Laptop will not recognise external HD

[pliskin09]

Hi everyone,

I am using a SAMSUNG NP-S3510-A03 laptop. The problems I have had with this laptop are unreal, I wouldn't recommend anyone to buy it.

Anyway, my current problem is that the laptop will not read my external HD that it was previsouly reading fine before.

I recently got a whole bunch of important files on the external HD to transfer to the laptop. While it was transferring the files, the transfer window crashed. I ended the task and went to try again but the external HD would no longer show up in My Computer. I tried restarting, no joy. I then tried plugging the external HD into all 3 USB ports, still no joy.

It won't even show up in Disk Management.

When I plug the external HD in, the light comes on so seems to be working fine. But I get no noise in Windows to say the device has been connected, no autorun, nothing. Its like it doesn't exist.

Any help you could give me would be gladly appreciated. I really need the files that are on it ASAP and cannot get the files from the original source anymore. I have not tried it on anyone elses PC/laptop yet and won't be able to for some time.

I thank you in advance.

 

[forerunner]

you could try looking in your device manager, see if theres any (!'s) that show a driver or a device isnt working correctly. Could also try going to the manufacturers website (of the hard drive) and installing any sort of driver or software that they offer, might be able to force the computer to cooperate that way

Also, the USB cord might be shot? could be letting power to the HDD but not data you know? try wiggling it or using a different cable, (that is if the thing has a removable cable)

 

[pliskin09]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that it does not show up in Device Manager at all wither when I plug it in or out.

Just checked online at the WD suport section. Th eonly thing they have avilable to download for this model is a Quick Formatter.

Also, any ideas as to why this has happened? Just a general error or is it more serious? I hope the stuff hasn't been wiped...

 

[forerunner]

Well i guess the ultimate test would to be stick it into another computer, then you know a couple things; 1 the thing still works, and 2 you still have your data, and 3 its your computer to blame.

The reason for the crash, could be anything and probably nothing serious. Also could be like a little powe surge or something, or the cable got tugged,who knows.

Does your device manager say anything at all about usb ports and if they are working correctly?

 

[forerunner]

Okay look at the post below this...

 

[pliskin09]

Thanks for your advice.

Actualy, there is an 'Unknown Device' with a yellow ! next to it in the USB section of Device Manager. But that has been there for a long time, way before this problem started. So I dunno if its related? (tried updating the drivers for the 'Unkown Device' as well as uninstalling it but to no avail)

Is there any way to fix this without trying it on someone elses computer? I wont be able to get to anyone for a few days. And kinda need to try and solve this now :/

Yeah, I was snooping around with the CMD options but a but unsure myself. I think I got the HD to atleast show up, through CMD, but didn;t know what to do next to fix it lol

 

[forerunner]

Okay i found this little guide using the CMD like, i originally posted that i know of, and just didnt remember how to do. Be careful when doing this as to not type in the wrong thigs but it should be fairly straight forward.

Re: Western Digital External Harddrive problem SOLVED

click on start - type cmd - do not press enter.
right click on the command window icon and choose 'run as Adminstrator'
in command, type diskpart. When diskpart has started, you can type help to access the commands and exit to leave. Be careful with this tool
type list disk - your disk should be listed. if it isn't then unplug the [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]usb [COLOR=blue !important]connector[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] and then reconnect it and then type rescan.
When you can see your disk and assuming it is listed as disk 8
type select disk 8
then type list volume.
you should now be able to see a list of volumes. Note which volume is the one that is the same size as the disk that you want to view/mount and note its number. for instance, the volume that you want is volume 7.
type select volume 7 (make sure to change the number to the volume that you want).
This volume will be the one without a letter next to it like c: d: etc.
Type assign.
The volume should be assigned a drive letter. type exit. then type exit to leave the command window.
Your drive should now be available in windows explorer.​

 

[pliskin09]

Dammit! Thought this was it there! Well you got me further than I got before.

I get as far as when I type in list volume.

