Windows 7: Windows 7 will not let me access Iomega external HDD

kivarocket · 13 Jul 2011

Hi all,

I currently have Windows Home Premium 64-bit and seems to be working quite well. However, when I tried to connect my Iomega eGo external HDD to *every single USB port I have on the computer* the computer would "see" the HDD but not register as a HDD that I can access.

It will not show up in My Computer at all. The HDD has music files on it from a different computer, so it's not empty.

When I go to look at the USB connections, it shows up as a USB Mass Storage device, but again, I cannot actually get INTO my HDD.

As a side note, when I look at computer management, my external HDD shows up as Disk1. Perhaps I need to allocate a letter to it? How can I do that without erasing the data stored on it already?

I've been reading the forums, and there doesn't seem to be a solution that works for me.

Ideas? Thanks!!

ickymay · 13 Jul 2011

try the suggestions in this article from Iomega ?

If you can take it back to the computer that recognizes it I would lift the files off then format it fat32 on your win 7 machine then drop the files back on and see if that works >

It looks like it might originally come formatted for mac so formatting would be my first suspicion ?

Britton30 · 13 Jul 2011

Welcome to Seven Forums kivarocket

In computer management does it give you an option to Initialize the drive. If so, doing that WILL erase it. If you right click it there what option does it give you?

From the link ickymay provided...

Quote:

STEP TWO - Make sure the Iomega Hard Drive is formatted for use with Windows

Some Iomega Hard Drives ship formatted for use with Mac OS and must be reformatted for use with Windows. This includes most Iomega Desktop and Portable Hard Drives that have FireWire and USB connections, the MiniMaxHard Drive, the Iomega UltraMax Hard Drive, and the eGo™ Helium Portable Hard Drive.
If you have one of the drives listed above, follow the formatting instructions under Answer ID 16551. If the drive is still not detected, return to these instructions (Answer ID 1235) and continue with STEP THREE.
If you do not have one of these drives, continue to STEP THREE.

STEP THREE - Manually assign a drive letter to the Iomega Hard Drive

Right click the Computer or My Computer icon and select Manage.
Click the plus (+) sign next to Storage if it is not already expanded.
Click Disk Management.
Right click the icon for the Iomega Hard Drive and click Change Drive Letter and Path.

NOTE: Windows may report the Iomega Hard drive as a generic Local Disk and a non-Iomega drive string may be present. For more information, please go to Answer ID 1966.
Click the Edit button
Next to Assign a drive letter, select an unused drive letter from the drop-down menu.
Click OK.
A message appears that states 'Changing the drive letter of a volume may cause programs to no longer run. Are you sure you want to change the drive letter?'
Click Yes.
Restart the computer.
Double click the Computer or My Computer to see if the Iomega Hard Drive is detected.

If the Iomega Hard Drive letter appears, you can now use the drive.

If the Iomega Hard Drive is still not detected, continue with the next step.

kivarocket · 13 Jul 2011

Thank you everyone! I get the mac back from the school I teach at on Monday, so I'll update you when I've tried your suggestions!

Solarstarshines · 13 Jul 2011

Disc managment will be the way to go it will let you see the drive but unfortanly you would have to format it in order to see it

essenbe · 14 Jul 2011

I don't own a mac, but I understand that a Mac can read NTFS but not write to it. So, it depends on how you want to use it. I would think you could partition it part HFS+ and the other part NTFS.

Windows 7: Windows 7 will not let me access Iomega external HDD

Windows 7 will not let me access Iomega external HDD problems?