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Q: Will Hitachi GST drives work in my Mac?
A: Yes.
Parallel ATA (IDE)
Deskstar drives should work in any Apple system that supports Parallel ATA (PATA) drives. For information about which systems support PATA drives, see specifications for your system in the
Apple Spec Database.
Serial ATA Drives
Serial ATA (SATA) drives will work in the Apple Mac G5 system with no additional hardware needed. Pre-G5 systems do not natively support SATA drives so you will need to purchase a SATA controller card. If you plan to use a third-party SATA controller card, make sure it is supported by your system.
SCSI Drives
Ultrastar drives should work in Mac systems that support SCSI drives. For information about which systems support SCSI drives, consult the
Apple Spec Database.
If you plan to use a third-party SCSI adapter, make sure it is supported by your system and that the SCSI adapter has the latest level of firmware to support your system for the Mac OS being used.
Q: How do I install a Hitachi GST drive into my Mac system?
A: The following is an overview of the steps necessary to install a Hitachi GST drive in a Mac system. See your system documentation for details on how to perform the steps.
Step 1 - Physically Install the Drive in the System
For SCSI Drives
Make sure the drive is addressed and terminated appropriately. It is also recommended that the "Enable Auto Start" jumper be used.
Here are a couple of settings that should be used on older (pre-G3) Mac systems.
Legacy Mac jumper settings:
Disable "unit attention".
Disable "target initiated sync negotiations".
Note: For 80-pin models, the jumper (disable auto spin up) should not be installed.
For 68-pin models, the jumper (enable auto spin up) should be installed.
For IDE Drives
For early model G4s and earlier systems, use the 16-head master, slave, cable select, or "master with slave present" jumper setting.
For Later Model G4s
Use the 16-head cable select setting.
For G5s
These systems only support SATA drives, so no jumpers are required.
Step 2 - Use Disk Utility (Mac OS X) Program to Initialize the Drive
Disk Utility is a program that comes on the Mac operating system CD and is also installed during OS installation. To run Disk Utility, go to the "Applications > Utility" folder and double-click the "Disk Utility" icon. (If using a pre-OS X system, use Apple Drive Setup.)
For detailed installation instructions, consult the
Partitioning and Formatting Reference Guide.
Q: What should I do if I get intermittent error messages which state "drive not mounted" or "data is corrupted"?
A: These types of intermittent problems can sometimes be fixed by installing the latest driver. You can install the latest driver using the Disk Utility or Apple Drive Setup program, as well as trying a new cable.
In addition, you may also run the Disk First Aid utility that comes with the Mac OS. This program will scan the drive for errors and try to fix any errors it finds.
Q: Will your Hitachi Notebook PC Upgrade Kit work on a Mac system?
A: The drive and enclosure will work on the Mac system; however, the software included was not designed to work with a Mac.
Q: How can I get a SCSI drive to work in my Mac if it doesn’t already have SCSI support?
A: All G3, G4, and G5 desktop systems are ATA-based, not SCSI-based, but this does not mean you cannot use SCSI. You will have to purchase a SCSI controller card for your Mac in order to connect the SCSI drive to the system.
SCSI Controller Card Manufacturers
Q: Why am I only seeing 128 GB of my 137 GB+ drive?
A: There are certain limitations in the Mac operating system and hardware that prevent it from accessing capacities larger than 128 GB.
To create a partition or access a drive larger than 128 GB:
- You must be using Mac OS 10.2.3 or later.
- You must be using a Mac G4 Mirrored Drive Door or FW800 version or later. All G5 model systems support capacities larger than 128 GB.
For more information, consult
Apple web site support article #86178.
Q: How can I test my drive for errors?
A: Hitachi GST does not provide diagnostic or installation software for Mac systems. Apple provides a program called Disk Utility which is built into the operating system. The Disk Utility’s diagnostic function, First Aid, is capable of testing and repairing hard drives.
To test your drive using native Mac utilities, follow the instructions below (steps may vary depending on version of OS):
Mac OS 10 and Later
- Go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
- Click on the "First Aid" button.
Mac OS 9.x and Earlier
The Drive Setup utility has a test function built in which is able to perform read tests on the drive. This can be accessed by starting the Drive Setup utility and following these steps:
- In the "List of Drives"' section of the Drive Setup window, select the drive you wish to test.
- Go to the Functions menu and choose "Test".
- Press Start to begin the test.
Third-Party Software
These third-party companies provide diagnostic and installation software for Mac systems:
Q: How do I obtain drivers to use a Hitachi GST drive in my Mac system?
A: If the drive is being connected directly to the motherboard, all drivers are supplied by the operating system itself. If you are using OS 9.x or earlier, the drivers are supplied through a utility called Drive Setup.
If the drive is being connected to a controller card, you would need the drivers for the controller card which would be supplied by the card manufacturer.
If the drive is being used in an external enclosure, drivers may be required for the enclosure itself and would be supplied by the enclosure manufacturer.
All information is provided by Hitachi Global Storage Technologies on an "AS IS" basis only. Hitachi makes no representations or warranties, whether express or implied, regarding the information, including the warranty of non-infringement and non-interference and the implied warranty or terms of merchantability, and fitness or use for a particular purpose.
Use of information that is provided by Hitachi is at the recipient's own risk. Hitachi provides no assurances that any reported problems may be resolved with the use of any information that Hitachi provides. By furnishing information, Hitachi does not grant any licenses to any copyrights, trademarks, patents or any other intellectual property rights.
Any trademarks and product or brand names referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners. Please consult your Hitachi product manuals for complete trademark information.
Any references to third parties are provided as reference only and are not recommendations of any products by Hitachi GST. Hitachi GST makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these companies or products.
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