External Hard Drive Not Recognised Following Windows Update

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  1. Posts : 11
    Premium 64 bit
       #1

    External Hard Drive Not Recognised Following Windows Update


    Hi,

    I'm new here, so please don't shout at me if I say something stupid.

    Anyway, here's my problem:

    I have a Maxtor 500GB stand alone hard drive which I originally bought for a Vista laptop, but have also been using it on my new Win7 laptop.

    It has been absolutely fine for the 6 months that I've been on Win7, but today Windows Update decided that I needed 27 (count 'em!) updates to be installed an run - mostly for MS Office.

    Anyway, the updates all installed and I restarted upon request, but since then my Maxtor hard drive has not been recognised.

    A USB Unknown Device error appears, it doesn't list the drive in My Computer, and only appears in Device Manager as Unknown Device.

    Any ideas of how to resolve this would be greatly appreciated, as I have a large number of important documents on that drive which I need to access relatively urgently.

    many thanks

    Greg
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 1,814
    XP / Win7 x64 Pro
       #2

    Is it connected via USB or eSata?

    In the meantime, try right clicking on My Computer, Manage, Device Manager, then right click on the top-most entry and select "Scan for Hardware Changes".
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 11
    Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Hi,

    It's connected via USB (as it always was when it worked).

    I've attempted the scan for hardware changes, but it didn't affect it.

    thanks
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 1,814
    XP / Win7 x64 Pro
       #4

    Click on the start Orb, type "diskmgmt.msc", and hit enter. Is your external drive shown in there?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 2,009
    Windows 7 Ultimate x86
       #5

    Did you try to unplug it, shut down the power (if it has an external power source that is)
    power it back up and connect to a different USB port yet?
    I have to do that with my externals ~ once a month or so

    BTW: are you sure the drive was running? For some reason they sometimes seem to miss the startup command

    -DG
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 11
    Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #6

    No, I tried that earlier.

    It recognised my external DVD drive and iPod that were connected though.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 11
    Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #7

    SledgeDG said:
    Did you try to unplug it, shut down the power (if it has an external power source that is)
    power it back up and connect to a different USB port yet?
    I have to do that with my externals ~ once a month or so

    BTW: are you sure the drive was running? For some reason they sometimes seem to miss the startup command

    -DG
    Yes, I always go for the turn it off and back on again option first!

    It seems to be something that was caused by the Windows Update specifically.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 1,814
    XP / Win7 x64 Pro
       #8

    Go back to Device Manager, right click on the Unknown Device and Uninstall. Then Scan for Hardware Changes again. See if that works.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 11
    Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #9

    FliGi7 said:
    Go back to Device Manager, right click on the Unknown Device and Uninstall. Then Scan for Hardware Changes again. See if that works.
    Nothing again, I'm afraid.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 1,814
    XP / Win7 x64 Pro
       #10

    (In my best tech support voice) Have you rebooted the computer since this started happening?
      My Computer


 
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