Computers & Internet Logo
Grace Posted on Feb 23, 2013
Answered by a Fixya Expert

Trustworthy Expert Solutions

At Fixya.com, our trusted experts are meticulously vetted and possess extensive experience in their respective fields. Backed by a community of knowledgeable professionals, our platform ensures that the solutions provided are thoroughly researched and validated.

View Our Top Experts

Simple drive external backup that was not being recognized by my computer. I did the usual things: changes plugs, change outlet, changed usb cables and then the "connection" that connects my usb cable

1 Answer

terminalcon

Level 2:

An expert who has achieved level 2 by getting 100 points

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

Governor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 20 times.

Scholar:

An expert who has written 20 answers of more than 400 characters.

  • Expert 81 Answers
  • Posted on Feb 24, 2013
terminalcon
Expert
Level 2:

An expert who has achieved level 2 by getting 100 points

MVP:

An expert that got 5 achievements.

Governor:

An expert whose answer got voted for 20 times.

Scholar:

An expert who has written 20 answers of more than 400 characters.

Joined: Jan 11, 2010
Answers
81
Questions
2
Helped
22517
Points
191

Take the unit apart and physically check the connection , that USB is not only its interface but its power as well

5 Related Answers

Anonymous

  • 244 Answers
  • Posted on Nov 02, 2007

SOURCE: simpletech hard drive

Your desktop usb compatibility is not supported your 160GB. The only way to attach you 160GB is to make it secondary partition to your primary drive by opening the CPU and attach it to your IDE cable.

Don't force yourself if you cannot do it by yourself just leave it to the expert. Probable cause to damage your hard drive if it is not installed properly.

Please rate me solved if you like my solution.


Best regards,


Philip

Ad

Lucky

  • 271 Answers
  • Posted on May 09, 2008

SOURCE: Simpletech 500 gb external usb drive

Hi,

The external hard drive can be fomatted by :

Open the my computer, in the my computer or explorer window you should see the drive letter for the external drive.

Right click on the drive you will get the popup menu.

In that select the format option.

But always use NTFS file formatting system.NTFS provides several advantages over FAT32, including support for larger ile sizes.

Use the full format option.

Wait for sometime, until the format is completed.

Then you are good to go.

Good Luck.

Live, Love, Laugh.

Anonymous

  • 4 Answers
  • Posted on Feb 25, 2009

SOURCE: Simple Tech SP U25/60 external hard drive

Almost nothing is supported on Win 2000 because it had shuch a short life span. most new tech made in the last 2-3 years only runs onXP or Vista. Every once in a while some will work back to 98.

p.s. did it say it was compatable with 2000? look on the box

Anonymous

  • 3153 Answers
  • Posted on Sep 23, 2009

SOURCE: Simple Tech 250 GB external hard drive won't work

I devised these simple steps that tend to remedy quite a few issues with most USB portable / external hard drives and OTHER devices (though not always)

A few things to check but assumes USB and Windows for other interfaces / operating systems (mac/ Linux) similar steps may be adapted to suit.

1. Ensure it is connected directly to the computer to a USB 2.0 port not a USB 1.0 port as this can have effects on performance and reliability

2. Use only the cables that came with it NOT one that fits that may have been lying around or is longer. Not all USB cables are equal even though they should be)

3. Do not connect through an external USB HUB unless that hub is USB 2.0 AND has its own power supply.

4. Use ONLY the power supply that came with it if it has an external power supply Don’t use any other unless you know it has both the same voltage and current rating e.g. 12V 500mA anything rated below that would not work properly.

5. Always use the same port for connecting your devices. Some devices do not like being switched about. If switched they may want to install software / drivers again. This can be especially true if you move a HUB to another port

If you checked and fixed anything there and still have issues then check your hardware from CONTROL PANEL / SYSTEM / HARDWARE.
Any exclamation marks by hardware need fixing before you investigate any further

USB flash drives can fail for no apparent reason.
Sandisk Cruzers are especially bad for this.

USB hard drives should be treated with extreme care.
This is a real hard drive ! and knocks and bumps can quite literally kill them.

It is possible to remove drives from the enclosures in most cases and connect directly inside a PC to fully check it.

