Solved External HDD USB drive not recognised?

[martinlest]

This is odd.. I have a new drive (USB, bus-powered), formatted and now with data copied to it. My Win10 laptop sees it immediately. My other Win7 PC sees it immediately too, with all its content. Can read and write to the drive fine.

Another Win7 PC does not see it at all though.. not in Explorer, not in Disk Management, not in Device Manager. If I plug a different HDD into the same USB port, it comes up straight away, so I guess the port is fine. If I boot the PC into Windows XP (it's dual boot), the drive isn't recognised either.

If the new drive were faulty, surely it wouldn't behave perfectly in my other computers? (I have obviously tried rebooting!).

Any ideas what the problem is - and how I can get this one PC to see this one particular drive? (Is the 'bad' PC perhaps not providing enough power for this drive through its USB ports?? The drive light blinks in a way it does not in the other computers).


Thanks!

 

[wither 2]

Open Device Manager and click on Action. Select Scan for Hardware Changes. Does it find the drive?

 

[Bree]

Sometimes a usb device that's plugged into a machine for the first time gets an incorrect driver loaded. Try opening Device Manager on the 'problem' PC and uninstall the usb device. You will need to select View > Show hidden devices if the device isn't currently pugged in.

 

[NoN]

Following Bree's advice i suggest to unistall the USB device while it is plugged in ( if its there), in the device manager, then rebooting with the Drive still plugged in to force being recognized at boot.

 

[martinlest]

Open Device Manager and click on Action. Select Scan for Hardware Changes. Does it find the drive?

Sorry, forgot to include that: I had already tried, but the device was not found. Since the device doesn't appear under Disk Drives in Device Manager, as I mentioned, I am unable to uninstall it...

Still wonder if it could be a USB power issue ?? - the blue LED pulsates when the HDD is plugged into the PC, which is doesn't do in the computers in which it shows up normally.

Thanks for the ideas! More welcome

 

[wither 2]

Detach the drive and then shut down. Reattach it and reboot. This is just a variation on what NoN mentioned.

 

[martinlest]

Yes, I tried that. Whether the drive is plugged in on reboot, or it is attached afterwards, no difference, unfortunately.

Thank you

 

[martinlest]

Plugged the drive into the PC via an A/C-powered USB hub, and now it is seen immediately. (As I suggested above), I guess this means there's something wrong with the USB ports on the PC (far less likely a problem with the new drive itself I'd think, as it's recognised OK by my other PCs/laptops): they provide enough power for all my other bus-powered external drives, but not this one, for some reason...?

 

[wither 2]

Without the AC powered USB,

Click on Start and type Power Options in the search box.

Click Power Options. If you are prompted for an administrator
password or confirmation, type your password or click Continue.

Under the selected power plan, click Change plan settings.

Click Change advanced power settings.

In the Power Options dialog box, double click on USB settings.

Uncheck the box to USB selective suspend setting.

You might want to reboot after doing this.

Retry your drive.

 

[martinlest]

Good idea! After a reboot, still the same though: LED light blinks (dim to bright and back every half second or so) and nothing comes up in Explorer/Disk Management.

Thanks anyway.

 

[wither 2]

Is it seen in Device Manager, Disk Drives?

 

[martinlest]

From my O/P...

... PC does not see it at all though.. not in Explorer, not in Disk Management, not in Device Manager.

 

[wither 2]

What is the model number for this drive?

 

[martinlest]

I'm afraid I don't know - not marked. Generic...

 

[wither 2]

I was looking at USB specs and there's low power, high power and no power ports. I just wondered what the power requirements are for your drive.

In another forum I was working with a guy who had the blinking light thing for his external flash drive when connected to a PS2. PS2 didn't recognize the drive. Never figured that out. Got a similar power problem with an optical drive in another forum. I've asked that person to try a AC powered USB hub. He's not going to be home for a couple of weeks so I don't know how that will go. I don't think you've tried that.

 

[martinlest]

I've asked that person to try a AC powered USB hub... I don't think you've tried that

Yes, if you read a post of mine a few days back you will see that I did try that and that with a powered hub, the drive works:

Plugged the drive into the PC via an A/C-powered USB hub, and now it is seen immediately.

So it was a power issue. Thanks.

 

[wither 2]

Phew! I had looked back twice and entirely missed that both times.

 

[martinlest]

Phew! I had looked back twice and entirely missed that both times.