Unable to Access New External Hard Drive

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AWood

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I have a Gateway 710X running Windows XP Home Edition which is several years old (Version 2002 purchased in 2004). I've purchased two different external hard drives that I've connected by USB cable. When connected to my desk top, the external hard drive icon does not appear on the list of hardware shown in My Computer. I can tell that the device is connected because I hear the connection beep. I've tried the current external hard drive on a laptop downstairs and the icon shows up. Any suggestion on how to access this device on my desk top?
 
Check to see if you have all the latest motherboard drivers installed. Do the usb ports work with othere kit ?

:wave:
 
Happens to me all the time

Did you plug them in when the p.c was turned on. If so try power off your pc and then plugging them in.When everything is connected power the pc up and they shoud be there....also did the drives need to be installed with sofware first? Maybe you need to check if the usb port is turned on.
:nod: Zzzzz
 
Happens often....
Most common issue is that the drive is assigned a drive letter, however on your system where it's not reporting it can't assign it due to it being in use.
Go....
Control Panel, Administrator Tools, Disk Manager.
Scroll down and you'll find a drive that
a)Isn't initialised
b)Isn't assigned a letter

If a) Right Click and initialise.
b) Right click and assign (change) drive letter.

Now it will show in My Computer

I know.... Good ain't I ;)
 
Your idea made a lot of sense to me so I tried changing one of my drive letters for a Compact Flash/Micro Drive slot from
F: to B: thinking that might free up the F: drive but it disappeared. The new B: drive now shows an icon for a 5 1/4 floppy which I tried to rename to Signature Mini (for my portable external hard drive) but that didn't work. My problem is that each drive has something assigned:

A: 3 1/2 Floppy
B: 5 1/4 Floppy
C: Local Disk
D: CD Rom
E: DVD
F: Use to be Compact Flash/Micro Drive slot that I changed to B:
G: Memory Stick slot
H: SD/Multi Media Card slot
I:Smart Media slot

The slots for F,G,H,and I are never used so if I could appropriate one of these letters for my external drive, I might be in business. Any other ideas on how to do this?

Thanks
 
I've actually had this happen to me in the past. It had nothing to do with assigning drive letters at all. My problem was for some reason my external drive was only recognizing the first computer I plugged it into.

I simply formatted the drive again and it worked like a charm.

Also, I know that you are running XP home edition but... External drives are compatible with specific operating systems, and I know that XP is not old by any means but just by some small change your external drive could only be vista compatible???

If you have any valuable information on the drive, I would back it up on the computer in which the drive works on before I formatted it. If not, then format it and let me know if you have any success.
 
I would have to say it points to drive lettering/assignment too. It will more than likely be trying to assign it a drive letter that is being used by one of the Card reader's. The best thing to do if you can see the drive under disk management(control panel, admin tools, computer manamgent and then disk management from left hand side) is to assign a drive letter to it by right clicking and selecting 'chande drive letter... and then setting it to something like 'Z' drive, this should then assign the letter, autoplay the devise and you will be able to see it in My Computer.

Hope that helps.
 
the device you are using is does not support to your computer because you attached the device b the usb and in the old computers usb does not support or support at a low level so that the icon does not show or there is a one way way is that please unplug all the usb device attached to the computers and restarted the computer than plug the drive to the computer it may be detected or check the usb drivers are installed properly if not than update the drivers of the usb port may be work.
 
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