# External Maxtor + My Mac = No?



## dead-switch (Aug 11, 2006)

Hey folks; I'm new to this forum, but it seems like a nice place to get things fixed (sure better than English-challenged tech-support).

Perhaps this is just me being a moron, but nevertheless, my problem is thus:

I have a brand-new Maxtor 300 GB OneTouch III external hard drive. I intend to use this hard drive to create a comprehensive backup of everything on my Mac (used for work). We're looking for a carbon-copy of my Mac hard drive.

Following Maxtor's instructions, I installed the software, plugged in the drive, and switched it on. OSX Tiger recognized it, but naturally it was by default formatted for Windows, which wasn't gonna get me anywhere, so I opened the disk utility and erased it, choosing the option for reformatting for Mac OSX Journaled (which allows me to create a bootable disk, I believe). That worked fine.

Moving into the present, I hit the OneTouch button, and it brings up the backup software provided with the drive. I ask it to perform an immediate backup, just to make sure things work, and attempt to follow all instructions. I save the Backup Set on the blank hard drive itself, freshly erased, set all other options, and hit "Backup."

It does a scan of all files and folders, which takes a dandy long time, and finally appears to search for media upon which to place the backup, which I had previously specified as the external hard drive. After a few seconds, it cheerfully explains to me that it was unable to find any suitable media, and asks me to choose a destination for the backup. The external hard drive shows up in the list, but whenever I attempt to allow the program to erase and rename it, the program refuses to do so, claiming that the drive is "busy."

I have checked the option in the preferences to allow me to use USB/Firewire storage devices as backup locations, so that couldn't be the problem, but I'm stumped, and this needs to start working as soon as possible.

Again, perhaps this is a perfectly simple problem, with a similarly simple solution; I tend to think too much.

Anyway, thanks for the help (sorry about the long message; I tried to be as specific as possible), and I hope we can get this thing sorted out. I'd be happy to provide more information as it is requested.

-- MLG


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## sinclair_tm (Mar 11, 2005)

now that the drive is formatted, have you turned it, and the mac off and back on and tryed it again?


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## dead-switch (Aug 11, 2006)

Well...it almost surprises me that you'd ask, because...I didn't think of that 

I should have though; man if that's been the problem all along I'm going to...nevermind. Should've occurred to me I suppose. I'll try it and let you know.


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## sinclair_tm (Mar 11, 2005)

sometimes its the simplest things that are the answer, and they are always the things that excape us. :wink:


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## dead-switch (Aug 11, 2006)

Indeed, that was the answer. Alas, you're right; all I had to do was give the thing a fresh start. Macs need to rest, too!

Thanks; works great.


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