64 Bit Ext. hard drives no longer recognised

  • Thread starter Thread starter epoxpro
  • Start date Start date
E

epoxpro

Hi there

I'm running XP Pro SP3 and up till about 4 weeks ago both my external hard

drives were recognised by this system after plugging the USB cable into a

front port on the case.



The 2nd ext. HDD is a Seagate 1TB drive which is only a few weeks old and

after purchase brought it home plugged in the power and the USB cable in the

front port and it was immediately identified by the OS as new hardware and

was up and running in a matter of seconds. What happens now is I plug in the

cable in the port and the icon comes up in the systray, but no screen asking

what I want to do like explore the files etc.



The drive does not show up in disk management and when I click

Action->Refresh the system freezes so I need to power down the drive unplug

the cable and reset the system and it boots to a desktop normally. They also

don't show up in My Computer or Windows Explorer. Both the ext. HDD's work

perfectly in my other system.Also my flash drives work perfectly in that

port and all other ports. I've tried both ext HDD's and the same thing

happens. I've un-installed the USB controllers in Device Manager and after a

restart were all found and re-installed correctly.



Also I have swapped my HDD (have removable racks) with the other and the

ext. HDD is recognised which means (I think) that its something to do with

the OS on my number 1 drive? And if I boot my system with the USB cable

installed the system finds it and the drive is accessible. Safely remove it

and plug it back in and I have the same problem?



They were working perfectly last time I did an image backup on them from

this system and to the best of my knowledge nothing has changed.



This has me stumped and I have run out of ideas. Does anyone have any idea

what might be happening and how I can get them to work again.



Cheers
 
Hi there



Is there anyone out there who can offer me any type of help in this matter.

It would be greatrly appreciated. Or any leads to investigate at least.



Cheers







"epoxpro" wrote in message

news:u9B8RfS2KHA.5680@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> Hi there

> I'm running XP Pro SP3 and up till about 4 weeks ago both my external hard

> drives were recognised by this system after plugging the USB cable into a

> front port on the case.

>

> The 2nd ext. HDD is a Seagate 1TB drive which is only a few weeks old and

> after purchase brought it home plugged in the power and the USB cable in

> the front port and it was immediately identified by the OS as new hardware

> and was up and running in a matter of seconds. What happens now is I plug

> in the cable in the port and the icon comes up in the systray, but no

> screen asking what I want to do like explore the files etc.

>

> The drive does not show up in disk management and when I click

> Action->Refresh the system freezes so I need to power down the drive

> unplug the cable and reset the system and it boots to a desktop normally.

> They also don't show up in My Computer or Windows Explorer. Both the ext.

> HDD's work perfectly in my other system.Also my flash drives work

> perfectly in that port and all other ports. I've tried both ext HDD's and

> the same thing happens. I've un-installed the USB controllers in Device

> Manager and after a restart were all found and re-installed correctly.

>

> Also I have swapped my HDD (have removable racks) with the other and the

> ext. HDD is recognised which means (I think) that its something to do with

> the OS on my number 1 drive? And if I boot my system with the USB cable

> installed the system finds it and the drive is accessible. Safely remove

> it and plug it back in and I have the same problem?

>

> They were working perfectly last time I did an image backup on them from

> this system and to the best of my knowledge nothing has changed.

>

> This has me stumped and I have run out of ideas. Does anyone have any idea

> what might be happening and how I can get them to work again.

>

> Cheers

>

>

>

>
 


> "epoxpro" wrote in message

> news:u9B8RfS2KHA.5680@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>> Hi there

>> I'm running XP Pro SP3 and up till about 4 weeks ago both my external

>> hard drives were recognised by this system after plugging the USB cable

>> into a front port on the case.

>>

>> The 2nd ext. HDD is a Seagate 1TB drive which is only a few weeks old and

>> after purchase brought it home plugged in the power and the USB cable in

>> the front port and it was immediately identified by the OS as new

>> hardware and was up and running in a matter of seconds. What happens now

>> is I plug in the cable in the port and the icon comes up in the systray,

>> but no screen asking what I want to do like explore the files etc.

>>

>> The drive does not show up in disk management and when I click

>> Action->Refresh the system freezes so I need to power down the drive

>> unplug the cable and reset the system and it boots to a desktop normally.

>> They also don't show up in My Computer or Windows Explorer. Both the ext.

>> HDD's work perfectly in my other system.Also my flash drives work

>> perfectly in that port and all other ports. I've tried both ext HDD's and

>> the same thing happens. I've un-installed the USB controllers in Device

>> Manager and after a restart were all found and re-installed correctly.

>>

>> Also I have swapped my HDD (have removable racks) with the other and the

>> ext. HDD is recognised which means (I think) that its something to do

>> with the OS on my number 1 drive? And if I boot my system with the USB

>> cable installed the system finds it and the drive is accessible. Safely

>> remove it and plug it back in and I have the same problem?

>>

>> They were working perfectly last time I did an image backup on them from

>> this system and to the best of my knowledge nothing has changed.

>>

>> This has me stumped and I have run out of ideas. Does anyone have any

>> idea what might be happening and how I can get them to work again.

>>

>> Cheers





epoxpro...

1. If I correctly understand your post the problem you're experiencing re

the non-recognition of both your USB external HDDs occurs with only *one* of

your internal (removable) HDDs. I take it both of your removable HDDs

contain a bootable OS.



2. And can we assume the problem you describe involves any USB port (front

or rear) on your system, not solely the front USB port on your desktop PC

case? Or is the problem you describe confined *only* to the front USB port?



