LaCie 500 GB hard Drive - does not register on my desktop

Inside the LaCie D2 250GB (300770) external harddrive's case, is a 250GB IDE (PATA) harddrive that is 3.5 inches across in width.

A desktop computer sized harddrive. (May be a Western Digital WD25000JB)

The harddrive plugs into a small circuit board, (Bridge board), and the circuit board has a USB port on it.

Using this Western Digital Passport for an example,

http://www.xbitlabs.com/misc/picture/?src=/images/storage/wd-passport-250gb/p3.jpg&1=1

Scroll down to the second photo, and left-click on it. The case of the external harddrive is shown open.
Inside is a 2.5 inch laptop sized harddrive.
An aluminum tape strip covers the small circuit board, attached at the back of the harddrive.

The second photo down on this page, shows you the small interface circuit board, that the harddrive plugs into, with the aluminum tape removed.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/storage/display/wd-passport-250gb_2.html

(Another design has wires coming from the small circuit board, to an interface the harddrive plugs into )

It is this small circuit board that goes bad in a LaCie. QUITE common.

Solution?

Simple.
1) Obtain a 3.5 inch IDE external enclosure
2) Remove the 3.5 IDE harddrive from the LaCie's case.
3) Install the harddrive out of the LaCie into the external 3.5 IDE enclosure.

An example of a 3.5 IDE (PATA) external enclosure,

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1733195&CatId=2779

For additional questions please post in a Comment.
Regards,
joecoolvette

Inside that LaCie external harddrive's enclosure is a regular SATA harddrive.
The kind that fits in a desktop computer (3.5 inches in width), or laptop. (2.5 inches across in width)

Open the external enclosure (Case) of the LaCie, remove the harddrive, and install it into a suitable external enclosure.
(Laptop size, or desktop size)

The external enclosure has a USB cable also. Just plug it into any available USB port on your desktop computer.

Do I know for a fact that the harddrive is okay, and this will fix the problem?
No sir/maam I do not.

But IMHO this is the first diagnostic method to use.

IF the harddrive is a desktop sized harddrive, it could be installed in your desktop computer as a Slave drive.
However the above method is so much easier, and it allows your harddrive to be an external harddrive once more.

Inside the external enclosure of the LaCie external harddrive, is a small circuit board that the Harddrive plugs into.
It is this small circuit board that receives the damage in most cases.

If the problem is the Harddrive itself, a professional data recovery shop will;

A) Try a new, or good used harddrive circuit board.
Check to see if the harddrive's circuit board received the damage.

B) If the circuit board proves to be good then the next step is to remove the Platters inside.
The room used is a Clean Room.
A room that is 99.9 percent dust free. (In most cases)

The Platters are installed into the case of a compatible harddrive, that has the Platters removed.
Then as much information as possible is copied off.

There are other methods data recovery specialists use also.

[A Harddrive is built in a Clean Room. 99.9 percent dust free. The technicians wear a Clean Suit, that resembles what a doctor would wear in an operating room.
They enter the work area after going through a corridor, fitted with air jets at various levels.

If a harddrive is opened up in a room that is not a Clean Room, the harddrive's 'life expectency' drops to a day, or a few hours. The dust 'kills' them ]

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/hard-disk.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpY8c7lT_7k&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax390l2A-AY

Observe the other videos also.

Examples of both a SATA 2.5 external enclosure, and a SATA 3.5 SATA enclosure,
(The Harddrive's width is measured in inches. (2-1/2 inches for a laptop drive, 3-1/2 inches for a desktop drive)

SATA 2.5 external enclosure,

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3195233&CatId=2783

SATA 3.5 external enclosure,

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4421576&CatId=2780


For additional questions please post in a Comment.
Regards,
joecoolvette

try another cable

1. the usb connector in the PC may have a broken board contact needs soldering or replacement.
2. there may be a broken USB cord to the external usb drive
3. the electronic controller in the USB case may not be working.
4. A new case may be needed with a new controller.

Did you check the MS hardware compatability list http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/windows-7/en-us/default.aspx

am not so sure if this is a similar issue with iomega external drive in which the drive wont show up on My Computer but when the external drive was plugged into an ubuntu machine the drive was being detected and working just fine.

Please try to do the same. plug your external drive to an ubuntu machine and lets see if it can be detected. If it is then the hard disk has a similar issue with iomega drives. check this link for the solution.

The disk was probably dropped or jolted. You can consider the drive bad now. The arm is broken inside. You can format the drive but most likely it won't work after that. Getting the data retrieved can cost up to $2500-$5000.

The problem that has been inherent with all LaCie external harddrives, is the interface in the case itself.

Interface:
All external harddrives have a Style of harddrive that is used in a laptop, or one that is used in a desktop computer.
Laptop harddrives are 2-1/2 inches across in width.
Desktops are 3-1/2 inches across.
Your LaCie will have a 3.5, (3-1/2) inch desktop style harddrive, inside the case.

There are two main Types of harddrives.
IDE and SATA. (There is also a newcomer. SSD. SSD isn't being used in LaCie external harddrives at the moment, to my knowledge)

Your LaCie will use a SATA harddrive inside it.
This is an example of an average SATA harddrive,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hdd.jpg
The photo of this harddrive is tilted at an angle, that doesn't readily show the interface connection, but it helps to explain.

At the bottom of this harddrive in the photo, and to the left, is the interface area.

Viewing the harddrive, look at the four metal pins on the extreme right of the harddrive. To the left of these pins is the Jumper pin area. (Has a white jumper on two of those pins)

To the left of the Jumper area is an opening, and to the left of that, is a long slot. The first small slot area is for the 7-pin Interface cable.
(Data cable) The next slot to the left, is for the 15-pin power cable.

This 7-pin Interface mates up to socket holes in a connector, of the case of the LaCie external harddrive.

It is this interface connector, inside the LaCie external harddrive case, that is the problem.
Solution?
Buy a quality, in-expensive External Enclosure, take the harddrive out of the LaCie, and install it in this enclosure.

Examples of 3.5 Sata External Enclosures,
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=2780&name=3.5-eSATA-enclosure&Nav=|c:2778|&Sort=0&Recs=10
(From $15 to $35, is a good range for a decent external enclosure)

I have the same issue, however with my verbatim 500g its ok. i believe it is because the lacie is a desktop external and therefore is compatable with windows xp and 7 alone.
Verbatim is a "portable" external hard drive which makes it compatible with several different systems. I would suggest returning it, I just formatted my old verbatim harddrive and set up mediaasharing. Through my router. You can actually route the lacie harddrive by going to my computer and right click the icon. Next go to share with; advanced settings and allow all. Then when you turn your ps3 on search for media servers... I would suggest to google media server for ps3 to get it all seet up. GOOD LUCK

The disk in side is jammed, try throwing the harddrive like a frizbe but dont let go. That might help unsick the drive