Note that if you hear a drive clicking or pinging this could be the worst thing you would hear.
Known as "The Click Of Death"

If none of the above steps help look at updating the drivers from the manufacturers web site in the support section.

Anonymous

  • 6831 Answers
  • Posted on Sep 29, 2010

SOURCE: SimpleTech Simple Drive 250GB external hard drive not recognized

Hello

Okay , so there are some steps to figure out what is wrong with your external.

Firstly , if your computer makes a sound when you plug in your external , go to Start-Control Panel-Administrative Tools-Computer Management-Disk Management , and see if your external drive is listed here with your local drives. If it is listed , right click on the drive and change the drive letter to make it appear in "my computer".

If your drive does not make a connection sound when connecting to your computer and also does not show up , please follow the next step.

Remove the hard drive from the casing if possible and install it in your computer case or another external case.If the drive works , the problem is with the casing and you can ignore the drive.

Now , if the problem is with the casing , there are still 3 possibilities.

  1. The USB cable between the drive and the computer may be damaged.
  2. The circuit board which connects your drive to the interface of the external may be blown.
  3. The power supply (if applicable) may have a blown transformer.
The latter is the easiest to diagnose , does your external light up at all when you plug in the power? If not , then this is probably your problem. On the bottom of the adapter is a label which you will be able to use to have a new adapter made at your local electronics shop and this will cost about $30 max. They will also be able to test the adapter with a clamp meter to see if this is really the problem and this should be free.

The second component you want to test is the USB cable. If you have a printer , swop out the cables and see if your printer functions normally. Most externals use the same connector so you should be able to test it in this manner. If the cable works go on to the last step. If the cable is defective , replace it with a new one which you can find for about $10 at most electronics and chain stores.

The last component to test is the circuit board. This is a bit of a grey zone as you probably won't be able to spot the blown component unless it failed really badly. With the casing already opened , locate the external's circuit board and check to see if you have any blackened components or fluids leaking from some components. If all the other components of the external worked perfectly , then this is the faulty part. It is not really economical to replace the circuit as most of the time it is out of production by the time you need to replace it and it still costs a lot even if it is available so if your drive is working perfectly when connected via sata or IDE on your computer , the best is to buy a new casing and place your old drive in the new casing.

A casing costs about $50 and you could get it at most tech shops and big chain stores like Best Buy.

I hope this solves your problem and please reply if you need more help.

Kind Regards
Andrea

Ad

Add Your Answer

×

Uploading: 0%

my-video-file.mp4

Complete. Click "Add" to insert your video. Add

×

Loading...
Loading...

Related Questions:

0helpful
3answers
0helpful
1answer

Pc does not recognize external drive

External hard drives are plug-and-play devices used to store music, video and data files.

Once the drive is connected, the computer checks its systems for the appropriate drivers, loads them, and the external drive is ready to use. If the computer does not recognize the external drive, plug it into another computer to ensure the drive is not corrupted. If the drive is good, a few simple steps should help re-enable the drive for use.
Switch the power button to "off." Disconnect the power cord from any extension cords or power strip, then re-seat the power cord into the hard drive. Connect the cord directly into an outlet and power up the drive. If the drive is powered and still not working, check the data cable. Power down the hard drive and disconnect the data cable from the computer. Wait 30 seconds to one minute. Reconnect the data cable and power up the drive. If the drive is not detected, power down the hard drive and connect the cable to a different port. Power up the drive. If the drive is detected but not working, check for a missing driver. Click on the "Start" button, right-click "Computer" and select "Manage." Enter your administrator password if requested. Select "Device Manager" and double-click "Disk Drives." Right-click the yellow exclamation point and install the missing driver. Close the Device Manager. If the drive is detected but not working check to ensure it has an assigned drive letter. Disconnect all devices connected by USB cables from the computer. Reconnect the drive's data and USB power cables directly into the computer. Click on the "Start" button, right-click "Computer" and select "Manage." Enter your administrator password if requested. Click on "Disk Management," right-click the external hard drive, click "change drive letter and path," and click "Add." Assign a drive letter. Avoid using A, B or C (C is usually assigned to the computer's internal hard drive). Click "OK" close the window. If the drive is detected but not working, check whether the drive is in sleep mode. Disconnect all devices connected by USB cables from the computer. Reconnect the drive's data and USB power cables directly into the computer. Click the "Start" button, right-click "Computer" and select "Manage." Enter your administrator password if requested. Select "Device Manager" and double-click "Universal Serial Bus Controllers." Double-click the first instance of "USB Root Hub" or "Root Hub." Check for the hard drive. If the drive is not visible, move to the next instance of "USB Root Hub." Continue checking each instance until the hard drive is located. Once located, click the "Power Management" tab and uncheck the "Allow computer to turn off this device to save power" box, click "OK," then close the Device Manager. Power the computer down, wait 30 seconds to one minute, and power the computer back up to ensure the drive is detected. Hope this helps.
b>
0helpful
1answer