3. So there's no USB connectivity problem when you've booted to the HDD

which we'll call HDD #1. Both USBEHDs function normally in all respects at

that time. Do I have this right?



4. So the problem you've described is *only* experienced with HDD #2, yes?

And you say your USB-connected flash drives function just fine in any front

or rear USB port when you've booted to that HDD? So that the problem

involves only the two USBEHDs re their connection to HDD #2, right?



5. I take it the two removable HDDs, while they contain the XP OS (or do

they contain different OSs?) contain substantially different data and/or

user configurations. They're not clones of each other, right?



6. Assuming I correctly understand the basics of the problem you're

describing, have you invoked the sfc /scannow and chkdsk commands re the HDD

that experiences this problem?



7. Think it might be a good idea to check out that HDD with the HDD

diagnostic utility available from the disk's manufacturer, notwithstanding

the fact that there are (apparently) no other problems with the system? Or

are there other problems?



8. Again, assuming I correctly understand the problem, have you given any

consideration to undertaking a Repair install of the XP OS on the HDD

experiencing this problem?

Anna
 
Hi there

I think you have it right both removable HDD's have XP Pro installed but

with different configurations.



And yes the problem with non recognition of the ext. HDD's happens on any

USB port front or back.



My 2 removable drives are #1 and #2. Problem exists on #1. Flash drives work

perfectly on any port on the #1 drive.



The system WILL recognise an ext HDD when I boot (cold) with that ext HDD

plugged into a port. It then appears normally in My Computer and Windows

Explorer and I can copy and paste files as per normal.

If I "safely remove" it and then plug it back in the USB icon appears almost

immediately in the systray but it does not appear in My Computer etc in

other words it's not recognised.



No I haven't considered a repair install but I think it will be the only way

to regain the connectivity. The system otherwise is stable as a rock and

exhibits no other symproms that lead me to beleive the HDD is faulty in any

way.



Many thanks for your reply.

Cheers.



"Anna" wrote in message

news:O08fbJl3KHA.3844@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>

>> "epoxpro" wrote in message

>> news:u9B8RfS2KHA.5680@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

>>> Hi there

>>> I'm running XP Pro SP3 and up till about 4 weeks ago both my external

>>> hard drives were recognised by this system after plugging the USB cable

>>> into a front port on the case.

>>>

>>> The 2nd ext. HDD is a Seagate 1TB drive which is only a few weeks old

>>> and after purchase brought it home plugged in the power and the USB

>>> cable in the front port and it was immediately identified by the OS as

>>> new hardware and was up and running in a matter of seconds. What happens

>>> now is I plug in the cable in the port and the icon comes up in the

>>> systray, but no screen asking what I want to do like explore the files

>>> etc.

>>>

>>> The drive does not show up in disk management and when I click

>>> Action->Refresh the system freezes so I need to power down the drive

>>> unplug the cable and reset the system and it boots to a desktop

>>> normally. They also don't show up in My Computer or Windows Explorer.

>>> Both the ext. HDD's work perfectly in my other system.Also my flash

>>> drives work perfectly in that port and all other ports. I've tried both

>>> ext HDD's and the same thing happens. I've un-installed the USB

>>> controllers in Device Manager and after a restart were all found and

>>> re-installed correctly.

>>>

>>> Also I have swapped my HDD (have removable racks) with the other and the

>>> ext. HDD is recognised which means (I think) that its something to do

>>> with the OS on my number 1 drive? And if I boot my system with the USB

>>> cable installed the system finds it and the drive is accessible. Safely

>>> remove it and plug it back in and I have the same problem?

>>>

>>> They were working perfectly last time I did an image backup on them from

>>> this system and to the best of my knowledge nothing has changed.

>>>

>>> This has me stumped and I have run out of ideas. Does anyone have any

>>> idea what might be happening and how I can get them to work again.

>>>

>>> Cheers

>

>

> epoxpro...

> 1. If I correctly understand your post the problem you're experiencing re

> the non-recognition of both your USB external HDDs occurs with only *one*

> of your internal (removable) HDDs. I take it both of your removable HDDs

> contain a bootable OS.

>

> 2. And can we assume the problem you describe involves any USB port (front

> or rear) on your system, not solely the front USB port on your desktop PC

> case? Or is the problem you describe confined *only* to the front USB

> port?

>

> 3. So there's no USB connectivity problem when you've booted to the HDD

> which we'll call HDD #1. Both USBEHDs function normally in all respects at

> that time. Do I have this right?

>

> 4. So the problem you've described is *only* experienced with HDD #2, yes?

> And you say your USB-connected flash drives function just fine in any

> front or rear USB port when you've booted to that HDD? So that the problem

> involves only the two USBEHDs re their connection to HDD #2, right?

>

> 5. I take it the two removable HDDs, while they contain the XP OS (or do

> they contain different OSs?) contain substantially different data and/or

> user configurations. They're not clones of each other, right?

>

> 6. Assuming I correctly understand the basics of the problem you're

> describing, have you invoked the sfc /scannow and chkdsk commands re the

> HDD that experiences this problem?

>

> 7. Think it might be a good idea to check out that HDD with the HDD

> diagnostic utility available from the disk's manufacturer, notwithstanding

> the fact that there are (apparently) no other problems with the system? Or

> are there other problems?

>

> 8. Again, assuming I correctly understand the problem, have you given any

> consideration to undertaking a Repair install of the XP OS on the HDD

> experiencing this problem?

> Anna

>
 
Back
Top