Disappearing USB Hard Drive

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Byrned

453 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 27

Topic # 28917 16-Dec-2008 11:00

Hi All

I've got an external Western Digital MyBook Premium that I've had connected via firewire to another computer for over a year now with no issues. Recently I moved it to another computer that doesn;t have firewire, so I connected it via USB instead.

So far I've had limited success with windows seeing it. Sometimes its there, mostly its not! It seems that windows keeps detecting it as an unknown device connected via USB.

I've tried every USB port on the computer with no luck and I'm starting to pull my (limited) hair out

Computer is running Vista SP1 and all other updates installed.

Hopefully someones seen this before!

Balchy

484 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

Reply # 184470 16-Dec-2008 11:16

Its not mapped to a drive letter that is already in use? - I have that at work all the time so keep having to right click on my computer - go manage and then reassign the drive letter

For billions of years since the outset of time, every single one of your ancestors survived, every single person on your Mum and Dads side, successfully looked after and passed onto you life. What are the chances of that like?

wellygary

3392 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 925

Reply # 184472 16-Dec-2008 11:20

Byrned: Hi All

I've got an external Western Digital MyBook Premium that I've had connected via firewire to another computer for over a year now with no issues. Recently I moved it to another computer that doesn;t have firewire, so I connected it via USB instead.

So far I've had limited success with windows seeing it. Sometimes its there, mostly its not! It seems that windows keeps detecting it as an unknown device connected via USB.

I've tried every USB port on the computer with no luck and I'm starting to pull my (limited) hair out

Computer is running Vista SP1 and all other updates installed.

Hopefully someones seen this before!

Mybooks have an "interesting" reputations for being flacky

http://reviews.cnet.com/hard-drives/western-digital-mybook-premium/4864-3186_7-31793438.html?messageID=18604

Byrned

453 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 27

Reply # 184481 16-Dec-2008 11:54

Nope - its not mapped to anything at all. Doesn't show up in disk management, and as I said, windows just sees it as an unknown device.

I didn't think it would be a power problem as it has/does work fine on a different machine via firewire. I'll have to try via USB on that machine to see if its just a USB problem with the drive.

Frustrating if it is...

pasho

72 posts

Master Geek

Reply # 185534 21-Dec-2008 20:31

Byrned, do u carry much your HD? I had similar problems with WD drives but not exactly MyBook ones. It usually starts laggin when you plug it in and making strange grunting noises, after a while it'll die. so i suggest have your data backed up somewhere or u'll loose it all, like i did several times. very unpleasant feeling i must say =\

Sailor2

1 post

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 187259 3-Jan-2009 22:42

Hi Pasha,

What you have just said is not very encouraging for reso;ving my problem. I have had an external HD connected to a USB conection for the last 2.5 years. I turn it on when needed and and have stored lots of important data as well as a large number of photos etc. It has large capacity and would be lucky if I have used 20% of the space. Up until the other day it served its purpose well.

However when I turned the HD on with my computer it showed up as being connected under Ulead Photo Explorer and asked if I wished to open it. If I clicked OK it would open up for photos so I always cancelled out the Ulead site and accessed the extenal HD from "My Computer" site were it would show as Local Disk (F:).

On the Ulead site there was also a take no action button and for the one and only time I clicked that and disaster occurred. The external HD gave a grunt and when I went to My Computer site and clicked on Local Disk (F:) only a very few programes opened in the external HD.

The computer was rebooted and when Local Disk (F:) was attempted th be opened through the My Computer site again it showed a box which informed that F:\ is not accessible and also stated that "The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable"

As I have valuable infromation on the extenal hard drive which is a Gemini USB2.0 3.5 HDD External Box. can anybody give me advice on correcting the problem or salvaging the info off the external HD. I have also attempted to open the HD on another computer but it would not recognise that additional hardware had been connected to it.

Sailor2

RAJP