Seagate Freeagent 1TB Backup Storage

[john odonnell]

I have a Seagate Freeagent 1TB Backup Storage drive that I have been using with my iMac 27" desktop. I started with OSX 9 and have upgraded in stages, latest being El Capitan. All along I have presumed that my Freeagent drive was sort of a huge thumb drive, and used it like one. There was an icon on my desktop right next to the HD icon, and whenever I wanted to back up something, I would simply drag a copy into the Freeagent icon. Whenever I opened up the Freeagent icon, sure enough.... all of the stuff I had dragged in there was there.

My iMac 27" just died. Gray screen of death, which will not open up to anything else regardless of what I do or try.....

I expect that I'll be getting a new iMac, but in the interim I am using a couple of older ones, one an iMac SE which is probably 20-some years old, and this one, an IMac G5 which is perhaps 10 years old. Both of these old computers have OSX 10.4.11.

My Problem - I have hooked up my Freeagent backup drive to each of these expecting to find an icon on the computer desktop, which when opened would contain my backed up information. But I get nothing. No icon. It is as if nothing is hooked up at all. I have had the Freeagent drive for awhile and I can't seem to locate any manuals (or software discs?) that came with it.

????? Any ideas on what I need to do to be able to access my backed up data? And to use the Freeagent drive with these other computers? And with my new one if and when I get it?

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

does the freeagent show up in Disc Utility?

 

[john odonnell]

No, it doesn't show up anywhere. No icon, no indication that it's even connected.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

-Which exact model of Seagate FreeAgent drive - Go, Flex, etc?
-Does the Seagate drive make a clicking sound when it is powered up?
-When the iMac "died", was it due to a power outage? Was the FreeAgent drive ever disconnected without being unmounted properly?
-Do you have access to another newer Mac that you could try connecting it to?

C

 

[john odonnell]

Hello and welcome.

-Which exact model of Seagate FreeAgent drive - Go, Flex, etc?
-Does the Seagate drive make a clicking sound when it is powered up?
-When the iMac "died", was it due to a power outage? Was the FreeAgent drive ever disconnected without being unmounted properly?
-Do you have access to another newer Mac that you could try connecting it to?

C

Thanks for your reply, Cory. My Seagate FreeAgent Drive doesn't have any model or name on it beyond the SN and PN on the bottom side of the base. The PN is 9JJ3A4-500.

The drive makes no sound when I plug it in; I know that it's on because a light comes on at the bottom of the housing and the the Seagate logo.

My iMac didn't die because of a power outage; it simply fails to boot up and display my desktop when turned on. When I turn it on I get a gray screen, then the apple with a bite out of it, then a bar across the bottom begins to fill up moving from left to right.....But that's it, nothing more.

I don't have a newer model iMac. I'm doing this on my older G5 model. I'll be getting a new iMac 27" in the next few days; probably ordering a refurbished one from the Apple web site. That being the case, my main concern with respect to my FreeAgent drive is whether it will work with the new machine both to transfer my stored backed up files and material, and to use as a storage backup drive on the new machine. As I mentioned, I don't seem to have my user manual or any CD which might have a driver or other information if there is any that needs to be loaded in whatever host computer the FreeAgent Drive is used with.

 

[Cory Cooper]

No worries...thanks for the additional info.

From what I can tell, that part number is a Seagate FreeAgent Desk external drive. I would assume that it will work with the new iMac, unless there is an actual hardware issue with the drive. It's tough to verify that if it isn't seen by Disk Utility, and you don't have access to any third-party diagnostic utilities such as DiskWarrior, Drive Genius, or TechTool Pro.

There shouldn't be any driver needed for use with a Mac.

C

 

[john odonnell]

No worries...thanks for the additional info.

From what I can tell, that part number is a Seagate FreeAgent Desk external drive. I would assume that it will work with the new iMac, unless there is an actual hardware issue with the drive. It's tough to verify that if it isn't seen by Disk Utility, and you don't have access to any third-party diagnostic utilities such as DiskWarrior, Drive Genius, or TechTool Pro.

There shouldn't be any driver needed for use with a Mac.

C

No worries...thanks for the additional info.

