attaching external USB disk

[aa]

I have bought a 3.5" external USB enclosure for an put there a Maxtor HDD
from another computer where it was working as a secondary drive.
Now the computer does not see this USB drive neither in XP not in bios. A
USB memory stick when plagged into the same socket shows up both in w2k and
in bios.

Two questions:
1. Does it matter how the jumpers are set in the HDD? If so, how should
they be set?
2. I have two primary partitions and two logical on that disk. Will this
affect the HDD's visibility? If USB can cope with multipartitioned HDD, how
these partitions are going to be seen?

 

[Guest]

aa,

You didn't say if you knew that you have to set the jumpers where that
one is the slave and the other the master if they are running on the same
cable. Best of luck.
Ron

 

[aa]

Thanks, Ron

Inside the machine the master and the slave HDDs were on different cables.
But is it relevant how that HDD was set inside the machine to make it work
as an external USB?
So, how would you recommend to set the jumprs on that HDD before fitting it
into an external USB enclosure?

Also do you think the existing partitions on that HDD might cause the
problem? For example a USMB memory stick appeares as another letter drive.
If there are several partitions, should I expect them to appear as several
drive letters, or USB will be confused and will show nothing at all?

 

[george]

inline

I have bought a 3.5" external USB enclosure for an put there a Maxtor HDD
from another computer where it was working as a secondary drive.
Now the computer does not see this USB drive neither in XP not in bios. A
USB memory stick when plagged into the same socket shows up both in w2k
and
in bios.

Two questions:
1. Does it matter how the jumpers are set in the HDD? If so, how should
they be set?

on the existing HDD (in the new enclosure) set the jumpers on the HDD to be
singel master, or failing that you might try setting it to CS (Cable Select)

2. I have two primary partitions and two logical on that disk. Will this
affect the HDD's visibility? If USB can cope with multipartitioned HDD,
how
these partitions are going to be seen?

When the system recorgnizes the USB connection (might have to install
specific driver(s) software if any came with the enclosure!) your existing
partitions and logical drives would be shown as (new) driveletters, same way
you wre used to seeing them but probably new letter designations.

 

[Richard Urban]

Sorry! You are wrong.

You don't have to alter IDE drive jumpers when you install a USB external
drive.

To the OP. Read the enclosure instructions. You will have to set the hard
drive in the enclosure for master drive, single drive or possibly cable
select - depending upon the particular manufacturers hard drive.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

If you knew as much as you thought you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[aa]

Thanks, George, it worked exsctly as you said.

BTW is therer any way I have a primary partition with an OS installed, can I
boot from this external HDD into that operationg system?

For the moment available operating systems in my boot.ini looks as follows:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"

What will be the line pointing to the external USB drive?

(the external USB drive does not show up in BIOS set up)

 

[george]

I'm afraid you are out of luck on this one, because Windows does not support
booting from removable devices and external USB is considered one.

george