External drive not picked up on computer

External hard drives not only provide additional storage space on a computer system but also allow data to be conveniently transported from one computer to another.


These drives typically plug right in to a port on the computer and function without any additional setup; however, if you are running into trouble where your external hard drive is not being detected, you must troubleshoot the situation to determine why the drive appears to be missing.


Check the USB connection running from the hard drive to your computer.

If the USB cable is not seated securely in the port, the computer will not detect the external drive.


Disconnect the USB cable from the computer and plug it into a different USB port. Occasionally, a USB port will fail to function with some hardware and changing the USB connection may correct this issue.


Switch from a USB to a Firewire cable connection, if possible.

The USB port on the hard drive may have died; if so, changing to a Firewire connection will resolve this issue.


Install the driver for the external device from the installation disc provided with the product. Older computer systems may require you to manually install this driver.


After inserting the installation CD, follow the prompts from the installation wizard to install the driver on your computer.


Restart the computer.

If you connected the external drive while the computer is powered down, it may not recognize the device when you turn on the computer.


After restarting the computer, connect the external drive to the system.

The drive should now be detected by your operating system.


Connect the external hard drive to a power source and then plug it into your PC computer using a USB or Firewire cable.


Log on to your PC computer using an account with administrative privileges.

Open the Start menu and click on the "Control Panel" icon.


Open the "Administrative Tools" folder and then double-click on the "Computer Management" icon.


Select "Disk Management" from the list of options on left side of the window.


Right-click on the drive you want your computer to recognize and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths."


Select a drive letter for the external hard drive to be recognized as and click "OK."

The drive will now appear in My Computer.


Hope this helps.

0helpful
1answer

A blue and red flashing light and won't connect to computer

External hard drives not only provide additional storage space on a computer system but also allow data to be conveniently transported from one computer to another.


These drives typically plug right in to a port on the computer and function without any additional setup; however, if you are running into trouble where your external hard drive is not being detected, you must troubleshoot the situation to determine why the drive appears to be missing.


Check the USB connection running from the hard drive to your computer.

If the USB cable is not seated securely in the port, the computer will not detect the external drive.


Disconnect the USB cable from the computer and plug it into a different USB port. Occasionally, a USB port will fail to function with some hardware and changing the USB connection may correct this issue.


Switch from a USB to a Firewire cable connection, if possible.

The USB port on the hard drive may have died; if so, changing to a Firewire connection will resolve this issue.


Install the driver for the external device from the installation disc provided with the product. Older computer systems may require you to manually install this driver.


After inserting the installation CD, follow the prompts from the installation wizard to install the driver on your computer.


Restart the computer.

If you connected the external drive while the computer is powered down, it may not recognize the device when you turn on the computer.


After restarting the computer, connect the external drive to the system.

The drive should now be detected by your operating system.


Connect the external hard drive to a power source and then plug it into your PC computer using a USB or Firewire cable.


Log on to your PC computer using an account with administrative privileges.

Open the Start menu and click on the "Control Panel" icon.


Open the "Administrative Tools" folder and then double-click on the "Computer Management" icon.


Select "Disk Management" from the list of options on left side of the window.


Right-click on the drive you want your computer to recognize and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths."


Select a drive letter for the external hard drive to be recognized as and click "OK."

The drive will now appear in My Computer.


Hope this helps.

