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Post by blaster on Feb 7, 2009 14:33:34 GMT
 I only seem to get in touch with you guys woops and ladies lol when I need help. I recently needed to move my PC,I unplugged every thing did what I needed to do,placed my Pc in its new place,reset every thing switched it on and it seemed it was was back to normal. Then I noticed the icon on my deck top for my short cut to my external hard drive had a question mark,Which I knew from times when I had not switched it on meant it was unavailable. But the power light was on and the USB cable was connected,I switched my PC off,turned off the external hard drive checked power cable and USB cable restarted my PC and crossed my fingers. But all I got was this file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/HP_Administrator/My%20Documents/PrintScreen%20Files/ScreenShot%204oD001.bmp The drive is hardly used apart from storing photos and my PC back up its not even 1/4 full. Any one got any idea's?PLEASE
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Post by computing50yrs on Feb 7, 2009 14:46:18 GMT
That screen shot is no good as its the address of where your picture is on you drive C: you need to upload the picture and put a link to the picture in your enquiry.
Have you tried different USB sockets
If you click My Computer does it show the external drive
Look in Device manager and see if the USB drive is showing there or does it have yellow ! against it in the USB devices
Graham
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Post by blaster on Feb 7, 2009 16:31:30 GMT
SORRY ABOUT THAT
Yes I changed USB ports,It should show up as J in my computer but no sign of it
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Post by movieman36 on Feb 7, 2009 23:16:23 GMT
Have you looked in 'My Computer'? Sometimes they can't find the drive from the shortcut but will show up as a drive in My Computer. Try another cable and different USB ports. I have a USB HD that will only seem to work reliably when plugged into a rear port. (Rear USB ports are usually connected directly to the mother board and front port are usually hubs, why it makes a difference I don't know but sometimes it does)
MM
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Post by movieman36 on Feb 7, 2009 23:17:40 GMT
Sorry Graham, I didn't read your reply before posting.
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Post by blaster on Feb 8, 2009 0:16:57 GMT
Thanks MM
Yep I did all that,I always use rear USB ports for things I use that I class as impotent.eg, external drives printer and my web cam
My external drive is not showing up in my computer,I also checked the device manager for USB ports and they came up as these devices are working properly.
Thank you and Graham for you input
Cheers Ian
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Post by blaster on Feb 8, 2009 0:28:27 GMT
WOOPS I meant important not impotent lol
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Post by elvisuk on Feb 8, 2009 2:07:25 GMT
Yes that's what they all say  |
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Post by roo on Feb 8, 2009 2:59:27 GMT
I am sure it was just a typo . Obviously Elvis is reading a bit more into it ... LOL A Freudian slip is not limited to a slip of the tongue, or to sexual desires. It can extend to our word perception where we might read a word incorrectly because of our fixations. www.answers.com/topic/freudian-slipOn a more serious note, have you removed the drive from its Caddy and checked the connections? |
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Post by ken on Feb 8, 2009 4:28:18 GMT
Right click My Computer, click Manage, Disk Management. It should show in there, even if its not showing in My Computer. If it is, Right click on it and click Change Drive Letter and Paths. It will suggest a letter and you just click Add, OK. Then it will show in My Computer. Sometimes these externals can lose their Letter and can't show without one.
KC
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Post by blaster on Feb 8, 2009 9:23:39 GMT
Thanks Ken  Did that nothing in box that opened Roo I think you might be right,only I'm not the guy to do that I can't even see how to remove the caddy lol |
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Post by johnnybee on Feb 8, 2009 10:57:04 GMT
Hiya, Ian; thing to do here is to pull the plug on your external drive, then shut down your system fully, i.e. at the mains as well, then reboot the rig into Windows.
Once it's U&R, plug the drive into a known good USB port and see what happens; if it 'sees' the drive going onto the system you should get the usual 'Found new hardware' balloon and it will be installed as normal.
If Windows doesn't see the drive then you have a problem, which under the circumstances of the failure is more likely to be a data cable issue.
Your drive seems to be 'live' as it shows the power LED, but from bitter experience I've found that if you disturb a setup that's been in place for a long time it can take a lot of buggering about to get things hooked back up again.
If the usual method of using a squib of WD40 on the terminal plugs doesn't get a result, then try fitting a new cable and see where you go from there.
ATB,
JB.
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Post by ken on Feb 8, 2009 11:22:46 GMT
If its a SATA drive, chances are the cable needs straightening out a bit. They fit in the caddy so tight, that it almost impossible to not get a kink in the cable. A kink in the DATA cable has the affect as it does on an internal drive. It depends on the make of Caddy, but some just have 4 little screws in the corners, on the back. Others you have to take the screws out of the base to get them to slide apart.
KC
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Post by elvisuk on Feb 8, 2009 11:46:53 GMT
Roo ;D
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Post by blaster on Feb 10, 2009 9:42:21 GMT
Ok I did every thing you suggested JB apart from the new cable,I tried the one used on my printer.
Still know sign of my x drive.Thanks anyway.
Its a Western drive Ken not a screw to be seen.
I kept putting off changing things in my PC base (the very small bedroom)as I know any time I change things some thing always goes wrong.
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Post by blaster on Feb 15, 2009 18:22:05 GMT
Well I have all my files back from my external drive safe and sound, and a hard drive with no cover.(I might install it in my PC)
I had noticed that although the green power light was on pressing it did not switch it off,so I guessed it must be a problem with the power switch.
They do not make it easy to get the caddy off but I managed in the end.
Then found spare power lead and drive connector connected up and hey ho windows found new hardware.
Thank you all for your help & advice.
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I only seem to get in touch with you guys woops and ladies lol when I need help.
Did that nothing in box that opened 
