External hard drive not showing up in My Computer

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Guest

I'm trying to hook up a hard drive to back up my files. The driver installs
ok and when 'new hardware' comes up it goes through the install successfully.
Problem is when I double-click on My Computer the external drive doesn't show
up under Removable Drives. I've installed and re-installed the software
drivers and gone through the 'new hardware' install several times and still
no success. The hard drive hooks up into a USB port, which works fine with
other 'flashdrive', my iPod, etc. but for some reason it doesn't list the
hard drive or assign it a letter (should be E). I've gone through all the
trouble shooting and it shows the drivers and the hard drive under 'devices'
as 'working properly', so I know it's there, I just can't see it in My
Computer as one of the drives to select or open. Any idea what's going on or
how to fix it? Appreciate any help I can get on this.
 
Had the HD got external Power Supply? if not try changing the USB port since
it may be that the port you are using have not got the power to power it, A
port from the back near the keyboard socket is best bet. Are you running
Windows XP?

S.
 
Frazzled said:
I'm trying to hook up a hard drive to back up my files. The driver
installs
ok and when 'new hardware' comes up it goes through the install
successfully.
Problem is when I double-click on My Computer the external drive doesn't
show
up under Removable Drives. I've installed and re-installed the software
drivers and gone through the 'new hardware' install several times and
still
no success. The hard drive hooks up into a USB port, which works fine with
other 'flashdrive', my iPod, etc. but for some reason it doesn't list the
hard drive or assign it a letter (should be E). I've gone through all the
trouble shooting and it shows the drivers and the hard drive under
'devices'
as 'working properly', so I know it's there, I just can't see it in My
Computer as one of the drives to select or open. Any idea what's going on
or
how to fix it? Appreciate any help I can get on this.
Click to expand...

Frazzled:
It might be helpful if you would provide a bit more information...

1. Is this your hard drive that you're installing in a USB enclosure or is
this a commercial one-piece USB external hard drive?

2. If you installed the HD in a USB enclosure, has it been partitioned &
formatted?

3. Assuming the drive has been P&F, have you tried various USB ports on your
computer, all with the same results? And you're not plugging it into a USB
hub, right?

4. Why has it been necessary, or why do you think it's necessary to install
"software drivers"? Assuming you're running XP w/SP2 (and you *are* running
that OS, right?), there's *no* need for any "software drivers". Similarly
there's *no* need to use Device Manager and have "gone through the 'new
hardware' install".

5. If you've installed the HD, remove it from the enclosure and install it
as an internal HD in your system. See if it functions properly in that
environment. If there appears to be a problem with the HD itself, download
the diagnostic utility from the drive's manufacturer and test it out.

6. Have you tried another USB data cable just in case the one you're using
is defective?

7. Have you tried connecting the device to another computer?

8. If a commercial unit, have you been in touch with the manufacturer?
Anna
 
Hello,

I hope no one minds my piggybacking but I am experiencing the exact same
issue with external USB 2.0 LaCie HD. I am trying to install it onto my
in-law's Toshiba Satellite laptop and while the machine originally appears to
recognize the drive when it is plugged in I cannot see it in when I look in
"My Computer".

I have worked with LaCie on the phone and they walked me through the
"Manage" utility available when you Right Click "My Computer. I can see the
device when I use "Device Manager" but I cannot see it when I select "Disk
Management". They feel that the drive is working as evidenced by the
Gateway success and that I have a laptop or Windows issue with the hardware.

Here is what I have done to isolate the potential problems:

1. Plug and Played the drive on my wife's Gateway laptop. Disk worked
immediately just like the book says. Both laptops are running Windows XP w/
SP2 installed.
2. Switch USB 2.0 cable and tried various USB ports on the Toshiba. No
combination has either solved or isolated the problem.
3. I have used the LaCie CD to "Install USB 2.0 Drivers", attempted to
install them directly into the driver folder and then manually select them,
uninstalled the se same drivers and gone with the generic Windows drivers
again, Deleted the USB port and then rediscovered the device , and anything
else I can think of along those lines.

Does anyone know what else I can try to do to try to force this laptop to
see this drive?

Ken
 
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