32 -0600: Disk Utility stopped verifying disk3s3 because the following error was encountered:
Filesystem verify or repair failed.
2009-11-02 08:50:32 -0600:
2009-11-02 08:51:12 -0600: Preparing to zero disk : MAC_HD640
2009-11-02 08:51:12 -0600: Passes : 0
2009-11-02 08:53:35 -0600: Secure Erase skipped after calculating&.
0.0% complete.
2009-11-02 08:53:35 -0600: Preparing to erase : MAC_HD640
2009-11-02 08:53:35 -0600: Partition Scheme: Apple Partition Map
2009-11-02 08:53:35 -0600: 1 volume will be erased
2009-11-02 08:53:35 -0600: Name : MAC_HD640
2009-11-02 08:53:35 -0600: Size : 596.0 GB
2009-11-02 08:53:35 -0600: Filesystem : Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
2009-11-02 08:53:37 -0600: Error with volume erase No such file or directory
2009-11-02 08:53:37 -0600: Erase complete.
2009-11-02 08:53:37 -0600:
**********
2009-11-02 10:07:42 -0600: Disk Utility started.
2009-11-02 10:11:15 -0600: Mount of disk1s3 failed
2009-11-02 10:11:29 -0600: Verify and Repair volume disk1s3
Starting repair tool: 2009-11-02 10:11:29 -0600
2009-11-02 10:11:55 -0600: Error: Filesystem verify or repair failed.2009-11-02 10:11:55 -0600:
2009-11-02 10:11:55 -0600: Disk Utility stopped repairing disk1s3 because the following error was encountered:
Filesystem verify or repair failed.
2009-11-02 10:11:55 -0600:
2009-11-02 10:12:43 -0600: Name : WDC WD6400AAKS-00A7B2
Type : Disk
Partition Map Scheme : Apple Partition Map
Disk Identifier : disk1
Media Name : WDC WD6400AAKS-00A7B2 WDC WD6400AAKS-00A7B2
Media Type : Generic
Connection Bus : Serial ATA
Connection ID : Device 0, "A (upper)"
Device Tree : first-boot/@0:0
Bay : "A (upper)"
Writable : Yes
Ejectable : No
Mac OS 9 Drivers Installed : No
Location : Internal
Total Capacity : 596.2 GB (640,135,028,736 Bytes)
S.M.A.R.T. Status : Verified
Disk Number : 1
Partition Number : 0
2009-11-02 10:12:43 -0600:
2009-11-02 10:15:20 -0600: Preparing to partition disk: WDC WD6400AAKS-00A7B2
2009-11-02 10:15:20 -0600: Partition Scheme: Apple Partition Map
2009-11-02 10:15:20 -0600: 1 volume will be created
2009-11-02 10:15:20 -0600:
2009-11-02 10:15:20 -0600: Partition 1
2009-11-02 10:15:20 -0600: Name : MAC_HD640
2009-11-02 10:15:20 -0600: Size : 596.2 GB
2009-11-02 10:15:20 -0600: Filesystem : Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
2009-11-02 10:15:20 -0600:
2009-11-02 10:15:20 -0600: Creating partition map.
2009-11-02 10:15:35 -0600: Formatting disk1s3 as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with name MAC_HD640.
2009-11-02 10:18:28 -0600: Partition failed for disk (null) File system formatter failed.
2009-11-02 10:18:28 -0600: Partition failed for disk (null) File system formatter failed.
2009-11-02 10:18:28 -0600: Partition complete.
2009-11-02 10:18:28 -0600:
I am going to suggest that it is not the HDD with issues but rather the sata drive controllers or the motherboard. As a test, please try formatting the hdd in another Mac or Windows computer.
For that matter, get yourself a sata to usb adapter and test formatting this way to rule out this possibility.
By the way, when you are partitioning it, make sure you partition it as "Apple Partition Map", not GUID. That might be your problem. See:
http://discussions.app
Thanks for all the help guys,
Socratesphilo - I already tried using the partition rather than the erase tab, same thing formatter failed error.
nappy-d - I did try to connect it via the USB adapter to both a windows machine and the MAC and it was not recognized. On the Mac on boot up it see's the drive, but then after the format fails, it disapears and is not visible again until the MAC is rebooted.
Strung - I did try this already as well, made sure it was APR - See Disk utility log a couple posts above.
Anything else?
thanks again for your help.
-E-
I actually read through that forum post yesterday, and no luck.
http://discussions.apple.c
Did you try fdisk on the Windows machine to see if it was physically recognizable? The reason is because if it fails formatting on another platform, the partition table would not allow it to be seen by Windows but fdisk will see it and allow formatting.
This could also be an issue with the version of the disk utility app you are using.
What is the OS version that is currently on your Mac?
I was getting ready to try fdisk on my windows machine right now. T
he MAC is running MAC OS X, as to what name that is Leopard i am not sure, as the flavors of MAC remind me like those of Linux, lol.
Either way I just used my USB adapter to attach it on my windows machine and it doesn't see it at all. unless i am doing something wrong and need to run an fdisk command in the cmd prompt.
Yes you should try fdsik from the command line:
try this disk /mbr
then do fdisk
then from the menu view the disks
then back to the main menu and switch to the disk that is your new 560GB disk
format the disk
if all is good try it on the Mac again
if that fails, as strung pointed out, it may be a bad drive.
Here go and download this Windows boot disk and boot from it and run fdisk. BE CAREFULL NOT TO SELECT YOUR GOOD HDD!
Select one of the Win98 boot disks
http://www.bootdisk.c
i had a similar problem with a 2GHz G5 machine... though with Seagate drives. turns out i had to throttle back the drive settings via jumpers. (which i thought i'd never have to revisit again with SATA)
jumper diagram for your drive is here:
http://wdc.custhelp.com/cg
you might try SSC and 1.5 separately as well as together to see if it helps.
as a fallback, if you've got to have more space and nothing else will work, consider adding an internal controller from sonnet or someone similar.
It may not be a bad hard disk after-all. Read this;
http://www.rustyrazorblade
It seems that WD have some issues with MAC's and there larger drives.
Have you at all, it's annoying, but have you tried to partition into two smaller partitions.
Give that a go and let me know.
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by: socratesphiloPosted on 2009-11-03 at 07:17:13ID: 25729724
I would check to make sure the SATA cables are connected firmly.
I'm not sure exactly what process you're using to wipe the drive, but here's what I'd do:
After checking the cables, boot from a Mac OS installer CD/DVD.
Once the installer comes up, select english, and click continue. Then go to "Utilities" at the top of your screen, and choose "disk utility."
When disk utility pops up, select the WD hard drive on the left hand side by clicking once on it.
Then go to the "erase" tab on the right hand side. Make sure you are formatting as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and type in a name, then click "erase."
If it fails at erasing the drive, it's possible you have a bad drive.
However, if you get past that, you can then close out of disk utility and continue the normal OS install process.
NOTE: You can also use disk utility on your other mac hard drive if you'd like, but if disk utility is corrupt my steps mentioned would rule that out.