Disc caddy

[Guest]

I have windows XP. Recently purchased a 3.5HDD disc caddy with USB interface
and have put in it a 40G HDD ide drive previously used in my Tivo tv
recording system. The computer hardware has recognised it and you can call up
some properties but no more i.e you can see it is a 40G drive and the
mnanufacturer and if you go to Disc management you can see it on the list of
discs. However I cannot do anything with it. I assume it needs formatting(it
has already been installed and the system says it is working properly)) but
if you go to my computer and look at the list of discs it is not visible for
formatting. The disc in the caddy is set to operate as master as requested in
the manufacturers information.

Any help would be really appreciated as I am absolutely stuck. John

 

[DL]

You Format/prepare in Disk Management, not in My Computer

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your answer but I forgot to mention that I have already looked in
Disc management. It is probably me not being familiar with the
process/software but if I right click the caddy drive I just come up with
properties and help with the properties simply saying the name of the disc
and left clicking it does nothing. Looking at the various other drop down
menues I cannot see anything that will allow me to proceed. The text against
the drive info is basic /online. So I still am stuck. Again any help would be
appreciated

 

[DL]

In Disk Mng the left pane shows your external device, in which rt click give
access to properties, yes?
The adjacent rt pane shows what? and rt clicking on it gives what options?
if unformated should give options to prepare/format/partition

 

[Guest]

DL,
I have got to disc management through the Computer Management route. In
the left hand pane an icon for disc management is shown but no information
beneath it about drives i.e appears not to have option to expand it. Rt
clicking disc management gives options refresh,rescan disc,all tasks,view and
new window. In the right hand pane left clicking the drive does nothing and
right clicking it gives the options of properties and help, with convert to..
greyed out

 

[DL]

Sorry did'nt explain v.well
In Computer Management window, left pane shows an explorer like layout, one
of the folders being Disk Management, select that, rt hand pane will have an
upper and lwr section. Upper one lists drives/partitions available and their
type/File sys. Does it list the caddy and give what details?
Lower pane Lists Drives, on the left, and adjacent the current state of the
drive it should either state Healthy or unallocated if you then rt click, in
this area, it should give some options.

 

[Guest]

Upper section of RH pane only lists drive "C" i.e. not the disc caddy. The
lower pane lists it as "disc 6" and says it is "basic" and "on line". Right
clicking it only offers options of "properties" and "help". Within properties
it is correctly identified, as states it is working properly. "Convert to
dynamic disc" is greyed out

 

[GHalleck]

Upper section of RH pane only lists drive "C" i.e. not the disc caddy. The
lower pane lists it as "disc 6" and says it is "basic" and "on line". Right
clicking it only offers options of "properties" and "help". Within properties
it is correctly identified, as states it is working properly. "Convert to
dynamic disc" is greyed out

Highlight on the drive in Disk Management and assign it a drive
letter. It needs to have a drive letter before it can be formatted.

 

[Guest]

The drive is not shown in the upper section of right hand pane to highlight.
It is only shown in the lower section as disc 6 and highlighting it (actually
it doesnt highlight as such but a box appears around it)only gives thge two
options of properties and help i.e I cannot see an option to allocate drive
letter

 

[GHalleck]

The drive is not shown in the upper section of right hand pane to highlight.
It is only shown in the lower section as disc 6 and highlighting it (actually
it doesnt highlight as such but a box appears around it)only gives thge two
options of properties and help i.e I cannot see an option to allocate drive
letter

Are you in Disk Management? In the menu bar, there should be a
menu item named Action. In a dialog boxes in Action, there should
be an option for creating or changing drive letters.

 

[DL]

Looking at the Lower section, rt hand pane
If you scroll (if necessary) to look at one of your functioning drives, you
should see similar to;
Disk 0 | then the partition info, eg vol label, size,statuus
Does the cady section show
Disk 6 | anything in this section?

 

[Guest]

for disc 6 it simply says "basic" and "on line". There is no information on
volume size etc.

 

[Guest]

Yes I am in disc management.
For all of the other drives i.e "C", and the "card readers" there is an
option under actions "all tasks", and this then shows an option "change drive
letter".
For disc 6. i.e. the disc caddy the same option "all tasks" is shown under
actions but this then only gives an option "properties" i.e. the option
"change drive letter" does not exist.

 

[Mistoffolees]

Yes I am in disc management.
For all of the other drives i.e "C", and the "card readers" there is an
option under actions "all tasks", and this then shows an option "change drive
letter".
For disc 6. i.e. the disc caddy the same option "all tasks" is shown under
actions but this then only gives an option "properties" i.e. the option
"change drive letter" does not exist.

Did you install the hard drive yourself? Who manufactured the
hard drive? Understand what is the manufacturer's definition
for a "Master" or single drive setting? They might not mean the
same thing, e.g., a single WD hard drive is never jumpered.

 

[Guest]

Thanks. the disc is a Quantum Fireball 40G Unit.I believe it is functioning
fine as I was using it last week in my tivo system(I accept it could have
failed but I think it unlikely)

I have tried all options ie as slave ,as master, and as cable select to
master and also with no jumpering but there is no change with any of these
options. I believe the problem may be a simple one but I cannot find the
answer

 

[DL]

So when you rt click in the basic / on line part of the screen there are no
options?

 

[Guest]

When I right click the only options are "properties "where it says it is
working correctly and also names the manufacturer, or "help"

 

[DL]

Then I'm sorry I'm flummoxed.
If its working properly it should have a drive letter. Unless perhaps your
drive caddy has some specific drivers that need to be installed

 

[Guest]

DL Thanks for your help. The software has already been loaded and unloaded
several times and windows XP says it is working and has the latest software.
I have tried everything I know and am giving up for today as its 11.20 pm
here. If you do think of anything please let me know.