Mac, HDs, LR5

<p>Hello All,</p>

<p>Already a PIA!</p>

<p>I've done maintenance and purging of old apps on the old Mac and completed a file/Applications transfer to an new Mac. All my Pics and lrcat and previews are on two of three separate LaCie HDs.I've no question marks on the photo folders any longer, but I do have a 'beef'...and it is this.</p>

<p>I can no longer connect two of my Lacie HDs to the new computer. It seems USB ports change every year and so do Firewire 400, Firewire 800 (well, maybe they don't change it's just that you can't use them any longer). I'm guessing here but the only port that doesn't change is an eSATA port. Now I've gotta find out how to connect my new iMac comes with only Thunderbolt and USBs to HDs without those ports. Too, it seems I'll need a card reader cable (or new card reader...which I don't need). This whole business is insane.Like who doesn't have a drawer filled with unused wires/cables and transformers for everything from hard drives to cell phones, and other adapters.</p>

<p>Cool me off someone.</p>

<p>ChasB</p>

<p>USB3 is backward compatible with USB2. Just plug the USB2 cable into your USB3 port hole.</p>

<p><Chas><br /><br /></p>

<p>ditto firewire. may need a new cable. or just fire up the old machine in target mode and copy. or mount it across a network. or scp them or take the drives out of their container and get a cheap usb/sata widget</p>

<p>The big online stores sell a cheap eSATA to USB3 adaptor that works. I bought one (Newer Technology), and than a second of the same. It has its glitches, but once you allow that the connections aren't the tightest, its extremely fast, cheap, and just works. It would allow you to use the speed in your new computers USB3 ports with all the speed benefits of older drives with eSATA ports.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>I won't ever buy another LaCie product. Those "Bigger" drives had the worst thermal design I've ever seen. The bricks kept failing. Nice people but even the techs can't justify it when you ask for your third brick. I and half a dozen of these and not one of them survived. I now have a Burly-Storage case and plain old internal drives. Works great.</p>

<p>Lenny</p>

<p>I had to buy a new Firewire cable when I got a new Mac a year ago, because the plug was different on the computer end; but it works fine with the new cable for most of my peripherals.<br>

All of these things are supposed to be backward compatible, but I did lose my Plextor PX708UF DVD burner when I upgraded to Mavericks. I contacted Plextor, and they told me it should work with either the USB or Firewire, but I haven't had time to get hold of them and try to work out whatever is the cause. I figure I can't be the only one, and maybe somebody will get it down before I try mess with it.</p>

<p>If your drives have eSATA available, you want this: <a href="http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?id=10574">LaCie eSATA - Thunderbolt hub</a>. This device lets you connect two eSATA drives to your Mac via a Thunderbolt connection. It has two Thunderbolt ports for easy daisy-chaining, and supports video passthrough. Look for them on sale, or check LaCie's outlet (they were $99 there a while back).</p>

<p>I have two of them (4 2TB drives) and an Apple Cinema Display connected on one TB port to my rMBP. My drives are OWC Mercury Elite Pro, and I was initially using them with my older MBP on FireWire 800. After connecting them using eSATA, their speed is incredibly faster than with FW800.</p>

<p>I have an eSATA to USB3 adapter as well, but I don't use it, since it takes up a port and doesn't offer passthrough.</p>

<p>I have the Apple TB-FW800 adapter, but it only gets used when I need to connect my portable drive that doesn't have anything faster available.</p>

<p>There's a Tbolt to firewire cable too. Works fine.</p>