Brian

Ok, I'm off to photo a wedding. We will talk later.

I like Western Digital's HDs, but ONLY the Caviar Black Line. The Caviar Blue line works in a pinch. You should be able to find those install .dmg files on your Mac Desktop. Simply right-click them and select eject, or drag them to the trash. They are "Mounted" files. That's why they aren't going away. As far as the G-Drive, the one you linked to I personally own, but if you have a Thunderbolt Port, I'd get that version: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/g-drive-g-tech-4tb-external-thunderbolt-usb-3-0-hard-drive-silver/8789024.p?skuId=8789024

These are the HDs that I'm talking about. In this photo are the 1st five EHDs that died at my customer's site. Two more about another month later.

First, I'd eject all those installer .dmg programs or reboot. Second, is the 3TB WD MB the one not showing up? If so, WD uses the world's crappiest USB ports and there is a good chance that your HD is fine, it just won't show up. So what I'd do is take your WD 3TB HD to a Mom & Pop Computer repair place and see if they can remove the HD and put it in a new case. The other thing is that the low-cost WD MyBooks typically use "Green" drives, which just plain suck. The difference between a working WD Green HD and a dead one is just a few weeks/months. Seriously, a local Best Buy Rep told me they had a 80%+ failure / return rate. So before we start panicking, let's see if the transplant works and I would be saving up for a 4TB G-Drive. I would not trust a 3TB WD MyBook...at all. That said, It's not completely WD & Seagate's fault. Back when 3TB HDs were coming on the scene, there was epic floods in Tailand, which is where A LOT of consumer electronics are made, from Hard Drives, to cameras and lenses to manufacturers who make components for our electronics. Anyway, the floods directly effected WD and Seagate, for a time Seagate would be producing WD drives and vice-versa. It was a complete mess and A LOT OF 3TB HDs (internal and external) had high failure rates. Fortunately, things have gotten MUCH better and there is little problems with 4TB and larger HDs. Now, that's not to say that there aren't any bad HDs out there, but current HDs aren't dropping like flies as the WD MyBook 3TB HDs did. In fact, I have a customer who used to use them to backup data files on a server. Out of 10 3TB WD MyBook dives, seven of them either died or had the same exact problem that you are experiencing. The 8th HD was flakey and would work intermittently. So there you have it. Hopefully we can get the files off of it.

What was the solution? I was going to tell you to make sure "Maximize Compatibility Box" is checked when saving in PS and to hit the spacebar to toggle quick view in the finder.

First, what is your budget? Second, what type of subjects do you normally photograph? Third, what body & lens do you have now?

It could work, and I'm all about recycling stuff and not spending more than you have to, but I've just come across too many clients of mine who are running out of HD space lately. Almost all of them state that they "Just have the OS and Backup Software...maybe a program or two..." and are routinely getting messages that they are low on HD space. So in my humble opinion, I wouldn't go any less than 500GB for a Main C:\ Drive. Even if it's just the OS. Since you have a 240GB SSD drive and it works, I'd get one of these enclosures and convert it to a EHD. No sense throwing it away.

The one thing that sticks out is the 240GB SSD. I'd get this instead: Samsung 850 PRO - 512GB - 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-7KE512BW) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LF10KTO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_uRs7xbCF9YMYS 240GB is microscopic by today's standards. Even if it's just for the OS. Keep in mind, after formatting you won't have 240GB to play with. Combine that with Windows Updates, it's better to get a HD that's close to 500GB for the OS. You also sound like me, holding onto computers until they die or on a 7-8 year cycle. I also like Asus Motherboards. I'd look for one that can go up to 64GB, but 32GB is perfect for today. Graphics Cards are more important as far as Adobe is concerned, so make sure your power supply has enough wattage to support it and everything else in your computer.

Yeah, those images are REALLY EDITED. I agree with Kim, I'd use a large softbox on your main / key light and possibly a strip softbox on your fill light. Probably a 1 stop difference, maybe a 1.5 stop difference. Either way, you are going to have to fiddle.

