Problems reported mounting USB 3.0 external drives on new MacBooks
Summary: Based on a rash of recent posts in Mac discussion boards, something appears to be up with connecting external USB 3.0 drives (or cables) and the new MacBook Air (mid-2012) and MacBook Pro with Retina Display.
According to a number of recent posts in Apple's Support Communities and on external Mac discussion boards, some users of the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display and MacBook Air models are having trouble mounting external USB 3.0 drives (or at least they are said to be USB 3.0 by their manufacturers). The drives, from a number of vendors, could be mounted on earlier MacBook Pros, the readers said.
User Micky350 wrote about his/her experience at the Apple Store Genius Bar:
Okay so update: I went to the Apple Store and he tried it on a couple of Retina models and it wouldn't work either. He seems to think it is the cable and the driver from the hard drives thinks it is still a USB 2.0 like the older models and the MBPR are trying to read it as [USB]3.0. He sent the info onto engineering (as he was doing this he came across a USB 3.0 trouble shooting guide because apparently they are aware there are issues and are getting on top of it) but basically said it will come down to 3 options: an update from Apple, an update from each manufacturer, or worst case they just won't be compatible and people that have these HDD with problems will have to buy ones that are known to be compatible.
Some readers reported issues with USB 3.0-enabled MacBook Airs and others apparently didn't.
One reader said that he was able to mount an external HDD on his MacBook Pro (Retina) with a micro-USB cable. I can't verify that.
Let me know if this is an issue for you.
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.
Talkback
Problems with Retina display
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4034848?start=0&tstart=0
Problems with Overheating
http://forums.androidcentral.com/t-galaxy-s-iii/182667-anybody-had-heating-problem-att-gs3.html
So, the best solution for a problem with a Mac device, is to attack a
Why couldn't you address the problem at hand. Your pointing of fingers at problems that others might have, is no solution at all. If you had a Mac with the problem mentioned, would you have solved the problem by talking about the Samsung problem? Would you not expect the problem to be addressed by Apple?
If you bought a Chevy, and it had problems with the stereo, would the solution be to point fingers at Ford's problem with tires blowing up all the time?
Try to use your head, instead of just being dismissive and in denial.
How naive and childish.
Wait...
Right!
Perhaps that's the point Markbyrn was trying to make, but it just came across as petty.
no problems...
This is to funny...
So when the new the macbooks was announced and Apple made a joke of how stupid the PC laptops where with both USB2 and USB3 ports, I first thought that Apple had probably solved the problem that we in the windows world are experiencing.
Now, who looks silly? PC laptops with to many different ports, where at least the USB2 ones always work. Or the brand new expensive MacBook where the devices just doesn't work? :-)
I am sure that this problem will be fixed given time and new firmware/drivers. but Apple should not be so fast at pointing fingers until they are 100% sure that their stuff works.
You may be missing the point here.
It *ISN'T* an advantage to have ports that top-out at USB-2; even if that's a work-around to the problem, the correct solution is still to fix the underlying problem and not to stop at the work-around.
I think you're also missing part of the point
Apple being silly
I have had a number of cases, when USB 3.0 devices would not work, even when connected to USB 2.0 computer (non-Apple :)). The usual reason was the cable and perhaps the device's controller, because if I used USB 3.0 cable the device would always think it has to negotiate USB 3.0.
So, we know for a long time, that there are broken USB 3.0 devices. Or let's say, not very compatible USB 3.0 devices.
Is Apple to blame for this? I don't think so. I would only blame Apple, if they sold me an Retina MacBook Pro *and* and USB 3.0 device and those didn't work well together.
EXACTLY!
This is partly why I haven't upgraded my FW800 drives, and the only new drive I've added recently has been Thunderbolt.
usb3 problems!
You are plugging it in wrong
Yeah, it is impossible that this is Apple's fault.
Does not surprise me
Short memory
A history lesson doesn't solve the problem at hand.
A real point
The problem at hand is solved by having those devices that are incompatible with USB 3.0 but claiming to support it, either:
- fixed (unlikely to happen, as they usually come from non-name makers);
- banned from market;
- users informed that USB 3.0 is still not very reliable technology, because there exist a lot of incompatible devices.
Where is it Apple's fault? Apple in fact waited for over a year before producing an USB 3.0 capable Mac, thus reducing it's users exposure to early and unstable technology.
Flawed Memory
BTW, I had an old Apple many years ago. It had a FireWire HDD and yes, they had similar problems. It was how I found out that Apple doesn't have a Blue Screen of Death - theirs is black.
Congrats
Apple fail