Solved Win 7 Doesn't "See" USB Drive That Was Old Computer C-Drive

[pmillen]

Quite some time ago my old computer (Windows XP Operating System) motherboard failed so I bought a new notebook with Windows 7. I now need one file from my od XP computer's Drive C; the e-mail AOL stored on my computer in a file called (my AOL screen name).abi in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\AOL\C_America Online 9.0\organize.

I mounted the drive in an external hard drive enclosure connected through a USB port. When I turn it on and watch Windows Explorer I see the external drive being recognized as drive G: but it goes away after about one second.

If I open a command prompt and ask for a directory of drive G:\ I receive a message, "The system cannot find the path specified."

If I attempt to change to the G Drive via CD G:\, I receive, "The system cannot find the drive specified."

I suspect that the problem stems from the Windows XP operating system trying to boot as the drive starts but I don't know if that's the case or how to stop it if it is.

How can I copy files from this old drive?

 

[Ztruker]

Look in Disk Management, see if the drive shows up there. If so, assign a drive letter (G: ???) and see what happens.

It's also possible the drive is defective.

Another possibility if that doesn't work. Mount the drive in the new notebook if it will go. May not as the new one is probably SATA and the old is IDE. If that does work, then you could boot Linux Live Mint from a flash drive and copy the data from the old installed hard drive to the flash drive. No need to try to boot the old XP drive at all. Swap drives again when done.

 

[gregrocker]

The HD will not try to boot if attached via USB, only if it is plugged in internally and set to boot first in BIOS.

If you can plug it in internally as Rich suggests then you can also rescue files from the booted Win7 DVD using Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console.

But first look in Disk Mgmt to see if its detected and all it needs is a drive letter. Drive Letter - Add, Change, or Remove in Windows 7 - Windows 7 Forums

 

[pmillen]

Mount the drive in the notebook: I don't see an easy way to crack the case and the old drive seems to be as thick or thicker than the case. So I'm going to take this step last.

Look in disk management: Here's what I saw—not much.

It didn't tell me anything useful. Does it indicate anything to you?

I think I caused the problem late in 2011 when I purchased the Win 7 notebook. I recall looking in the old drive at that time (and in fact, copying the file I require now). I think that I deleted Win XP at that time, too. When I did so I probably deleted something that is required to make the drive functional.

Any ideas? (I know that it's difficult to remediate stupidity.)

 

[alphanumeric]

I see a Disk 1 and a Disk 2, both showing "No Media". That makes me think your drive enclosure was detected by Windows but the drive wasn't. There are no partitions or anything listed for those two drives. It's like there are two drive bays that are empty.

 

[pmillen]

I unplugged my printer 'cause I thought that it was Drive F:. Yup. So the non-working drive is G:. Just like what I see when I watch Windows Explorer when I turn it on.

So Disk Management "sees" it (or just the enclosure). Is there anything I can do to resurrect it?

 

[alphanumeric]

Open up the enclosure and double check all the cables are connected to the drive securely. Does that enclosure have its own external power supply/wall adapter? If no and it has two USB cords/plugs make sure you plug them both in. Try the enclosure on another PC if you can. If the drive in the enclosure is a 3.5 inch desktop drive it will not fit in your laptop. Your laptop drive will be a 2.5 inch form factor drive.

 

[gregrocker]

Another thing you can try is to install Partition Wizard Home version to see if it detects the drive. Sometimes running PW Check File System can repair it enough to show up in Disk Mgmt, or at least copy out your files from boot.

How is the drive powered?

You'll not know for sure if the files are there until you install it internally if it won't show up via USB, and I've seen these external cases and adapters not work before.

 

[pmillen]

Bingo! Oh, geez, I'm sorry. I took alphanumeric's advice and pushed hard on that two-inch ribbon connector. CLICK!

Then it opened right up!

Thanks Aphanumeric.

 

[alphanumeric]

The connector must have been lose the whole time and worked its way off. It should be trouble free now. Knock on wood, .

 

[pmillen]

The connector must have been lose the whole time...

I have three drives that I shuffle in and out of the one enclosure. I don't see the advisability of buying three enclosures for a once-every-three-years look at an old drive. Obviously I didn't seat the connector properly when I pulled the previous occupant and installed this one a few days ago.

 

[gregrocker]

An enclosure is for constructing your own external HD for regular use, and can present problems that make it impractical for file rescue.

To merely connect to rescue files you only need something like this which has saved the day many times here: Amazon.com: SATA/PATA/IDE Drive to USB 2.0 Adapter Converter Cable for 2.5 / 3.5 Inch Hard Drive / Optical Drive with External AC Power Adapter: Computers & Accessories

 

[alphanumeric]

An enclosure is for constructing your own external HD for regular use, and can present problems that make it impractical for file rescue.

To merely connect to rescue files you only need something like this which has saved the day many times here: Amazon.com: SATA/PATA/IDE Drive to USB 2.0 Adapter Converter Cable for 2.5 / 3.5 Inch Hard Drive / Optical Drive with External AC Power Adapter: Computers & Accessories

I have one of those too. It has come in quit handy for file recovery from drives from dead systems.

 

[pmillen]

Thanks again. I didn't know anything like that was available. It's not advertised in anything I read. So one of those pieces has the two-inch ribbon connector female on one end and the USB connector on the other? Another has power—four prong female on one end and wall plug on the other?

 

[gregrocker]

Yes, it can adapt any drive to plug in by USB or internally - even provide external power to do this.

However in several instances I could not get the 2.5 adapter to be recognized by USB, but when I adapted it to SATA to plug internally into PC the data was read. So this is likely the best approach for a laptop HD.

 

[alphanumeric]

The one I have was made by Rosewill Newegg.ca - Rosewill RCW-608 USB2.0 Adapter For IDE/SATA Device (Include Protection case) It had no problem reading 2.5 inch laptop IDE drives.

 

[gregrocker]

Might be the price which makes the difference.

 

[alphanumeric]

Hard to say, maybe you just got a defective one. I bought mine specifically to get some files off of a laptop IDE drive. Having it do all drive types was a bonus. If I had had a drive caddy on hand that would have worked I'd have used it in a pinch. This isn't something I use all that often but I have wanted one for a while so I bought it. I've been very happy with mine so far.