WD Partition Disappeared - Please Help!

MKMpublic

Honorable
Jul 6, 2013
2
0
10,510
Hi,

I have a WD 1.82 tb external hard drive. I believe the model number is E101559.

Anyway, I'm about to update my OS on my macbook and wanted to back-up my computer = 107 gb. To do so, I was using Time Machine.

The WD has three partitions - originally only the smallest two were showing up as options in Time Machine, so I ejected those. Still the large partition (circa 1.2 tb) didn't show up, so I renamed it from MEDIA to Backup. Upon renaming it, it showed up in Time Machine as an option.

I selected it, then an instruction popped up saying that Backup needed to be erased before it could be used by Time Machine. I clicked erase (there weren't any files stored there), 10 seconds later a message stated that there had been an Error.

I went back to Finder and could no longer find the drive. I unplugged and replugged the usb cord, only the two smaller partitions are now recognised - no sign of the main one I'd renamed Backup. I've tried shutting the WD off and on, no luck.

Can anyone help me, please?

Thanks!
 
Solution
Was the WD passport external drive used on a pc first ?
If so the reason is because the drive was formatted to PC not Mac.
If you plugged it into a Mac and it was originally used with a Pc it will want to format the drive to use it.
Was the WD passport external drive used on a pc first ?
If so the reason is because the drive was formatted to PC not Mac.
If you plugged it into a Mac and it was originally used with a Pc it will want to format the drive to use it.
 
Solution

MKMpublic

Honorable
Jul 6, 2013
2
0
10,510
Hi Shaun,
Yes, that could be it - it'd orginally been used with a PC. I'll try to reformat it - will I have to use a PC to do so?
Thanks!