10.6.xx = Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.7.xx = Mac OS X Lion 10.8.xx = Mac OS X Mountain Lion 10.9.xx = Mac OS X Mavericks 10.10.xx = Mac OS X Yosemite 10.11.xx = Mac OS X El Capitan 10.12.xx = macOS Sierra So you are running Mountain Lion currently. How do you find out? Head to the Apple Menu in the upper left corner and select, "About this Mac." Holy Sh*tballz, you can install Mavericks. You are the first person in a long time that has this ability. OSX Mavericks was the last Mac OS that had the LEAST amount of problems with PS!!! If you can upgrade to Mavericks...DO IT!!! iTunes 12.5.xx will work fine on OS X Mavericks. PS CS6 and PS CC will work fine on Mavericks. See a theme here? Now, I'm not saying that Mavericks worked for 100% of the people out there, but for the majority that I've come across, including myself who is still on Mavericks...seem to have better results than those on Yosemite or El Capitan. As far as speed, I highly recommend CleanMyMac from MacPaw.com. You can download it and do a free scan to see how much space will be freed up, but in order for it to delete things, you have to pony up the cash. You should be able to find a coupon code if you look for it online. I use this program at least once a week and it's the best $40 that I've spend in software for my routine maintenance. Why is free space important? Because the fuller your HD is, the slower a Mac runs. Performance take a hit around the 75% full mark, and progressively gets worse the more crap you put on it. Once you hit around 95% full, you are in very dangerous territory, as in your Mac HD could corrupt itself, especially if you hit 99% full. So it sounds like it's time to "Cull-Cull-Cull!!!" and delete files / images that you don't need or will never see the light of day. Pay attention to your downloads folder. You'd be surprised on how much crap is in there. Keep in mind, you do not need 75 photos of your lunch from 4 years ago, or to keep a whole photo-session where only 40 images made the cut. Be ruthless. You want at least 1/3rd free space on your internal Mac HD. So on a 1TB drive, you want no more than 700GB of space taken up, preferrablly no more than 650GB. If you have a Mac Laptop with a small HD (250GB, 120GB, etc.) You will need to be even MORE RUTHLESS when culling / deleting stuff. >> In addition, the fastest way to increase performance on a Mac is to clear off the desktop. You don't need fancy programs or "RAM Optimizer" Software, just clean off your Macintosh Desktop. << The reason is, files on the Mac Desktop are treated as OPEN WINDOWS, as least as far as the OS is concerned. Have 400 photos of the Smith Family Photo Session at the park in a folder on your Mac Desktop? That's 400 "Open Windows." Even if you put stuff inside folders, it doesn't matter. Have 3000 images of the Miller-Jones Wedding? That's 3000 open windows, plus all the other crap. Got it? The only thing that should be on your desktop is the Macintosh HD icons, and Alias files, which is Mac-Speak for a short cut. MacPaw wrote up a decent set of instructions on what to do before upgrading to the latest OS. For you, follow these instructions, and when you get to the bottom part, install Mavericks instead of macOS Sierra.

It is also possible that some sort of Windows update came through or some other update with PS, and that's the reason for your issues. So yes, run a cleaner program and see what it does for you. Good Luck!

Right. After you verify that everything is "Shipshape and Bristol Fashion," feel free to delete the originals on the internal HD. That being said, there are no take-backsies with this, so be 110% sure that what you are deleting is perfect on the EHD. Undeleting files on a Mac can be a real pain in the arse.

The answer is, it depends on the look you are going for. Could you show me some examples of what you are after? What sort of lights do you have now? What camera and lenses? What area (and how large) is your space. Need rough estimates, such as ceiling height, room width and length, etc.

Scratch Disks. Temporary cache files, etc. As you use PS, it utilizes space on the HD for performance. In addition, the fuller the HD is, performance takes a hit. What I would do is move your data files over to the D: Drive and leave the C: drive for the Operating System and programs. That's why you have two hard drives in your laptop.

Oh, if you want CleanMyMac to do anything substantial, you need to pay for it. I highly recommend it and you should be able to find a coupon code online to help lower the cost. Search for "MacPaw coupon code."

Gemini is the leading duplicate file finder for the Mac. 250GB is microscopic by today's standards. 12 GB free is really-really bad and the source of your problems. With a 250GB drive, you need to be hyper anal on what gets stored. No photos or files. Only operating system and programs. Gemini should help, it will generate a list of duplicates and let you decide what to do.

The Thunderbolt version of the drives also has a USB 3.0 port. Totally up to you if you want to go the non-thunderbolt version. I would though, is to get the "professional" version on G-Drives if you do. Not the less expensive models. You want to spend over $300. Yes, it sucks because that is expensive.

I'd recommend these Cotton Swabs for Electronics. They aren't as "fuzzy" and have a wooden stem, so they stay rigid. http://www.alliedelec.com/chemtronics-ct200/70206012/?mkwid=sabYU23qn&pcrid=30980760979&gclid=CL-I6NLIoc8CFQsmhgodvnQC0w

150GB Free, that's your primary problem. Windows 8.1 can also be a royal pain in the ass, so make sure your Windows Updates are current. I'd try a program like using the free version of CCleaner and see if you can free up any space.

My experience has been the direct opposite. I've had more Western Digital My Books fail than G-Drives. I do know that during the floods in Thailand affected A LOT 3TB Hard Drives that were made in that period. For a time, Seagate Hard Drives were being made in Western Digital's manufacturing plant, and vice-versa. It was that bad. Since G-Drives make the enclosure, but use other manufacturer's hard drives, it doesn't surprise me of your situation. Especially with 3TB EHDs. Honestly, I recommend G-Drives, but usually 4TB models. 4TB and higher capacity models don't have the same high failure rates as 3TB models. Now this is a stupid question, but are you ejecting the EHDs before pulling them out of the USB port?

