I have a MacBook Pro 9.2 (mid 2012) running Ventura 13.0.1. I have a 1gb external drive that uses usb. I want to use my Firewire 800 instead for greatly increased read/write speeds, but can't seem to find an adapter or data cable that I can use in my firewire 800 port. any ideas or will I have better luck trying to use my thunderbolt port, haven't located adapter or data cable for that either though.
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external storage
- Thread starter John Frahm
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A 2012 MacBook Pro has USB3.
That's what you should be using.
If you insist on firewire...
You could try the Apple thunderbolt2-to-firewire800 adapter (buy used if possible).
BUT BE AWARE:
If your firewire drive requires "bus power", it may or may NOT work with the adapter. Not sure whether the adapter provides bus power (as well as passing data).
That's what you should be using.
If you insist on firewire...
You could try the Apple thunderbolt2-to-firewire800 adapter (buy used if possible).
BUT BE AWARE:
If your firewire drive requires "bus power", it may or may NOT work with the adapter. Not sure whether the adapter provides bus power (as well as passing data).
My external drive uses a usb, but am looking to improve the write/red speed, fire wire has fastest then thunderbolt and finally the slowest is usb. My machine is extremely fast, logging in, opening apps, etc is almost instantaneous. Unreal for it's age, gave my newer windows 10 laptop to my daughter, I can boot them both up and be composing email before that gets to login screen, it took 21 seconds to go from pushing power button to desktop through login.
But at this point you're investing in a dead technology, I'd probably look tp go with TB and avoid firewire
What are you using the requires fast speeds?
Yea, but I still can't find either a thunderbolt to SATA cable or thunderbolt female to usb male. Right this second I don't remember if it's thunderbolt 3 or 2, just thunderbolt/USB4.
I don't necessarily have to have high speed, but it would be nice, I do maintenance/ tasks every Saturday which include backing up my system, I back up both to an external drive and a NAS on my home network. Full backup takes 19 minutes to external drive and no time at all to NAS, I do run backups in background though so doesn't really impact anything.
Okay did little research and it's Thunderbolt 2 port, installed hardware on computer just lists it as Thunderbolt/USB 4,
Bring to find data cable now, again
Bring to find data cable now, again
One more question, found this, I think it will work plus it has an hdmi port which will be useful. it calls the thunderbolt port a mini DP port but they appear to be the same.
.![Screenshot 2022-11-13 at 12.29.25 PM.png]( "Screenshot 2022-11-13 at 12.29.25 PM.png")
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I have a drive with both firewire 800 and USB3 ports. The 800 cable maxes out around 60 MB/s. The USB3 cable hits upwards of 160 MB /s on the same drive. A SSD connected through USB3 goes over 300 MB/s.
So unless your enclosure/cable is USB2, USB3 is faster than FW800.
OP:
Once again, I predict that you're on "a chase" that will lead you nowhere if you insist on sticking to firewire800 (via an adapter). You'll waste time, possibly $$$, and won't find a suitable solution.
I'll GUESS that the drive's "USB port" is only USB2 speed, NOT USB3. I have at least one (portable) drive like that.
Can the firewire800/USB2 drive enclosure be opened up?
If so, what kind of core drive is inside?
Is it an older 40-pin "ATA" drive, or a newer "SATA" drive?
If it's a SATA drive, you could take the drive and put it into a USB3 enclosure.
Or, perhaps a USB3/SATA docking station (these are very useful devices to have around).
Problem, solved.
I have yet to see a USB3 external enclosure for older "ATA" drives.
USB2, yes, but not USB3.
That doesn't mean that there aren't any.
Is this drive used only for backup purposes?
Or... archiving?
If so, the cheapest/easiest solution is to just keep using it with either firewire800 or USB2.
Slower, yes.
But it still works.
Once again, I predict that you're on "a chase" that will lead you nowhere if you insist on sticking to firewire800 (via an adapter). You'll waste time, possibly $$$, and won't find a suitable solution.
I'll GUESS that the drive's "USB port" is only USB2 speed, NOT USB3. I have at least one (portable) drive like that.
Can the firewire800/USB2 drive enclosure be opened up?
If so, what kind of core drive is inside?
Is it an older 40-pin "ATA" drive, or a newer "SATA" drive?
If it's a SATA drive, you could take the drive and put it into a USB3 enclosure.
Or, perhaps a USB3/SATA docking station (these are very useful devices to have around).
Problem, solved.
I have yet to see a USB3 external enclosure for older "ATA" drives.
