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Finding USB 3 no so backward compatible
Posted by: samintx
Date: June 13, 2012 02:52PM
You know the trouble I had with Time Machine. Now it is working like a swiss clock after switching my "compatible" drive to a just USB 2 Drive.

I have a Western Digital USB 3 backward compatible with USB 2 and...weirdness. Running O10.6.8
on all macs. I don't know if I need a higher OS or it is the macs but just thought I'd drop this experience I'm having.
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Re: Finding USB 3 no so backward compatible
Posted by: Paul F.
Date: June 13, 2012 03:26PM
Just like others have already suggested, I suspect that you had a crap enclosure...
Nothing whatsoever to do with TimeMachine, or the Mac, or USB2/3.

Glad you got it working!
TimeMachine is a very nice additional backup, and very convenient when you accidentally delete one file and need to get it back. Or just go back a couple hours to get some changes you made "undone".


Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--
Eureka, CA
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Re: Finding USB 3 no so backward compatible
Posted by: Robert M
Date: June 13, 2012 03:27PM
Sam,

Maybe I'm a bit confused. So, instead of using the Western Digital USB 3.0 drive, you're using an entirely different USB 2.0 drive? From what I understand, USB 3.0 is backwards compatible to USB 2.0. You should have any compatibility issues. If I am understanding your post correctly, it sounds to me like you have a defective Western Digital USB 3.0 drive.

Robert



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/2012 03:27PM by Robert M.
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Re: Finding USB 3 no so backward compatible
Posted by: Paul F.
Date: June 13, 2012 03:42PM
Quote
Robert M
Sam,

Maybe I'm a bit confused. So, instead of using the Western Digital USB 3.0 drive, you're using an entirely different USB 2.0 drive? From what I understand, USB 3.0 is backwards compatible to USB 2.0. You should have any compatibility issues. If I am understanding your post correctly, it sounds to me like you have a defective Western Digital USB 3.0 drive.

Robert

The drive itself, or the enclosure it's in... but yes, I agree.

Wasn't this also the enclosure that kept your computer from booting when it was plugged in? (or am I thinking of another thread and person entirely?).

Defective drive, or defective drive case/enclosure....


Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--
Eureka, CA
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Re: Finding USB 3 no so backward compatible
Posted by: samintx
Date: June 13, 2012 04:11PM
Quote
Robert M
Sam,

Maybe I'm a bit confused. So, instead of using the Western Digital USB 3.0 drive, you're using an entirely different USB 2.0 drive? From what I understand, USB 3.0 is backwards compatible to USB 2.0. You should have any compatibility issues. If I am understanding your post correctly, it sounds to me like you have a defective Western Digital USB 3.0 drive.

Robert[/quote

The drive I was using for TM was not the Western Dig. The WD is acting strangely but I think it might be because if formatted itself..not the mac formatting so I'm going to run it thru a mac format. The other USB 3 that was with TM was a Toshiba, I think. Works fine but not with TM. Conclusion for me: USB 3 compatible works sometimes but not with TM with the HDs I have.
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Re: Finding USB 3 no so backward compatible
Posted by: Paul F.
Date: June 13, 2012 04:15PM
Not necessarily the right conclusion...
That Toshiba (or whatever), you might find it does odd things on other machines... I'm guessing it's the USB controllor in the case making it not-compatible, not the fact that it's a USB3 device.

I've got a drive case here at work that works fine on one computer, not at all on another. Flakey USB cases are not too unusual, and I suspect that's what you have.


Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--
Eureka, CA
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Re: Finding USB 3 no so backward compatible
Posted by: space-time
Date: June 13, 2012 04:20PM
if "USB 3.0 is backwards compatible to USB 2.0.", then why did Phil Schiller show that other laptops use color codes for USB2 and USB3, but Apple had both stadard into the same plug? do really windows laptops come with USB 2 and USB3 ports, i.e. different ports?
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Re: Finding USB 3 no so backward compatible
Posted by: Robert M
Date: June 13, 2012 04:34PM
Space,

Likely to ensure people plug the USB 3.0 device into the USB 3.0 port instead of the USB 2.0 port.

Robert
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Re: Finding USB 3 no so backward compatible
Posted by: DewGuy
Date: June 13, 2012 09:03PM
I've got a Western Digital My Passport SE 1TB USB 3 drive connected to my early-2011 MacBook Pro with USB 2 running OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard and used for Time Machine backups and Carbon Copy Cloner clones with no problems at all.

USB 3 ports/connectors (excluding Apple) are blue on the inside to indicate they are USB 3 but are backward compatible with USB 2 and 1.1.
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Re: Finding USB 3 no so backward compatible
Posted by: sekker
Date: June 13, 2012 11:37PM
Glad your TM is working now!
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