External USB Harddrive Issues

  • Thread starter Thread starter epfreeland
  • Start date Start date
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epfreeland

I bought an 80GB External Harddrive and had it mounted into a case to
use it as a backup. Everything was going great. I backed up my laptop
to it with no issues. Then I went to my Desktop to do the same. It
started the back up and then eventually crashed. Now I can't get the
External USB Drive to do anything. Either on the Desktop or the
Laptop.

It reconizes the external USB on both systems. I can't however do the
following on either machines and I get the same errors on both
systems. I am running XP Pro on both the Desktop and the Laptop.

1 - I can't create new folders.
2 - I can't copy files to it. Even small single page word docs.
3 - When I goto "Safely Remove Hardware" I get "The device 'Generic
volume' cannot be stopped right now. Try stopping the device again
later.
4 - Sometimes when I restart the USB Drive I can't even see the data
there. When I reboot it I can usually see the data.
5 - It does get assigned a drive name when it connects to the system.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
No I haven't this is a fairly new USB drive for me and I was trying to
load all the back up items on it.

I can get data and files off of it but I can't add anything to it
write now. It has a total of 74GB and 64GB of them are available.

Also I get the following error" Windows - Delayed Write Failed it
always references the drive name and the following \$Mft

I imagine it is a failure of the external drive since it the symptoms
are the same on both systems. Can I reformat the external drive and
start from scratch? When I got it the drive was all set up for me as a
plug and play.

Ernest
 
I bought an 80GB External Harddrive and had it mounted into a case to
use it as a backup. Everything was going great. I backed up my laptop
to it with no issues. Then I went to my Desktop to do the same. It
started the back up and then eventually crashed. Now I can't get the
External USB Drive to do anything. Either on the Desktop or the
Laptop.

It reconizes the external USB on both systems. I can't however do the
following on either machines and I get the same errors on both
systems. I am running XP Pro on both the Desktop and the Laptop.

1 - I can't create new folders.
2 - I can't copy files to it. Even small single page word docs.
3 - When I goto "Safely Remove Hardware" I get "The device 'Generic
volume' cannot be stopped right now. Try stopping the device again
later.
4 - Sometimes when I restart the USB Drive I can't even see the data
there. When I reboot it I can usually see the data.
5 - It does get assigned a drive name when it connects to the system.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

A little more information. The External drive is formatted as a NTFS.

When you goto add a Folder, it gives you the error message of ;Cannot
create the folder 'New Folder' The system cannot find the file
specified.
 
epfreeland said:
A little more information. The External drive is formatted as a NTFS.

When you goto add a Folder, it gives you the error message of ;Cannot
create the folder 'New Folder' The system cannot find the file
specified.
Click to expand...

How many files and folders are already jammed into the root? That is,
the top directory?
 
How many files and folders are already jammed into the root? That is,
the top directory?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
Click to expand...

Two - One called Desktop the other Laptop. I then backed up the files
for the appropriate computer within each of those folders. Each has a
My Documents Folder with Files and Folders within it. The Laptop
Folder has two in it the My Documents and a Administrator folder with
files and folders in it.
 
Try chkdsk X: /F /X
( reboot if necessary with the drive attached )
If this won't help, reformat.

Regards,
--PA
 
Try chkdsk X: /F /X
( reboot if necessary with the drive attached )
If this won't help, reformat.

Regards,
--PA






- Show quoted text -
Click to expand...

Nothing happens I tried it with both the spaces and no spaces for the
path you mentioned. Using the correct drive name. Is there a specific
way to reformat that you recommend?
 
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