Solved External Hard Drive missing

[linda661]

So I went to look at my last backup and saw that my external backup drive is no longer listed with "my computer" drives. I've tried a number of things, but cannot get that fixed. It lights up and I can hear it running inside when put up to my ear.

It a G Tech slim 500GB. I have an HP Pavilion PC running Windows 7

I'm thinking I just need to buy another and would like some suggestions on something affordable and reliable as I am on a fixed income. I've only had this one maybe a couple of years.

Also, is it ok to backup to several CD's in the meantime?

 

[whs]

Your drive is probably OK. It may miss a drive letter. Check in Disk Management.

Forget CDs for backup.

 

[linda661]

I did check disk management and it was there. I tried giving it a different drive letter, but that didn't help.
When I look in computer management, it shows drive H, but says no media

 

[whs]

Can you post a picture of your disk management.

 

[linda661]

I don't know how to capture the image.

 

[linda661]

See if I got the image

2015-03-18_1357 - tommysgirl's library or the attachment

 

[whs]

There is no H drive. Looks like that drive does not exist at all. It could be a problem with the disk, the cable or the USB port.

 

[linda661]

Here is the screen that shows the drives on my computer

2015-03-18_1405 Drive list - tommysgirl's library

 

[linda661]

Why does it even show H drive (disk 2) if there isn't one?

I have tried other ports and I don't think it would light up if the cable was bad, so I guess the drive has just failed. All my backup files are on there, so it's lousy.

Can you suggest a better external drive that doesn't cost more than about $60?

 

[whs]

Here is the screen that shows the drives on my computer

2015-03-18_1405 Drive list - tommysgirl's library

Those are no drives, those are folders.

 

[whs]

Where does it show the H drive (picture please). It could be an empty port.

The drive could still light up when it gets power but the data part of the cable is bad.

You can get 500 GB drives for less than $60.

500gb sata hdd - Newegg.com

 

[linda661]

Let me show you one more screen. Under portable devices it shows G and H. Are those folders?

2015-03-18_1453 linda PC - tommysgirl's library

 

[whs]

Those are ports, not devices. I have a whole bunch of those without any devices.

 

[linda661]

Thanks for all of your help and your patience. I'll purchase a new drive.

Linda

 

[linda661]

I just remembered one last question. When I tried to use the backup program on my computer with this G-Tech drive, I kept getting an error. I wound up having to download Aomei to use. I would like my next external drive to be compatible with my PC backup program. Do you know of anything I should look for to ensure that?

 

[whs]

Any external Sata drive will be compatible with AOMEI. I have used AOMEI myself but I prefer free Macrium.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html?ltr=I

 

[linda661]

I was hoping to find an external drive that will work with the Microsoft backup program on my computer. I want to be able to set up a regular schedule so I don't have to monitor it.

 

[whs]

You don't want to use the Windows imaging - nothing but trouble. With free macrium you can schedule your images.

 

[linda661]

Well that sounds really good. Thanks for the advice. I don't know what you mean when you say a Sata drive. I'm looking at Seagate, Western...maybe Toshiba. I'm not going to buy the same kind I have as it seemed to have died too soon.

 

[whs]

Sorry for the Sata. It is just the disk interface. All modern disks are Sata. In the old days there were also IDE drives. But those are no more used except in vintage systems.

If you look in Newegg or Amazon for a disk, the default will be a Sata disk.

My worst experience was with Seagate. But that may have been a singular case - although there was a report once from a company that used tens of thousands of disks. Their failure statistics also showed Seagate on top. The best were Hitachi. WD was kind of in the middle.