USB2, yes, but not USB3.
That doesn't mean that there aren't any.
Is this drive used only for backup purposes?
Or... archiving?
If so, the cheapest/easiest solution is to just keep using it with either firewire800 or USB2.
Slower, yes.
But it still works.
I have the means to have a usb 3 installed in my macbook , I run a open core patcher for Ventura wondering how hard it will be to install drivers, etc for the usb 3 or is support already there in Ventura.this is my thunderbolt stats.
![Screenshot 2022-11-13 at 2.30.17 PM.png]( "Screenshot 2022-11-13 at 2.30.17 PM.png")
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Not really.
From the specifications it looks as if the 9,2 has:
- FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps)
- Two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps)
- Thunderbolt port (up to 10 Gbps)
I would rather take a little longer on backups then use unsupported technology. You're trading performance for risk.
How many minutes are you really saving? 2,4, 6 minutes? I'd postulate the time savings if any isn't worth the time and effort trying to implement a 20 year old technology that most of the industry has long moved off of.
In my old age, I find the the path of least resistance, and the simplests solutions work best. Getting USB based drives for your laptop will offer you great speeds, supported technology and a path forward when you decide to upgrade your 2012 laptop.
Not sure if you will gain anything by using this dongle. You still have usb 3.0 speeds either at the MBP ports or the dongle ports--really doesn't add speed data transferwise. That device is useful to connect your MBP to an external monitor or TV via the full sized display port or hdmi.
Just out of curiosity how will you install a USB-C port on your MBP? Am curious, since I also have the same vintage MBP. I have seen Thunderbolt 2 (which is on our MBPs looks like miniDP) to Thunderbolt 3 (looks identical to USB-C) adapters, but it seems to be used by customers to connect older technology to new technology. Didn't see anyone using these to increase data transfer speeds.
Will you be getting an external drive case that has USB-C ports? My collection of external drives have either USB1, USB2, or USB3 ports. Don't have any with the USB-C ports yet. The specs of your external drive ports may be a limiting factor in transfer speed.
Will you be getting an external drive case that has USB-C ports? My collection of external drives have either USB1, USB2, or USB3 ports. Don't have any with the USB-C ports yet. The specs of your external drive ports may be a limiting factor in transfer speed.
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I have an electronics specialist in my family who can remove and install, but he doesn't like the IT side of the house so I have to update firmware and drivers if required. As stated earlier I can reinstall my os through open core (currently using for my Ventura ) and it does hardware search to see what it needs to add. Not sure on all of this, in early stages of planning.
system report shows I have a USB 2, a USB 3 and a thunderbolt/USB 4 port, don't quite understand the USB 2 and 3 ports part, I have two USB ports, is it saying one is USB 2 and one is USB 3 or just both supported on both ports?
Here are the technical specs of a MacBook Pro 9.2 from the Apple website. The specs show 2 USB 3 ports. Not sure if the earlier versions of the mid 2012 MBP had one USB3 and one USB2 ports and later changed to 2 USB3 ports.
Its interesting that your system report identifies your thunderbolt port as a USB4. USB4 was introduced in 2019. Thunderbolt 4 was introduced in 2020, Thunderbolt 3 was introduced in 2015. Most likely you have a Thunderbolt 2 port.
What is the origin of the system report? It may be that Ventura is misidentifying your hardware--wonder if that is the reason that Mojave is the newest MacOS recommended for the mid 2012 MBP.
USB 3 ports are compatible with USB1, 2, and 3 cables.
Its interesting that your system report identifies your thunderbolt port as a USB4. USB4 was introduced in 2019. Thunderbolt 4 was introduced in 2020, Thunderbolt 3 was introduced in 2015. Most likely you have a Thunderbolt 2 port.
What is the origin of the system report? It may be that Ventura is misidentifying your hardware--wonder if that is the reason that Mojave is the newest MacOS recommended for the mid 2012 MBP.
USB 3 ports are compatible with USB1, 2, and 3 cables.
system settings - general - about - system report. Also mine was built in June 2014, and refurbished last year and upgraded this year by me.
@John Frahm in your OP you wrote owning a mid 2012. But now you're saying it's a June 2014 MBP? I'm confused.
I own a MacBook pro9.2 A1278 mid 2012 which was manufactured the week starting June 17th 2014 in China, last time I was inside I took pic and looking one day for motherboard model #, I noticed the optical drive was manufactured in January 2014, I was curious so I looked up serial number to find build date Which is above.
