I am in desperate need of help...

[Montgomery BOO...URNS]

....because I am about to lose some very valuable data, and I need some
advice on what I should do.

First off, I know the worthwhile advice is to keep a constant backup of
my data which is something I normally do but the reason for not backing
up these particular files is because they are large in size and I guess
I could just never get around to swapping DVD discs in and out of my
disc drive and taking the necessary time to back up my files. Shame on me.

As for the description of the problem... I have an external 160 GB hard
drive that is connected via USB through an enclosure (in other words
it's an internal transformed into an external). I noticed a problem at
the start of the weekend when I was switching some devices on my USB
ports and I ended up with a USB malfunction message that I actually
solved by uninstalling all of my USB devices and reconnecting once I
would reboot XP. Fixed! Now I go to connect my external hard drive and
I can access folders on the drive but for some reason, I can't run
these files through their specifed applications. For instance, if I try
to play a video file, Windows Media Player says that it either can't
locate the file or it can't find the right codec file (which I have all
the necessary codecs to play all formats of video files).

At one point I tried to access certain files on my external hard drive
and they showed nothing. I thought I had lost all of my data, only to
reboot and find that they're still there. I tried to copy files to my
desktop only to have it move real slow and if it would start copying it
would get half way through the copy and a Cannot Copy: Access Error
would pop up.

I run a Pentium 4 system with 2.8 GHz processor, 1.5G RAM, 1x160 Gig
internal hard drive, and 1x160 Gig external hard drive. Other
peripherals include a P4P800 motherboard, 256 & 128 Geforce video
graphics card, Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS sound card, USB port, Firewire
port, Windows XP SP2.

I wonder if there's a hard drive recovery application I could use or
even something I could do with the hard drive that would allow me to
copy all of my files faster to another hard drive. Please, I have very
valuable data on this drive and I don't want to lose it. Please help.

Thanks in advance,

Monty

 

[philo]

...because I am about to lose some very valuable data, and I need some
advice on what I should do.

First off, I know the worthwhile advice is to keep a constant backup of
my data which is something I normally do but the reason for not backing
up these particular files is because they are large in size and I guess
I could just never get around to swapping DVD discs in and out of my
disc drive and taking the necessary time to back up my files. Shame on me.

As for the description of the problem... I have an external 160 GB hard
drive that is connected via USB through an enclosure (in other words
it's an internal transformed into an external). I noticed a problem at
the start of the weekend when I was switching some devices on my USB
ports and I ended up with a USB malfunction message that I actually
solved by uninstalling all of my USB devices and reconnecting once I
would reboot XP. Fixed!

<snip>

Maybe, maybe not.

Check to see if your USB controllers are listed as "enhanced" or USB2

if not, then they are operating as USB1 devices and that may be what your
problem is

 

[Montgomery BOO...URNS]

<snip>

Maybe, maybe not.

Check to see if your USB controllers are listed as "enhanced" or USB2

if not, then they are operating as USB1 devices and that may be what your
problem is

Why would everything run fine for so long and now, all of a sudden, it's
a problem?

Thanks for your help,

David

 

[Montgomery BOO...URNS]

<snip>

Maybe, maybe not.

Check to see if your USB controllers are listed as "enhanced" or USB2

if not, then they are operating as USB1 devices and that may be what your
problem is

How do I fix this?

TIA,
Monty

 

[Anna]

...because I am about to lose some very valuable data, and I need some
advice on what I should do.

First off, I know the worthwhile advice is to keep a constant backup of my
data which is something I normally do but the reason for not backing up
these particular files is because they are large in size and I guess I
could just never get around to swapping DVD discs in and out of my disc
drive and taking the necessary time to back up my files. Shame on me.

As for the description of the problem... I have an external 160 GB hard
drive that is connected via USB through an enclosure (in other words it's
an internal transformed into an external). I noticed a problem at the
start of the weekend when I was switching some devices on my USB ports and
I ended up with a USB malfunction message that I actually solved by
uninstalling all of my USB devices and reconnecting once I would reboot
XP. Fixed! Now I go to connect my external hard drive and I can access
folders on the drive but for some reason, I can't run these files through
their specifed applications. For instance, if I try to play a video file,
Windows Media Player says that it either can't locate the file or it can't
find the right codec file (which I have all the necessary codecs to play
all formats of video files).

