Mac Pro :: MP 2008 Won't Recognize 2 Extra SATA Ports?
Aug 13, 2009
This is a really weird question, but here'goes: I just got my internal blu-ray burner. I hooked it up, removing the fans and all that jazz to get the SATA cable plugged in. Turned on the computer, and the drive was not recognized.
I know it has power, since I can operate it manually (but no disks inserted are recognized in System Profiler nor Toast). Oh, and in the System Profiler under Serial-ATA it does list 6 ports (though 2 with hard drives, 1 and 4-6 are empty).
I fiddled around, made sure cables were plugged in, still nothing.
Then I tried to just plug in one of my extra internal hard drives through the connectors I was using for the 2nd optical drive (power and SATA cable). It won't recognize the hard drive (doesn't seem to even know it's there).
Im considering purchasing a higher capacity internal hardrive around the 750Gb/1Tb mark. However my macbook is the early 2008 model, and it seems the majority of hardrives are SATA II, having speeds of 3Gbt, which my mother board may not be capable of (apparently only 1.5Gbt) From researching and reading some reviews of others who have purchased internal drives on Amazon UK, some have had difficulty due to this problem, but have been able to fix the issue with a firmware update reducing SATA II drive speeds to 1.5Gbt.
Questions I have: Do all SATA / SATA II internal hardrives need a firmware update if replacing on to a new computer?(If so, would I need to look for a specific firmware update for the specific drive I intend on buying? And if you're in the knowledge would you mind posting links to these updates?)What is the process of updating the firmware i.e. would I need to put firmware on external usb hardrive 1st, then upload it to macbook after installing new internal drive (if it boots up my OS that is) etc. Would a 'hybrid' (disk+solid state) drive be compatible with a macbook as old as mine?Do I need to update my operating system to OS X Lion first, or can it be done after installing the drive?
my current laptop hardware:
Macbook Pro 15.4" (Early 2008 Model) Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4Ghz ProcessorGeForce 256Mb 8600M GT Graphical Processor Intel ICH8_M AHCI 1.5 Gbt MotherboardToshiba MK1655GSXF 160Gb 2.5" Hard DriveOperating System: OS X Leopard 10.5.8
Info: MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.8), 15.4" 2.4Ghz (Early 2008 Model)
So I bought that LG HD-DVD/Blu-Ray drive for my Mac Pro. I used the extra SATA ports near the fan to install it, and it works great while using OSX, but it won't work in Windows.
I read somewhere about enabling AHCI or something like that in Windows so it can recognize the spare SATA port, and therefore recognize the Blu-Ray drive, but I cannot figure it out for the life of me.
It's awful confusing...
I want to be able to rip my Blu-Ray movies onto my computer to pop them onto the tv, but the only hurdle is having Windows recognize the drive. Any help at all would be very appreciated.
I just got my new Mac Pro and I'm trying to install some extra drives to it. I've read about the unused SATA ports on the motherboard but I can't seem to find them. I tried searching but I had no luck. Anyone know where they are and how I can access them easily?
I'm looking for a PCIe SATA controller for my Mac Pro 1,1 with both internal* and external (to connect two external drives) ports. internal SATA port needed to connect an LG BluRay drive (GGW-H20L) actually connected to the ODD SATA port (but I want to use it on Windows too and I would like to upgrade firmware without opening my Mac or using the AHCI mode).
i have a internal HD (WD CAVIAR) from an old windows computer that i decided i wanted to try to make as a EXT HD. so i got a USB to SATA connector that came with the power supply cable to the wall. so i plug in the connector in the HD then the usb into the computer then the power supply into the HD then the wall. then connector lights up and in system profiler it recognizes the usb to ATA bridge but disk utility doesnt recognize it. only once the HD showed up in disk utility but when i went to erase, a problem came up.
I have installed 4GB of extra ram to my MBP 13" (late 2010) to increase the performance of virtual machines. Though the VirtualBox doesn't recognize the 8GB of ram when i try to create a new machine for Windows XP 32-bit or Windows 7 64-bit. I haven't tried it with other operating systems. I have also reinsalled the VirtualBox but it didn't work.
Info: MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2010), Mac OS X (10.6.8)
Can i use My Old iMac as a extra monitor. My Old iMac from early 2008 has a broken graphic card nvidia 8800 gs. When I start it up I hear the bong and see the symbol spinning then the screen goes black from right to left the computer is running but I can't use it. I assume it's the graphic card. Can I use this iMac as an extra monitor to my other iMac.?