After that, it shows all my other internal hard drives, including DVD, but does not display the external Hard Drive

 

[forerunner]

Well, im guessing we need to focus on the (!), because its showing that theres a device noticed but not connected or having issues...

try clicking, start, devices and printers and right clicking and troubleshooting your machine.

try checking windows update for any sort of driver or sometihng. All i know is that windows never find the right drivers for things when i ask it to, at least in my expirience. try going to that (!) and uninstalling the driver for it, or even rolling back the drive if possible.

you could even try going to samsungs website and looking for drivers for your computer, like chipset drivers, etc. Idk i seen somewhre in some post when i searching for the CMD that there was some sort of setting in the BIOS that can affect this, idk i would probably resort to figuring that out last after everything else has failed :/

 

[pliskin09]

Thank you very much for you help this far

Well, I've tried fixing the Unknown Device problem before but to no avail. I troubleshooted it just now and, of course, Windows did detect the problem. But its still the same. I do not get the option to roll back the driver, attempting to update the driver says I have the latest version already and uninstalling it just gives me the option to reinstall it then the problem starts all over again.

I also have trouble with my webcam, it doesnt work anymore since I reformatted some months ago. I contacted Samsung about this and they sent my a link to a drivers update page. I updated and installed the latest chipset drivers from this page. It didn't fix my webcam problem. But thought maybe you should know incase its somehow related to all this.

I wonder why the external HD doesnt even show up in CMD? Maybe it is just a faulty cable? Sadly, its the only cable I have.

 

[jumanji]

The first thing you should do is to connect your external drive to some other PC/s, as suggesied by forerunner in his post #4, and check whether you can access it.

If you can access it, backup all your files into some other drive.

You may experiment any other solutions afterwards.

 

[pliskin09]

Sorry, I should add the Windows Update does not do anything for the driver issue also. I never does in my experience too lol

 

[pliskin09]

Unfortunately, I can not get to another computer until a few days time. I would rather try and fix this issue before then.

 

[forerunner]

Since you said you reformatted, that makes me think you are missing some drivers that come when the computer is bought. Do you by chance have the CD that came with your machine? ive seen my webcam not working before until i hunted down the driver for it myself after reformatting a laptop before.

It sounds like your computer doesnt have any drivers for the USB ports themselves, or maybe the computer was using preinstalled windows drivers, then they failed or something or other. Does anything else work in these USB ports? like a thumb drive?

 

[pliskin09]

I reformatted using the disk that came with the laptop. Although I used the option that completely wipes all pre exisiting drivers. I remember this wiped my network controller so had to borrow a friends internet to instal the network controller driver just so I could get my internet back lol

Yeah, other devices seem to work in the USB ports no problem. For example small flash drives, my phone, my iPod, and there is currently a laptop cooling tray and seperate ionizer plugged into it.

 

[forerunner]

Lol go MacGuyver on that sunofa and splice one of your phone usb cables into the type that goes into the external hard drive, then use an app like file explorer to see if your files are still in existance

 

[pliskin09]

Hahaha!

You'll probably not belive me when I say this but ....the cable I use for the HD IS the cable for my phone! Its the only one I have.

Oh man! >.<

 

[forerunner]

That might actually be your problem. I know in order to get my Tablet to recognize my PS3 controller i had to MOD the cable itself to turn it into a "Host" cable, or some crap. basically just shorting two of the wires together... I think its simply just a way to get you to buy a new cable.

 

[pliskin09]

Well, the problem is fixed guys. Sort of.

I didn't do a thing. it basically fixed itself. I did no Windows updates. I didn't install anything. Nothing.

I managed to get the most important stuff off the HD but then when I went on it again today to try and get the rest, its stopped working again lol

I feel a should bring this up because i'm seeing a recurring pattern here. Remember I was saying earlier that my webcam no longer works? Well, actually, sometimes it just starts working. Randomly. Then it will go through long periods again of not working. Like the laptop just doesn't recognise that it has a built in webcam at all. This is similar to what is happening with the external hard drive.

Also, my touchpad just stopped working one day. Well, I can still scroll the pointer with the main pad and use the right click button. but I cannot click with the main pad or the left click button. However, this problem seems to rectify itself at times too and then suddenly stop working again.

I have never heard of such a tempromental laptop. My guess is I've wiped some important drivers or what not when I reformatted. But I was having major trouble with this machine beforehand (hence the need to reformat). And I've never heard of problems fixing themselves and then stop working again.

Its all very strange. Do you think these symptoms are related? And, if so, do you guys have any idea what the hell is going on? lol >.<

 

[forerunner]

Yeah well in theory it could all be driver based errors. i dont really know too much about it but idk i would think that if all you perihperals are starting to screw up then it could be related. maybe theres just a bad connection somewhere inside the laptop itself from being droped or bumped or even just poorly manufactured.