|
|
Post by kate38ca on Mar 17, 2014 16:45:30 GMT -5
Hi Everyone
Last week I purchased a new laptop that didn’t have Window’s Office on it. So we copied it from the set-up disk to the external drive and then downloaded it to the laptop from the external drive. That was successful. However, when I went to use the external drive again it does not show up on either my desktop or laptop and therefore I can’t access it. I have a lot of important stuff on it so I’m really quite worried. (The new laptop does not have a CD drive on it.)
By the way, the external drive vibrates when I plug it in so it must still be working somehow.
I sure hope someone can help. Thanks.
|
|
|
|
Post by drmark on Mar 17, 2014 17:27:04 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by kate38ca on Mar 17, 2014 17:30:51 GMT -5
Sorry Windows 7 64 bit
|
|
|
|
Post by kate38ca on Mar 17, 2014 18:03:10 GMT -5
I followed the instructions on the link you included. When I finished it said the USB drive had installed correctly. But I still don't see it on the computer so I can't open it of course.
|
|
drcard
Software Review Panel
Posts: 581 
|
Post by drcard on Mar 17, 2014 20:19:34 GMT -5
Hi kate38ca,
I have had this problem with my Win 7 64 bit and in fixing my problem I learned that there are many out there with the same problem. It seems there are many reasons for this problem and what works for some doesn't work for others because of the different reasons the external drive is not showing up in Explorer. To find out what is causing your problem will take some investigating. Let's start with the simple and proceed to the more complex.
Recap: Your external drive was working to allow the install of Windows Office and stopped being accessible after that.
Possible causes:
1) A Windows function made the drive non accessible after the install.
2) The external HD drivers went defective after the install (calculate the odds of such a rare occurence to happen at that specific time)
3) The USB drivers went corrupt (again the odds are high, but Win 7 did have some USB driver woes when it first came out, but patches have made that a thing of past).
Your description and order of events points to #1 above. Windows does have a memory function to remember a USB device that was plugged into it before. If it detects the same exact kind of drive it can remember each drive. To prevent accessing the wrong drive Windows will make one of the drives "Offline". An Offline drive would not show up in Explorer. My suspicions are that Windows sees the same exact external HD but classifies them as different when the Office install was performed.
To tell if this is the problem:
Click the Start button and in the Search box type Computer Management and press the Enter key.
This opens the Computer Management console.
In the left column click Storage to expand (if already not expanded)
Click Disk Management.
It may take a a little bit for Windows to scan and display the drives.
Does this external drive show in this list? Is it greyed out?
Right click this drive (if there). Is it Offline or is there an option to click Online?
Let me know what you find and we will proceed from there.
|
|
|
|
Post by kate38ca on Mar 17, 2014 21:43:46 GMT -5
I tried to copy and paste the screen that came up but that didn't work. So here's what turned up as I can best describe it.
Disk 0 (C:) Online
Disk 1 Basic 1863.02 GB > online (the box beside it is white) When I click on the box I get gray slanted lines)
CD-ROM (DVD (D:)
The external hard drive still doesn't show on the computer.
I have no idea if this info is helpful.
|
|
|
|
Post by laverne on Mar 18, 2014 14:09:37 GMT -5
kate38ca --
What kind of external drive do you have? Is it a flash drive or ? Who is the manufacturer? Size? Is it USB powered or does it have its own power source?
Have you tried connecting it to another operating system other than Windows 7?
Laverne
|
|
|
|
Post by kate38ca on Mar 18, 2014 14:17:33 GMT -5
What kind of external drive do you have? Is it a flash drive or ? Who is the manufacturer? Size? Is it USB powered or does it have its own power source? Have you tried connecting it to another operating system other than Windows 7? Read more: neatnettricks.freeforums.net/post/new/333#ixzz2wLMTjKPg |
|
|
|
Post by kate38ca on Mar 18, 2014 14:23:20 GMT -5
I have a Toshiba external drive - model number HDTB120XK3CA... 1T in size and USB powered. I've tried it on Window 8 as well as Windows 7. Nothing happens.
(I'm new to this forum so I may make the odd mistake in posting)
|
|
drcard
Software Review Panel
Posts: 581
|
Post by drcard on Mar 18, 2014 20:08:39 GMT -5
Hi kate38ca,
Since it is not showing up in Computer Management, Windows is not recognizing it as an external drive.
This could mean that the external HDD is now seen as an Unknown Device. Windows can detect the presents of a device plugged into a USB port but can't establish comunication to talk to the device to determine what it is. Since Windows remembers its settings from last connection, each time it is plugged in it just calls it an Unknown device. So let's try this to remove the remembered settings and connect the drive like the first time and maybe it will recognize it.
Press the Start button and in the Search box type cmd and press the Enter key.
A Command Prompt window will open.
At the prompt type set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1 and press the Enter key.
Close the Command Prompt window.
Open Device Manager (type device manager in the Search box and press Enter key)
Select View and click Show hidden devices
Now go through the lists of devices clicking the > or + to expand the list. No telling where Windows has this Unknown device.
When you find a device name that is greyed out, this could be your drive.
Right click the greyed out device and select Uninstall.
Make sure you got all greyed out devices.
Close Device Manager.
Disconnect the external HDD.
Shut down the PC and do a cold restart (don't use the Restart function)
Once the PC has booted up, shut down and power off a second time. (takes Windows a complete boot-off-boot cycle to clear its memory cache.
Now boot the PC up past logon and fully booted.
With external HDD on connect the HDD to the USB port and see if Windows will install it and recognize. Sometimes when Windows doesn't recognize the device it will display prompt windows asking you about the device. This is the manual install override and install it the best you can. Sometimes using a Windows pre-installed generic drivers will work well enough as long as you tell Windows that it is a mass storage device.
Let me know what happens.
|
|
|
|
Post by marck on Mar 18, 2014 23:17:07 GMT -5
Have you tried plugging into a different usb port ?
|
|
|
|
Post by kate38ca on Mar 19, 2014 12:37:27 GMT -5
To everyone who responded to this query "thank you". A local computer guru was able to fix the problem and all is well again. You can look forward to me coming in here again with yet another problem. :-)
|
|
|
|
Post by marck on Mar 19, 2014 14:09:24 GMT -5
What was the solution ? How did he fix the problem?
|
|
|
|
Post by kate38ca on Mar 23, 2014 9:44:11 GMT -5
Unfortunately I don't know how he fixed it marck because my spouse took the external drive into a computer guru at work who fixed it in less than ten minutes. I will try to find out and get back to you. Again - thanks to all who made the time to respond to my question.
|
|
