External Drives DON"T WORK WITH VISTA

  • Thread starter Thread starter abc
  • Start date Start date
A

abc

Hey ,

Does anyone know if there is a soloution to make an external drive work with
windows vista

let me know please
 
I had no problem connecting my external 250GB hard drive. I then used
Vista's backup routine to do an image backup, which worked very quickly.

Dave
 
If you mean install/run Vista from an external, only if the drive is
either a SCSI or SATA. To Vista, a USB external drive defines
itself as "Removable" which is not a supported installation setup.
 
I have the same problem with my HotWay NAS drive with a 300GB HDD
installed. It CANNOT connect to it via ethernet.
 
I have the same problem with my HotWay NAS drive with a 300GB HDD
installed. It CANNOT connect to it via ethernet.
 
HoochieMamma said:
I have the same problem with my HotWay NAS drive with a 300GB HDD
installed. It CANNOT connect to it via ethernet.
Click to expand...

NAS drives work fine... No problem with my LinkSys.
 
I had similar problem. I went into device manager. Scroll down to "Universal
Serial Bus Controllers" and then to "USB Mass Storage Device(s)". Should see
an icon "plug" with no "X" shown on icon(s). If an "X" appears right-click on
appropriate icon - properties - drivers.

Driver required: "C:\windows\system32\drivers\USBSTOT.sys"

Hope this helps.
 
Correction:

Driver required: "C:\windows\system32\drivers\USBSTOR.sys" instead of:

Driver required: "C:\windows\system32\drivers\USBSTOT.sys"

Sorry
 
Hey all,

I'm using a Vantec Nexstar 3 w. a 160gb Seagate and Vista doesn't recognize
it. I downloaded the drivers from Vantec's site but no luck. It works fine
first try in XP.

Also, simple Logitech webcam doesn't work, either. I've tried both through
my USB hub and through the MB at the back. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
 
abc, try digging through the registry to
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\SUB and look for entries under
Vid_0000&Pid_0000 for identifier strings related to your hardware, its very
possible that the system is recognizing the drives as "Unknown Devices" and
pushing them here.

What you will attempt to do is delete all the entries under the
Vid_0000&Pid_0000 key but MS (in its infinite wisdom) has decided to
eliminate any user control over these keys.

I know this because every time Windows Defender runs against the USB key I
have set up as my ReadyBoost drive it fails out, the hardware drops, Windows
attemtps to recognize it again but Windows Defender is still trying to access
it. The multiple access calls screw with the hardware identification and
Vista ends up identifying the hardware as an "Unknown Device", if I have any
other devices attached to the computer at the time that use USBSTOR.SYS they
are also re-registered as "Unknown Devices".

I may sound bitter.

If I find an EASY way to change the rights on the ENUM keys I'll post it up,
but as it is I think the only methodology of changing the rights on ENUM is
by startup script and I'm frankly I need to calm down first.
 
Hello Ya'all:

Here's my two cents on this: There's two main components on a USB drive --
the drive itself, and the USB (or firewire) to PATA (or SATA) bridge. The
problem, as far as I can tell, is previously, like in XP, the bridge and
drive never needed a driver from the device manufacturer -- XP had a built-in
driver for the bridge as well as the drive. What now looks like is happening
is they have a built-in driver for the bridge, but do not have drivers for
the drives. I have a Nexstar USB to PATA drive chassis. When I put a Seagate
drive in it, it works. When I put a Maxtor, it doesn't. My best guess is
whoever was alpha testing this at Microsoft didn't have every combination of
drive and bridge to test, so only what was on-hand was tested, and since that
seemed to work, that's what was released.

On a similar subject is a huge oversight on the part of USB memory keys.
Originally, we heard rumors of even more advanced support for memory keys --
according to Microsoft's WHQL list -- memory keys are NOT supported. In fact,
I have a Lexar Jumpdrive -- the most common memory key ever made -- doesn't
work and not supported.