At one point I tried to access certain files on my external hard drive and
they showed nothing. I thought I had lost all of my data, only to reboot
and find that they're still there. I tried to copy files to my desktop
only to have it move real slow and if it would start copying it would get
half way through the copy and a Cannot Copy: Access Error would pop up.

I run a Pentium 4 system with 2.8 GHz processor, 1.5G RAM, 1x160 Gig
internal hard drive, and 1x160 Gig external hard drive. Other peripherals
include a P4P800 motherboard, 256 & 128 Geforce video graphics card,
Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS sound card, USB port, Firewire port, Windows XP
SP2.

I wonder if there's a hard drive recovery application I could use or even
something I could do with the hard drive that would allow me to copy all
of my files faster to another hard drive. Please, I have very valuable
data on this drive and I don't want to lose it. Please help.

Thanks in advance,

Monty

Monty (or David):
It's difficult, if not impossible, to tell from this distance precisely what
is causing your problem as it affects accessing your files on your USB
external HDD.

From the way you described your USBEHD it sounds like you (or someone)
installed a 160 GB HDD into a USB external enclosure. If that *is* the case
and you can easily remove the HDD from its enclosure, I would suggest you do
so and install the drive in your PC as an internal secondary HDD. (I'm
assuming that your PC is a desktop machine based on the general description
you furnished). I'm obviously also assuming that you have the expertise to
do this.

Hopefully you'll then be able to access that data on that drive. It's
conceivable, of course, that for one reason or another the HDD is defective.
If there's any indication of that you should download the diagnostic utility
from the manufacturer of the disk and check it out.
Anna

 

[philo]

How do I fix this?

Don't know if you have a USB problem yet.
What did the control panel show?

 

[Montgomery BOO...URNS]

Don't know if you have a USB problem yet.
What did the control panel show?

Here's what's listed under Universal Serial Bus Controllers in the
Device Manager...

Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller - 24D2
Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller - 24D4
Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller - 24D7
Intel(R) 82801EB USB Universal Host Controller - 24DE
Intel(R) 82801EB USB2 Universal Host Controller - 24DD
USB Composite Device
USB Composite Device
USB Printing Support
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
VIA USB Enhanced Host Controller

I did disconnect the external and connected it to my Mac and everything
seems to work fine, even through a hub. I've tried everything short of
formatting and starting fresh again. I even uninstalled all of my USB
devices through the device manager twice and still have the same results.

Thank you again for any and all help you can give.

Monty

 

[Montgomery BOO...URNS]

Monty (or David):
It's difficult, if not impossible, to tell from this distance precisely what
is causing your problem as it affects accessing your files on your USB
external HDD.

From the way you described your USBEHD it sounds like you (or someone)
installed a 160 GB HDD into a USB external enclosure. If that *is* the case
and you can easily remove the HDD from its enclosure, I would suggest you do
so and install the drive in your PC as an internal secondary HDD. (I'm
assuming that your PC is a desktop machine based on the general description
you furnished). I'm obviously also assuming that you have the expertise to
do this.

Hopefully you'll then be able to access that data on that drive. It's
conceivable, of course, that for one reason or another the HDD is defective.
If there's any indication of that you should download the diagnostic utility
from the manufacturer of the disk and check it out.
Anna

I was able to remove the drive from my desktop (yes it is a desktop,
self-built) as it is a removable drive, and connect it to my Mac which I
can access quite freely and I'm having no problems there.

If worse comes to worse, I will reinstall it as a secondary internal
drive on my desktop PC.

Thank you for your help.

Monty

 

[philo]

USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
VIA USB Enhanced Host Controller

I did disconnect the external and connected it to my Mac and everything
seems to work fine, even through a hub. I've tried everything short of
formatting and starting fresh again. I even uninstalled all of my USB
devices through the device manager twice and still have the same results.

Thank you again for any and all help you can give.

Monty

The "enhanced" means you at least have USB2 enabled on the motherboard...

Note that some motherboards (foolishly) have both USB1 and USB 2 ports...
so just be sure it really is connected to a USB 2 capable port

 

[srdiamond]

Note that some motherboards (foolishly) have both > USB1 and USB 2 ports...

so just be sure it really is connected to a USB 2 > capable port

How does one distinguish between them if the motherboard has both?

EggHeadCafe.com - .NET Developer Portal of Choice
http://www.eggheadcafe.com

 

[Noozer]

How does one distinguish between them if the motherboard has both?

The users manual. The plugs are the same.

 

[_The PhYz, MD]

Use Everest Home 2.0 (free edition).

[ ] !!

_The PhYz, MD