When I plug my external hard drive into my computer, the red light on the top turns on, but my computer doesn't read that anything is even plugged into the USB. Any Suggestions?
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.
Try using it on another system and see if it's recognized but chances are the drive is dead in the water. It obviously has power to light up the red light but if the computer doesn't see it, the device isn't working.
SOURCE: simple tech mini 320 gb external hard drive
You might need to initialize the drive.
Right click on “My Computer” or “Computer” on Vista.
Select “Manage”
On the next screen select “Disk Management”
In the lower middle section you should be able to find your drive.
It will show up as Disk 1 or Disk 2….depending on how many drives you have in your computer.
If you click on the area that says Disk # you should get and option to “initialize drive”.
Also to the right it should show the allocation information for the drive. If it says “unallocated” then the drive needs to be partitioned.
Right click on the white box next to the drive listing.
Select the option “New Partition”
This will bring up the partition wizard and you will need to step through this process.
Select a primary partition.
On the next screen accept the maximum size it will provide.
On the next screen you assign a drive letter.
On the next screen you will do the format and accept the default settings.
The formatting will start and will be busy until it is complete.
You can monitor this from the disk management window.
SOURCE: CAnnot see Simple Drive 96300-40001-001
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.
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
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