Can't get access to my external harddrive

[Kristensen]

I have an Asus eee 1000H notebook, and i'm not able to get access to the external harddrive.
It doesn't show up in "my computer" but i can register that it's plugged in to the computer.'
my computer has to harddrives C and D, and it runs with windows xp.

Anyone who can help me whit this, i will be forever grateful.

 

[Ian]

Welcome to the forums Kristensen

Does the drive show up in device manager (i.e. detected?). If so, can you try going to the disk management panel (run "compmgmt.msc" and then click disk management) and see if you can assign the external HDD a drive letter.

 

[Kristensen]

I can't get in to the management of the external HDD, so i can't give it a name!
But I've heard that if i change my operator system to windows 7 it would help but I want to be sure...

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

No, that won't help.

What he means is that when you connect that external drive (using USB I assume), that you should be able to access computer management and at least determine a few things from there.

Has this drive worked before? If so, has it worked on this computer? How long has it been since you connected it to this or any other computer?

What kind of external drive is it? Are there markings or a name that would distinguish it apart from others?

The noise when you connect it is good. Now it is a matter of what is happening apart from that.

 

[Kristensen]

The harddrive has never worked on my computer, but i works on my other computer, and i use it all the time..
The harddrive is of the brand "LACIE" and there are no sound when i plug in the harddrive...

 

[bootneck02]

I have the same problem I have two caddies, When I connect them to the USB the show in the Manager as unknown, any suggestions anyone. The strange thing when I connect my Samsung S2 portable 500gig which I use to back up no problems, I have been scratching my head for weeks.

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

I assume this is Windows 7 and Lacie HD? Now the third instance I have heard of. Once I had witnessed it but was not privy to the fix. I know that an XP machine would read it, even with USB 1.0. The Win 7 laptop would not. The laptop stopped recognizing it after unplugging it from power without safely removing it from the machine. USB still connected, only power was removed, but essentially the same thing.

Challenge Accepted.

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...indows-7/98ad2be5-b8cf-4cca-9c9c-aef0c57ab531

try that as a start. see where it leads you. do you notice the drive at all in computer management? Take note of what you see in COMPUTER and compare it to DISK MANAGMENT in Computer Managment. This will help you to distinguish C and extra data drives from the Lacie drive.

Also, check Device Manager. It will be in the same window as Disk Managment when you open Computer Managment. Look for DRIVES and click the +. You should see the LACIE listed here. Is it?


Found something else of interest. http://www.softwaretipsandtricks.co...22133-external-hard-drive-not-recognized.html

 

[Kristensen]

So....
It's getting a bit complicatet since english aren't my native language but...
I can se the drive in the computer managment, but i can't get access to change the name or anything.
I can read that it's place at "place 0" (translated directly).
The drive also show up under USB-controllers but it's the same thing.
I can also se the drive through my C-drive adn D-drive (the computer is made with two)

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

OK, awesome. This means that your computer can see the drive. That's good.

I will try to keep it as short and simple as possible.

In computer management, when you click on disk management, you should see C and D drive. You should also see CD Rom listed with a letter next to it. Probably E:. Note the last letter listed here in the right side, bottom frame.

Right off the top of my head, I am not certain the listing that will show on the left side to indicate the Lacie drive. BUT, you should be able to take note the size of the Lacie drive and compare it to the used/available combined total space. It should be close. For example, 160GB drive after formatting, will show 148GB available. Approximately, 10%.

To the right of the Disk 0, (***Be sure that this is not the C: drive****) in the blank white space, right click and select change drive letter and paths. Click add to add a drive letter (this assumes that there is nothing listed in the box). Select add the following drive letter and select a letter. Choose something high in the alphabet as a test. Something after K for example. Click OK and OK. The drive letter should assign itself to the Lacie drive and be visible in My Computer.


*Edit: Short, it was not.

 

[Kristensen]

no it was not, but i understand...
the thing is, i can click from today until next yeah, but the only thing i can get to is "what is this" no name changeing, no nothing...

 

[Kristensen]

It possible for me to change the name of the C and the D drive.... but not the external drive

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

Click disk management on the left side first. You are looking at device manager, most likely.

*posted after your last post. I will look up some things.

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

How about this one?

http://social.technet.microsoft.com...e/thread/dd9cd509-f9ac-4295-a75b-863f92f5595f

 

[Kristensen]

well... i still don't have access but, now my computer gives me a message that there is a new drive with the ding-ding sound...

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

message that there is a new drive? Like the auto run "How would you like to open this file"?

Does it not show in My Computer with the rest of your drives?

 

[Kristensen]

no... it says that there is a new drive, but i doesn't show up in my computer!!

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

ok. Well, now that you have a ding ding and notification, try the drive letter assignment.

Start>right click computer>Manage>Disk Management>DiskXX (where XX is not C or D)>Right click>Assign drive letter.

Now that we know the computer is seeing a drive, assign the drive a letter and see if it shows in My Computer.

 

[OverThere]

How about this one?

http://social.technet.microsoft.com...e/thread/dd9cd509-f9ac-4295-a75b-863f92f5595f

YES!!!

After an hour of nonworking fixes and dead ends, you saved the day on both my externals.

Big Thanks!

1. Plug in and turn on the external USB hard drive
2. Right mouse click on My Computer
3. Left click on Manage
4. Left click on Device Manager
5. Expand the USB list
6. Find the USB device for your USB Hard Drive (in my case it was the one that had no description)
7. Right mouse click - Uninstall
8. Turn off the external USB hard drive
9. Turn on the external USB hard drive and let it find and install the driver
10. It should work

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

high five!