TITLE
    PowerBook: SCSI Disk Mode and Mac OS Extended Format
Article ID:
Created:
Modified: 		24398
2/26/98
8/24/99
TOPIC

    I attached my PowerBook in SCSI Disk Mode or Hard Disk Target Mode to my desktop computer and all I see is one file on the hard drive of the PowerBook, "Where_have_all_my_files_gone?" Can you explain? Is there a way to resolve this?

DISCUSSION

    If the PowerBook's hard drive has been formatted as a Mac OS Extended Format (HFS+) volume, and the desktop computer to which the PowerBook is attached is using a version of Mac OS earlier than Mac OS 8.1, the situation you describe will occur. A single file will appear on the PowerBook's hard drive; the filename is "Where_have_all_my_files_gone?"

    If you attempt to copy files to the PowerBook's hard drive while in this configuration, you will receive an alert box advising you that you cannot copy the file onto the disk, because the disk is locked.

    Your files are not lost. Rather, they are not visible to the host system (the desktop computer to which your PowerBook is attached) because its version of Mac OS is not capable of reading the files on an Extended Format (HFS+) volume. The file that does appear, named "Where_have_all_my_files_gone?", explains the situation.

    In this situation, to be able to access the files on the PowerBook from the host (desktop) computer you must do one of the following:
    • Upgrade the desktop computer to Mac OS 8.1 or later, if feasible. (Note that only PowerPC-based systems can upgrade to Mac OS 8.1.)

    or
    • Partition the PowerBook's hard drive into multiple partitions and format one partition as a regular HFS volume (that is, not an Extended Format HFS+ volume). Before putting the PowerBook into SCSI Disk Mode, transfer the desired files from the Mac OS Extended Format volume on your PowerBook to the non-Mac OS Extended Format volume on your PowerBook. When the PowerBook is put into SCSI Disk Mode, the HFS volume will be visible to the host (desktop) computer, and its files will be accessible by the host.

    If you follow either of these two steps, you should be able to copy files to the PowerBook hard disk without receiving a message that the disk is locked.

Document Information
Product Area: Computers
Category: PowerBook
Sub Category: Software

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