I just bought a MacBook (13.3", 2GHz, 160GB, 2GB Aluminum, Late 2008)on ebay and at first the usb ports seemed temperamental. Now they only recognize my mouse and no other hardware (camera, usb stick etc). (It is running snow leopard.)
Does the late 2008 unibody Macbook pro have Sata II or III?I have an Apple branded 256GB SSD and It isnt booting up as fast as I think it could be. I am wondering if my logic board supports sata III because I think the SSD could be Sata II.
Info: MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.3), SSD 256 GB with 8GB of RAM
I upgraded to a 60gb SSD and also have a 1tb sata for the data. My problem is getting migration assistant to recognize the sata drive so I can transfer my user files from my time machine backup. I successfuly got the system and applications to my ssd in migration assistant. I also switched my home folder over to the sata with a guide I found on google. How do I get my user files to the sata if migration assistant can't recognize the drive.(drive is listed as internal in about this mac)
I have a Mac Pro 3,1 (2008) 2 x 2.8 Quad core with ATI Radeon 2600 XT Dual DVI. I would like to replace this Card with something that has at least 1 HDMI out port that supports audio. I want to be able to use download/ iview features to watch TV shows on my HD LCD TV but sourced by the Macs browser. The Current card only has DVI ports and does not support any audio so when connected to the TV I get picture, but no sound.I see that the cards on the Apple store don't have HDMI out.
I have a 13" MacBook Pro 2011, 2.3gHz, 320GB. What connector does it have? And would SATA still work with my laptop? One more question, what are the exact dimensions of the hard disk drive bay in my laptop, the manual only says 2.5".
I'm looking for a new HD to replace the original, now failing Maxtor drive in my G5 tower (1.8 Ghz dual processor, purchased in Aug. 2004), and have just about settled on the Western Digital Caviar SE16 series. It seems there are two types -- SATA and SATA II -- and I'm not sure about how to make a decision on which particular WD model to buy.
Will either type work in my machine? Or would the SATA II have potential compatibility problems? I read somewhere in these forums that someone with a G5 had bought an SATA II drive, and it wouldn't run with his system. (He said he had to reset some jumper switches to reduce the transfer rate of the drive ??, but now I'm told elsewhere that SATA drives don't have jumper switches.
Information: 1.8 DP G5, 1.5 GB RAM w/ Superdrive Mac OS X (10.3.x)
I am now shopping for a new internal HD of MAC G5; previous HD died. I have decided on a Western Digital and was about to order one when I became alarmed by the SATA II listings. Is there a difference between SATA and SATAII that I should be concerned about the comptability? Don't want to get it and find out it doesn't work!
I accidentally trashed two of my icons on my icon bar I didn't put them in the trash but when I clicked them they turned into wads of trash. I don't know how to find them now?
Is there really a "Late 2008" model? If so, what is the difference.I ask because I recently got a MacPro and according to Apple's hardware test, it is an Early 2008.
So I got Office 2011; it's pretty good stuff. Unlike Windows based systems, it did not remove Office 2008 which is different. I am wondering if there is any reason that I should or should not remove 2008 since I have 2011 (exact same programs).
I bought a PCIe eSATA card for my Mac Pro and have installed it, and the system sees it and I'm able to install drivers, but disks aren't showing up when i plug them in.
There is a 4pin power connector on the board as well, but I think that's just so it can power external devices via the 2 power plugs it has on the back.
Are there extra 4pin power cables inside the tower, or a place for me to plug some more in?
I have over 250 films on an external hard drive, and I was wondering whether I could get an extra column on finder so I can put what actor is in the film or what year was?
We just got an extra gig of ram, I put it in the iMac, but it sticks out like 1-2 mm more than the stick already in there. Is that a problem? Or is it just different to the one already in there.
I'm running a Dual 2.5 Ghz Power PC G5 with OS X 10.4.9.
This morning I tried to install a second internal hard drive, that will not be a startup disk. Its going to be used as a scratch disk for video and photo work. The drive is: WD Caviar Black SATA.
After installing the drive into the lower drive bay, I turned the computer back on and it said it couldn't recognize it. I clicked "intialize..." And now I'm in disk utility not really sure what to do. I have the DVD for OS 10.5.6. Apparently I need to format the disk? I don't really know what that entails. I'm not really prepared to update my startup disks OS. Can I still format the secondary drive with the newer software? How does one "format" a disk anyway?
