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a-m-k

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 3, 2009
1,448
111
I can't find a site with directions to do so, help is appreciated and thank you in advance.
 

a-m-k

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 3, 2009
1,448
111
Do you mean just formating the harddrive so it works for Mac?
I need the software for it to work. I went to the Western Digital website and there was no mention of software for Mojave.
 

wubsylol

macrumors 6502
Nov 6, 2014
381
391
What do you need the software for? An external hard drive just needs to be plugged in.
 

a-m-k

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 3, 2009
1,448
111
Well, yesterday, I was trying to see if I could back up without any additional work. It didn't work. So, I erased it and started over again, it would get so far then just stop. I really can't describe anything else.
 

wubsylol

macrumors 6502
Nov 6, 2014
381
391
When you plug it in can you browse to it in Finder? There is no other software required to use the drive, but perhaps something else is going wrong.
 

Chundles

macrumors G5
Jul 4, 2005
12,037
493
You don’t need software. You just need to reformat it. It’s probably in NTFS format so you can’t write to it from the Mac.

Use Disk Utility to reformat as HFS+ if you’re only going to use it with your Mac or as a Time Machine backup drive.

If you’re going to be transferring files between Macs and PCs use xfat.
 

a-m-k

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 3, 2009
1,448
111
When you plug it in can you browse to it in Finder? There is no other software required to use the drive, but perhaps something else is going wrong.
This:
Screen Shot 2018-09-26 at 11.45.05 AM.png


Thank you for the advice Chundles.
 

a-m-k

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 3, 2009
1,448
111
I tried it again and got so far then it just stopped....
[doublepost=1537984450][/doublepost]Is it possible someone could walk me through reformatting? Thank you.
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,171
15,685
California
Is it possible someone could walk me through reformatting?
First... don't install any software from WD. You don't need it.

Attach the drive and launch Disk Utility. Then select this checkbox option I have shown.

Screen Shot 2018-09-27 at 10.49.56 AM.png

Now select the drive itself on the left side. Mine says asmedia... your will be WD something or other. Make sure you pick the drive just like in my screenshot and not any of the partitions below it.

Now click the erase button and set it up like my screenshot. Put whatever you want for name then click erase. This will give you a freshly formatted drive suitable for Time Machine backups.

Screen Shot 2018-09-27 at 10.50.24 AM.png
 

a-m-k

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 3, 2009
1,448
111
First... don't install any software from WD. You don't need it.

Attach the drive and launch Disk Utility. Then select this checkbox option I have shown.

View attachment 789677

Now select the drive itself on the left side. Mine says asmedia... your will be WD something or other. Make sure you pick the drive just like in my screenshot and not any of the partitions below it.

Now click the erase button and set it up like my screenshot. Put whatever you want for name then click erase. This will give you a freshly formatted drive suitable for Time Machine backups.

View attachment 789678
Thank you. Though, I have a feeling my external hard drive kicked the bucket. I will try your advice first... tomorrow.... and reply back. Though, since there is a small chance my external hard drive died, can you all reply back with suggestions of new external hard drives. Thank you.
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,171
15,685
California
Pretty much all the drive companies have been bought up by either WD or Seagate, and for a backup drive like this, they are all pretty much the same. Just decide if you want a desktop 3.5" or a portable 2.5" drive, then grab whichever USB3 drive you can find on sale in the size you want.
 

colourfastt

macrumors 65816
Apr 7, 2009
1,047
964
I have a WD My Home connected to my system and I couldn't see the volume through the entire Mojave beta trials and even after the official release. For some reason when I logged in this morning my WD volume is there to be used; I'm guessing that WD FINALLY pushed an update.

FYI .. some WD hardware requires WD drivers.
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,171
15,685
California
I have a WD My Home connected to my system and I couldn't see the volume through the entire Mojave beta trials and even after the official release. For some reason when I logged in this morning my WD volume is there to be used; I'm guessing that WD FINALLY pushed an update.

FYI .. some WD hardware requires WD drivers.
That is a networked drive though isn't it? I'm talking about directly attached USB drives.
 

colourfastt

macrumors 65816
Apr 7, 2009
1,047
964
That is a networked drive though isn't it? I'm talking about directly attached USB drives.

I haven't been able to get any of my directly attached externals to work since "upgrading" to HS (except for thumb drives). HS pretty much hosed my external drives (and my backups with them).
 

Fishrrman

macrumors Penryn
Feb 20, 2009
28,442
12,555
There's probably nothing wrong with the OP's hard drive, other than that she still has the proprietary WD software on it... and that software is not (yet) compatible with Mojave...
 

a-m-k

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 3, 2009
1,448
111
There's probably nothing wrong with the OP's hard drive, other than that she still has the proprietary WD software on it... and that software is not (yet) compatible with Mojave...
How do I find out if the software is compatible with Mojave?
 

Fishrrman

macrumors Penryn
Feb 20, 2009
28,442
12,555
"How do I find out if the software is compatible with Mojave?"

Ask Western Digital?

What I would try:
1. Go to the WD site.
2. I believe that somewhere there they have a utility that will remove any factory-installed software from the drive.
3. Download that software, remove the WD proprietary software, then
4. Erase the drive and start over.
5. I would use Mac OS extended with journaling enabled on an external platter-based drive.
I WOULD NOT format it to APFS.
 

a-m-k

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 3, 2009
1,448
111
"How do I find out if the software is compatible with Mojave?"

Ask Western Digital?

What I would try:
1. Go to the WD site.
2. I believe that somewhere there they have a utility that will remove any factory-installed software from the drive.
3. Download that software, remove the WD proprietary software, then
4. Erase the drive and start over.
5. I would use Mac OS extended with journaling enabled on an external platter-based drive.
I WOULD NOT format it to APFS.
I'll try this when I can. Thank you.
 

old-wiz

macrumors G3
Mar 26, 2008
8,331
228
West Suburban Boston Ma
I have at least a dozen backup USB drives with capacity up to 2 TB, I rotate them to backup 5 different Macs. I have never used the mfgr software - just plug it in and wipe it with disk utility. often they come formatted NTFS ("mac" versions cost more for same drive but Mac format). I haven't had any problems with them - I use superduper to just do bootable image backups as I don't need the Time Machine style updates. the latest disk utility made it harder to set it up, but not a big deal. Once setup and split into several logical volumes, they have worked perfectly.
 

a-m-k

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 3, 2009
1,448
111
I finally got done backing up my mid-2012 MBP. I don't know if it was because I didn't do a back up the entire time I was in BETA mode or not.... I had trouble with the WD operator and that added to the delay. (I couldn't understand him because of the accent....
 

dragoncita83

macrumors newbie
Oct 23, 2018
1
0
First... don't install any software from WD. You don't need it.

Attach the drive and launch Disk Utility. Then select this checkbox option I have shown.

View attachment 789677

Now select the drive itself on the left side. Mine says asmedia... your will be WD something or other. Make sure you pick the drive just like in my screenshot and not any of the partitions below it.

Now click the erase button and set it up like my screenshot. Put whatever you want for name then click erase. This will give you a freshly formatted drive suitable for Time Machine backups.

View attachment 789678

Is there a way to do this without erasing everything and starting over?
 
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