Apple is releasing a new operating system today. If anyone is running LR 5, PS CS6, PS CS5, or any earlier versions of this software, DO NOT UPGRADE!!! Adobe is only working on current versions of their products to make them compatible with the new OS. This includes LR CC, PS CC and Bridge CC. It is possible that they are working with LR 6, but that's about it. PS CS6 and LR5 are no longer being updated. In addition, there is a new file system on the horizon that will replace the current Journaled HFS+ file system. This new file system is 100% not-compatible with CS6. Bottom Line: LR5 users, CS5 / CS6 users should avoid macOS Sierra completely. Adobe will not be providing patches to fix any compatibility issues with macOS Sierra at this point. Only install macOS Sierra if you are using the Creative Cloud version of Adobe's Products. If you are thinking about buying a new Mac and are running PS CS6 or earlier or LR5 or earlier, you WILL NEED TO SIGN UP FOR THE "Adobe CC" $9.99 /month (plus applicable taxes) program and will no longer be able to use CS6. So for those who want to own their software and not give into "The Man," with a leased software model, you are kinda SOL going forward. Adobe has put CS6 out to pasture at this point and will soon take it behind the proverbial barn and shoot it dead. Just like CS5, CS4, CS3, etc.

Apple is releasing a new operating system today. If anyone is running LR 5, PS CS6, PS CS5, or any earlier versions of this software, DO NOT UPGRADE!!! Adobe is only working on current versions of their products to make them compatible with the new OS. This includes LR CC, PS CC and Bridge CC. It is possible that they are working with LR6, but that's about it. PS CS6 and LR5 are no longer being updated. In addition, there is a new file system on the horizon that will replace the current Journaled HFS+ file system. This new file system is 100% not-compatible with CS6. Bottom Line: LR5 users, CS5 / CS6 users should avoid macOS Sierra completely. Adobe will not be providing patches to fix any compatibility issues with macOS Sierra at this point. Only install macOS Sierra if you are using the Creative Cloud version of Adobe's Products. If you are thinking about buying a new Mac and are running PS CS6 or earlier or LR5 or earlier, you WILL NEED TO SIGN UP FOR THE "Adobe CC" $9.99 /month (plus applicable taxes) program and will no longer be able to use CS6. So for those who want to own their software and not give into "The Man," with a leased software model, you are kinda SOL at this point. Adobe has put CS6 out to pasture at this point and will soon take it behind the proverbial barn and shoot it dead. Just like CS5, CS4, CS3, etc. I'm pinning this topic for about a week or so, this way as members cycle through, we can give them a heads up.

Apple is releasing a new operating system today. If anyone is running LR 5, PS CS6, PS CS5, or any earlier versions of this software, DO NOT UPGRADE!!! Adobe is only working on current versions of their products to make them compatible with the new OS. This includes LR CC, PS CC and Bridge CC. It is possible that they are working with LR 6, but that's about it. PS CS6 and LR5 are no longer being updated. In addition, there is a new file system on the horizon that will replace the current Journaled HFS+ file system. This new file system is 100% not-compatible with CS6. Bottom Line: LR5 users, CS5 / CS6 users should avoid macOS Sierra completely. Adobe will not be providing patches to fix any compatibility issues with macOS Sierra at this point. Only install macOS Sierra if you are using the Creative Cloud version of Adobe's Products. If you are thinking about buying a new Mac and are running PS CS6 or earlier or LR5 or earlier, you WILL NEED TO SIGN UP FOR THE "Adobe CC" $9.99 /month (plus applicable taxes) program and will no longer be able to use CS6. So for those who want to own their software and not give into "The Man" with a leased software model, you are kinda SOL going forward. Adobe has put CS6 out to pasture at this point and will soon take it behind the proverbial barn and shoot it dead. Just like CS5, CS4, CS3, etc.

IPS. Matte Screen or Matte Coating (aka Anti-Glare Hard Coat 3H.) You want Non-Glossy for editing photos. The monitor I linked to is "Last Year's Model" of the one that you posted and I think the 2515 is slightly larger. Either the Dell 2515H (one you linked to) or the Dell 2414H (one I linked to) is perfect. I thought about getting a dual monitor setup with stand for my next Windows Computer. But that's just me. You COULD go with a 1TB HD to save some cash now and then add a Hard Drive at a later point. Like a 4TB Western Digital Caviar Black 7200RPM HD. There is room inside the computer to add one. Yes, it's pretty easy. Yes, you can do it. I can help.

This model looks to be the same, but it's only $1049. Did you get Microsoft Office to go with it? I'm trying to figure out where the extra $500 is coming from. http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-8900-desktop/pd?oc=ddcwgsk111b&model_id=xps-8900-desktop