When the driver installs the bridge driver, that goes oK, but when it gets
to the "drive" portion of the driver, if you go to the driver details -- it
says "Could not start driver -- invalid switch".

I sent in an e-mail to Microsoft's support (90-days by the way on Vista),
and have had no response other than an automated acknowledgement that the
message was received.

I also contacted Lexar on the USB memory key issue, and they were completely
caught off guard.

If you think drive problems are a problem -- they are just the top of the
iceburg. Try connecting to a Mac network, or printing over an ethernet print
server -- on the Mac network, you end up logging into yourself, and most
ethernet print servers don't work - in fact, funny as it seems, when Vista
first went beta, the HP Laserjet 4si wasn't even in the device list as a
local printer.

Lance
 
I have a 3 year old Maxtor external usb drive, a 5 year old Nikon slide
scanner connected via firewire and a Canon flatbed and all have been working
perfectly with my upgrade to Vista from XP Home.
Hell, I had more problems getting ITunes to work with Vista than anything
else!
 
Hello Ya'all:

Here's my two cents on this: There's two main components on a USBdrive--
thedriveitself, and the USB (or firewire) to PATA (or SATA) bridge. The
problem, as far as I can tell, is previously, like in XP, the bridge anddrivenever needed a driver from the device manufacturer -- XP had a built-in
driver for the bridge as well as thedrive. What now looks like is happening
is they have a built-in driver for the bridge, but do not have drivers for
the drives. I have a Nexstar USB to PATAdrivechassis. When I put a Seagatedrivein it, it works. When I put a Maxtor, it doesn't. My best guess is
whoever was alpha testing this at Microsoft didn't have every combination ofdriveand bridge to test, so only what was on-hand was tested, and since that
seemed to work, that's what was released.

On a similar subject is a huge oversight on the part of USB memory keys.
Originally, we heard rumors of even more advanced support for memory keys --
according to Microsoft's WHQL list -- memory keys are NOT supported. In fact,
I have a Lexar Jumpdrive -- the most common memory key ever made -- doesn't
work and not supported.

When the driver installs the bridge driver, that goes oK, but when it gets
to the "drive" portion of the driver, if you go to the driver details -- it
says "Could not start driver -- invalid switch".

I sent in an e-mail to Microsoft's support (90-days by the way on Vista),
and have had no response other than an automated acknowledgement that the
message was received.

I also contacted Lexar on the USB memory key issue, and they were completely
caught off guard.

If you thinkdriveproblems are a problem -- they are just the top of the
iceburg. Try connecting to a Mac network, or printing over an ethernet print
server -- on the Mac network, you end up logging into yourself, and most
ethernet print servers don't work - in fact, funny as it seems, when Vista
first went beta, the HP Laserjet 4si wasn't even in the device list as a
local printer.

Lance







- Show quoted text -
Click to expand...

I cannot use a 3 year old Maxtor External Drive or Lexar Jump Drive
either - Any solutions?
 
Jackbliss said:
I cannot use a 3 year old Maxtor External Drive or Lexar Jump Drive
either - Any solutions?
Click to expand...

Obtain one which does?
But it's a plain fact that Windows cannot, nor has it ever been able to, and
probably won't ever be able to, boot from an external drive of ANY kind.

Unless of course, Microsoft gets on the ball, and starts building it into
their OSes.

Considering that most newer motherboards will boot from almost any external
device, it's about time that Microsoft added it to their OSes.
 
Jackbliss said:
I cannot use a 3 year old Maxtor External Drive or Lexar Jump Drive
either - Any solutions?
Click to expand...


Are you sure about usb keys? I installed my raid drivers via some el cheapo
usb key, when I put vista on this machine. Worked like a charm.
 
I have an external USB drive and it works flawlessly. No issues at all. Just
plug and play.

I just wonder if people are asking VISTA to do everything, including washing
the dishes.

Dan
 
Back
Top