"Anna" <myname@myisp.net> wrote in message
news:e4rufFlQIHA.2376@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>
>>>> "Rock" <1940@pobox.com> wrote in message
>>>>>>> HI,
>>>>>>> I have XP pro and on two occasions I have had the HD tray drive
>>>>>>> letter lose contact with XP and then after a while, lose all the
>>>>>>> data on the HD.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I am not sure why this has happened as I do not change them very
>>>>>>> often at all.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Is there anything I should know about using XP Pro with HD trays?
>>>>>>> For example are there special XP trays?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks
>>>
>>>
>>>>> sdlomi2 wrote:
>>>>>> Are u referring to slide-out trays, also called "caddies" iirc,
>>>>>> that you can slide out of one computer & into another basically
>>>>>> identical computer? Or are u referring to an external hd tray that is
>>>>>> customarily used on just one computer? s
>>>
>>>> I have some of those I used w/Win 98 AND between virtually identical
>>>> computers. Are your comps. identical? and are your trays compatible
>>>> w/WinXP? s
>>>
>>>
>>>>>> "Rock" <1940@pobox.com> wrote in message
>>>>> The first. The holder is put in a box bay and the tray can be remove
>>>>> not an external casing.
>
>
>> Anna wrote:
>>> Rock:
>>> As you've clarified, you're using removable HDDs contained in removable
>>> caddies or trays so that even though the HDDs are can be easily removed
>>> from the system, they serve as *internal* HDDs while they're in use.
>>> It's a most desirable hardware arrangement that we strongly recommend
>>> for desktop PC users.
>>>
>>> Anyway, as to your problem...
>>>
>>> It's nearly impossible to diagnose the cause of your problem from your
>>> cursory description of the problem, let alone its solution. You have
>>> simply got to provide more detailed information as to *precisely* what
>>> the problem is, under what circumstances it occurs, and as much
>>> background info as you can provide, including any software/hardware
>>> changes you may have made preceding this problem. And is there any
>>> possibility that you may be simply dealing with a defective mobile rack
>>> or removable tray, or the device has been misconnected? Do you have any
>>> clue or suspicion whatsoever as to what may be causing this problem?
>>>
>>> You say this problem has arisen "on two occasions ". Is that it? Only
>>> "two occasions"? The rest of the time no problem? You *must* describe
>>> your problem more precisely. Stating "I have had the HD tray drive
>>> letter lose contact with XP and then after a while, lose all the data
>>> on the HD." is close to meaningless in terms of truly understanding your
>>> problem, and more importantly for you, trying to come up with a solution
>>> to your problem.
>>>
>>> Is there more than one removable HDD involved here? If so, do the
>>> problems pertain to both? Have you tried to *directly* connect the HDD
>>> to the motherboard's IDE channel (I'm assuming these are PATA/IDE HDDs,
>>> not SATA HDDs), not using the mobile rack/removable tray? If so, same
>>> problem?
>>> Anna
>
>
> "Rock" <1940@pobox.com> wrote in message
> news:OgADSUgQIHA.4656@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>> Yes Anna you are correct, my question was certainly very open to
>> misinterpretation.
>>
>> Part of the reason it was, is because the first time it did the drive in,
>> I was not aware of anything that was done differently to when it had been
>> working for a couple of years. Just one morning I saw it was not in the
>> explorer list and after looking at it in another box, saw the partition
>> itself had disappeared with the 28GB of data it had on it. I used some
>> rescue tools and got a little back, but not much.
>>
>> I then left it without a tray for a couple of months trying to get time
>> to look at it, then recently put another drive in it and at first it
>> showed up okay, but after a day or so it disappeared again from explorer.
>> Fortunately it had not done the partition or data in.
>> I tried the drive in another similar tray in the same box and it is fine
>> as the drive that lived in that tray had also been okay.
>>
>> It sounds like it is the tray mobo itself or even the mobo/drive flat
>> cable, so I will change that first and see what happens.
>>
>> I was interested to see whether or not they needed an XP driver as I do
>> recall years ago that I used some trays which I used on 95 and 98s boxes
>> and they definitely did not work on the first XP.
>>
>> Anyway I thank you all for the discussion and help and will report as I
>> work things out. If you have more to comment on please do as I would like
>> to know.
>>
>> Happy Christmas.
>
>
> Rock:
> No, you do *not* need any special XP driver for your HDD mobile
> rack/removable HDD. All you *do* need are non-defective hardware
> components that are properly installed in your desktop PC. So it may be
> very well that you're dealing with defective equipment. Mobile racks and
> their removable trays, like any other piece of computer hardware, can
> become defective. Similarly the IDE ribbon (data) cable connecting the
> device to your motherboard's IDE channel can become defective as well as a
> defective power connection. While not the usual scenario, these things do
> happen.
>
> Anyway, good luck in working through your problem.
>
> As I pointed out in my previous response to your query, it would most
> certainly be a good idea to remove the HDD from its removable tray and
> connect it *directly* to your motherboard's IDE channel (using the same
> IDE data cable). Should all go well that would seem to pinpoint the
> problem is indeed with the mobile rack and/or its removable tray.
> Anna
>
Would seem to me by the entire thread information derived from the OP, the
tray itself of the hard drive with the problem is the problem. He said he
tried another tray, and worked fine. Which, it seems to me, eliminates
everything else. I would start with the internal connections inside the
tray to the hard drive by disconnecting and reconnecting. Its alot easier
to do this first if the source of the problem. If no change, then pull the
problematic hard drive out and directly connect to the ide ribbon cable that
currently feeds the enclosure for the tray as you indicated.
One other notation. The ribbon cable could be problematic if the
successfully tested tray had a pio mode only capable hard drive in it, and
the other a later model that requires an 80 wire version ide ribbon cable.
Dave
fL9j.44962$K27.24131@bignews6.bellsouth.net...