Macbook Pro 2.16gHz 15" freezes when superD copying

[cazuaga@hotmail]

I'm sorry this is long.. I felt I needed to give the detailed info that follows:

I have used SD with success from my imac G4 to my simpletech 80g USB external. I have used SD with success from my Macbook Pro 2.16gHz to my USB external Maxtor one touch.

I just bought a "G" drive from the local mac store. 250g, 7200rpm, Firewire. I hook this up to the macbook pro, and I hook up the the Simpletech SimpledrivePS USB drive to the macbook also. I want to copy from the "G" drive to the Simpledrive using the macbook since the macbook can handle the simpledrives usb 2.0.

On all attempts to use SD to copy from the "G" drive to the simpledrive through the macbook.. my macbook freezes after about twenty to thirty minutes. It did this four times before I gave up. Super Duper is still running.. but no verification and no copying happening. I gave it about 15 minutes to start doing something each time.

After I stop SD.. I can't eject any of the external drives. I drag them to the trash.. but they won't unmount. Nothing happens. I can't shutdown or restart the computer either. It freezes. I have to hold down the power button to get the machine off. When I do a relaunch of Finder.. the menu bar area of the screen goes out of whack.. looking very 'off' and all items on the desktop dissappear.

This happened in the same way the four times I tried this last night. If you can please help. I am stunned to be having trouble with the macbook pro. thanks.

[dnanian]

Sounds like a problem with the drive, not the MacBook Pro. Try erasing and zeroing the drive with Disk Utility.

[cazuaga@hotmail]

how do you 'zero' a drive? Is that just 'earasing' in disc utility? Thank you.

[dnanian]

It's an option in different parts depending on your OS version. In Tiger, I believe it's under "security options".

[cazuaga@hotmail]

thanks. I'm checking it out.. one more if u don't mind.. what if I first Drag and copy files to an external. Can I then use SD to continually update those same files with smart update?

[dnanian]

Well, if they're stored in exactly the same locations, etc... if that's the case, though, why would you drag/copy as opposed to just use SD! originally?