0helpful
1answer

Hi , I'm having problem with my WD 500 GB external hard drive.My laptop and computer can't recognize the drive icon anymore and no usb connection icon is recognized by windows task bar.I have tried...

click start control panel administrive tools ,computer management ,device manager look through all of your devices if you see a yellow question mark?or exclamation mark ! or red x
right click to reinstall drivers or
if you can see your usb but its not working
ports(com&lpt)right click update driver
sometimes the wires inside the cable will be damaged due to bending or stretching or placing heavy equipment upon the cable,
just replace the cable of the hard disk, when you plugged the external disk drive you got that windows could recognize the USB device change the cable everything should work fine again,

check the USB leads that attach to the motherboard usually red-white-green-black make sure they are securely seated and have no dust build up on them dust will cause static and a lot of unforeseen problems also make sure the computers Ram and Cmos battery are securely seated
if this fails to fix the problem

you might have to install a usb 2 or 3 card they are cheap and easy to install you can buy these on Ebay very cheap
hope this helps you

0helpful
1answer

My 80GB drive is not recognized anymore by any laptop, the blue and red lights are on and the drive turns, but nothing is seen in Explorer. It worked fine for 2 years. What can I do? I have 60GB of...

just in case
:click start control panel administrive tools ,computer management ,device manager look through all of your devices if you see a yellow question mark?or exclamation mark ! or red x
right click to reinstall drivers or
if you can see your usb but its not working
ports(com&lpt)right click update driver
if your computer came with a motherboard disk the drivers could be on it
sometimes the wires inside the cable will be damaged due to bending or stretching or placing heavy equipment upon the cable,
just replace the cable of the hard disk, when you plugged the external disk drive you got that windows could recognize the USB device change the cable everything should work fine again,
check the USB leads that attach to the motherboard usually red-white-green-black make sure they are securely seated and have no dust build up on them dust will cause static and a lot of unforeseen problems also make sure the computers Ram and Cmos battery are securely seated
hope this helps
0helpful
1answer

My computer is not recognizing my lacie external drive

click start control panel administrive tools ,computer management ,device manager look through all of your devices if you see a yellow question mark?or exclamation mark ! or red x
right click to reinstall drivers or
if you can see your usb but its not working
ports(com&lpt)right click update driver
just replace the cable of the hard disk, when you plugged the external disk drive you got that windows could recognize the USB device change the cable everything should work fine again, sometimes the wires inside the cable will be damaged due to bending or stretching or placing heavy equipment upon the cable,
check the USB leads that attach to the motherboard usually red-white-green-black make sure they are securely seated and have no dust build up on them dust will cause static and a lot of unforeseen problems hope this helps
hope this helps
2helpful
1answer

5OOGB TRANSCEND USB DEVICE NOT RECOGNIZING

have you tried on another computer? (computer necessarily 100% working and clean of viruses)
if the same problem repeatedly, trying to change the usb cable on your trancend.
if still reached a dead end, get an external cassing, make sure that you get is 100% working.
put you TRANSCEND 500GB hdd into another cassing.

good luck
0helpful
1answer

My SimpleTech 250 gb external hard drive has changed from being

Hello,

The reason for drive letters changing is often as simple as having two plugged in at the same time. Changing them again is simple but should be done while all drives are plugged in simultaniously.

So, plug in both usb drives, then right-click on My Computer and select Manage, when the management console opens select disk management. Strating with the other USB drive, select it on the right hand side and then right-click it and select "Change drive letters and paths". Select change from the next window and select a high letter X/Y/Z from the drop down box. Then click ok.

Repeat the last few steps with the external harddrive and select E, when you're done you should have to restart to allow the changes to take place but then it will be set in. You will have to repeat this process if you change which USB port you use for the hub or if you add other additional external drives.


Hope this helps FixYa,

Chris
0helpful
3answers

Mybook will not power up

hmmm...disconnect it from the computer and see if it is still unhappy at that point.
Not finding what you are looking for?

163 views

Ask a Question

Usually answered in minutes!

Top SimpleTech Computers & Internet Experts

Grand Canyon Tech
Grand Canyon Tech

Level 3 Expert

3867 Answers

Alexander

Level 2 Expert

171 Answers

ExpressFiX
ExpressFiX

Level 2 Expert

691 Answers

Are you a SimpleTech Computer and Internet Expert? Answer questions, earn points and help others

Answer questions

Manuals & User Guides

Loading...