From what I can tell, that part number is a Seagate FreeAgent Desk external drive. I would assume that it will work with the new iMac, unless there is an actual hardware issue with the drive. It's tough to verify that if it isn't seen by Disk Utility, and you don't have access to any third-party diagnostic utilities such as DiskWarrior, Drive Genius, or TechTool Pro.

There shouldn't be any driver needed for use with a Mac.

C

Thanks, Cory.

It's good to know that I shouldn't need anything to make the FreeAgent work with a new computer.

I do have TechTool Pro, Version 4.0.3. I earlier tried using it with the defunct computer, trying to start from it by holding down the C key while restarting. I got the same non-results. I have just installed on my G5. It installed and loaded up fine, but it does nothing to cause the G5 to recognize the FreeAgent.

 

[honestone]

Have you tried another port on the external case? Also, is the cable OK?

What OS are you running on the G5? It's not a good idea to try and use an old version of TechTool Pro, given that you are using El Capitan. I have TechTool Pro, and I am using version 9.0.1, with El Capitan. (I am actually waiting for Micromat to release an upgraded version that is compatible with Sierra, OS 10.1.2).

Regarding the drive, have you tried another port on the external case? It would be good to try. Also, drive mechanisms tend to go "bad" after 5 to 7 years of use. I have a 1 TB Seagate mechanism inside an Iomega external case, and for the past few weeks, TechTool Pro has been alerting me about S.M.A.R.T. errors with the drive. That drive mechanism is about 6 years old or so, and thus I am not surprised. I plan on purchasing a Samsung 850 Pro 512 gig SSD as a replacement for that drive (will need a much smaller and slimmer external enclosure for it).

 

[john odonnell]

Have you tried another port on the external case? Also, is the cable OK?

What OS are you running on the G5? It's not a good idea to try and use an old version of TechTool Pro, given that you are using El Capitan. I have TechTool Pro, and I am using version 9.0.1, with El Capitan. (I am actually waiting for Micromat to release an upgraded version that is compatible with Sierra, OS 10.1.2).

Regarding the drive, have you tried another port on the external case? It would be good to try. Also, drive mechanisms tend to go "bad" after 5 to 7 years of use. I have a 1 TB Seagate mechanism inside an Iomega external case, and for the past few weeks, TechTool Pro has been alerting me about S.M.A.R.T. errors with the drive. That drive mechanism is about 6 years old or so, and thus I am not surprised. I plan on purchasing a Samsung 850 Pro 512 gig SSD as a replacement for that drive (will need a much smaller and slimmer external enclosure for it).

Thanks, honestone.

No reason to think that there is anything wrong with the cable, but I don't have another one. Nor do I have one with the type of end to connect to the other port on the FreeAgent.

I am running OSX 10.4.11 on the G5; on the defunct iMac I was using El Capitan. I expect that the large difference in operating systems may be the problem.

I have just finished ordering a new iMac, so when it arrives I will try the FreeAgent drive with it. If that fails, I'll probably look into dealing with some of the local data recovery services. I'm not sure what I will do about a backup for my new machine; I am sort of snakebit after this experience with the FreeAgent.

 

[honestone]

How are you connecting the drive to your Mac now? Is it via USB? I suspect the other port is either Firewire 400 or Firewire 800. Firewire 800 is faster than USB. One of my external drives is a Seagate one, inside a Seagate enclosure. There are 4 ports on the enclosure: 2 USB 2.0 ports, and 2 Firewire 800 ports. I use one of the Firewire 800 ports. My other external drive is also a Seagate mechanism inside an Iomega enclosure. That enclosure also has 2 USB 2.0 ports, 2 Firewire 800 ports. I suspect your new iMac does not have any Firewire 800 ports, but has a Thunderbolt port. You would thus need a Thunderbolt-to-Firewire 800 adapter/connector. I use such a connector for my MacBook Air whenever I do my backups, and it works fine.

I can understand your frustration with the drive, but if it is 5 to 7 years old, the drive mechanism itself could be bad. As I mentioned above, I am having a similar issue with the Seagate drive mechanism inside the Iomega enclosure. As I also mentioned, I will be replacing that drive with a Samsung 850 Pro 512 gig SSD (will also need another enclosure, as the Iomega one is way too big). SSDs do last longer, and there are basically no moving parts like there are with a standard hard drive.