How do I find and download a driver?

[majic]

This is my first post on this forum. I am a "silver surfer" with basic PC knowledge, so please "be gentle with me".

I have recently changed PCs and took the opportunity to upgrade to Windows 7 Home Edition 32 bit. All has gone well, except:-

I have a small (80Gb) external drive, on to which I copied all my pictures and some other "My Documents" data from my old PC under Windows XP. When I plug this in to any USB port on the new machine, the power light comes on, but nothing else happens. If I click on COMPUTER, the drive does not show. However, another smaller drive (as well as my Kindle) are both recognised, whichever USB port I use.

If I go to Devices and Printers, the drive is listed as "Unspecified" and as "USB to ATA/ATAPI Bridge". Windows Troubleshooter reports "Couldn't identify the problem" but also saying "This device is working properly".

So I then tried, via Control Panel>System>Admin>Create and Format>Disc Drive to have Windows find a driver, but it replies "Couldn't find driver". Since I do not know the manufacturer of the disc drive (2.5" SATA), how can I find and download the driver - if, indeed, that is the problem?

I have purchased a program called Driver Detective, but that came up with nothing.

Any help, preferably in non technical language, would be gratefully appreciated.

 

[boohbah]

here is the site link
How To Find Drivers For Unknown Devices In Windows

 

[Roderunner]

Here's another, REMOVED

 

[z3r010]

Here's another, View attachment 175084

Can you please just link the posts and not attach pdf's of other sites content.

 

[Roderunner]

Here's another, View attachment 175084

Can you please just link the posts and not attach pdf's of other sites content.

I'll be more careful. Just thought it would be easier than finding the site.

 

[Brink]

It's considered to be plagiarism when you post it copied like that.

 

[majic]

Thanks all for your replies. As mentioned, being a newbie I am having to go one step at a time. So firstly #2 Boobah - I have followed the steps of the link which you gave - very clear.
Got to step 7 where the device name returned was very much shorter than the illustration, being simply ACPI\NSC1100. From the next step I learned, for the first time, that the manufacturer is Toshiba, but then no matches were found for NSC1100.
Nevertheless, I then went to the next step which, effectively, downloaded a program Driver Detective (which I had already bought yesterday!). Then, when I tried to run that, I got the message "Driver Detective could not connect to the Internet. Check Firewall, Antivirus etc.." I was connected to the 'net, so not sure what is the next step. As I say, being a newbie, I do not yet know how to check Firewall nor Antvirus.
So, I'll try Driver Detective again later and see what happens and/or move down to check out the other helpful answers to my initial post.

N.B.1 I have just ordered Windows 7 for Dummies! I think I'm going to need it.
N.B.2 I shall add this forum to my bookmarks. I think I'm going to need it too.

 

[boohbah]

Ok ,lets try see if it can be found, can you type device manager in the start menu search box ,and then click device manager in the search results to open it.
once open click the little arrow beside disc drives to open the tree, and to see if the drive is showing in there. it may be showing as ACPI/NSC1100 if so ,right click it and select properties . then click the driver tab and in the window that opens select update driver

 

[majic]

Ok ,lets try see if it can be found, can you type device manager in the start menu search box ,and then click device manager in the search results to open it.
once open click the little arrow beside disc drives to open the tree, and to see if the drive is showing in there. it may be showing as ACPI/NSC1100 if so ,right click it and select properties . then click the driver tab and in the window that opens select update driver

Thanks again, but it's just showing as "Unknown Device".

Clicked on properties, and receive:-

"The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28)

There is no driver selected for the device information set or element.

To find a driver for this device, click Update Driver."

Clicking on Update Driver results in "No driver found ..."

 

[boohbah]

just a thought ,did you get a cd rom with the hardrive when you bought it.
also is there a model number on it in small print somewhere on a label or sticker on the rear or base.

 

[majic]

just a thought ,did you get a cd rom with the hardrive when you bought it.
also is there a model number on it in small print somewhere on a label or sticker on the rear or base.

To first question - no. The drive was a freebie present from our son, when he bought a larger one. We received it, as is, with no cd rom, but had no problem plugging it in to my previous PC.

Same answer to question two - no. I guess the next step will be to take it out of its external case, if I can find a miniscule Phillips screwdriver, to see if there is anything on the card itself.

I very much appreciate all the kind efforts, but please don't trouble yourself further. I think I shall need to re-connect the old PC () and beg, borrow or buy another external storage medium in order to recuperate the personal data.

 

[boohbah]

ok ,sorry i wasnt able to assist further.
good luck.