Solve : Inaccessible Hard Drive?

1.	Solve : Inaccessible Hard Drive?
Answer» Hi there, I am having a very frustrating problem right now, I have a 30GB Fujitsu 2.5" hard drive which I am currently using in an external usb hard drive case, the type I have is the one that doesn't require an external power supply it just connects into 2 usb ports. When I plug it in, it shows up in "My Computer" as drive D which is normal but when I try to click on it (highlight it) "My Computer" stops responding. I tried running "Scandisk" but as soon as I click the drive under the list "Scandisk" stops respoding. I'm running Windows 98 SE so what I did is deleted all drivers that the usb drive needs to operate and I replaced them with fresh COPIES, but this did not do anything. I'm starting to think there is a Read/Write error going on here but I'm unsure how to fix it. The Hard drive powers up just fine and makes that whirling spinning sound you hear but no matter what program I USE to try and access the drive that program will stop responding. Could this be a hard drive malfunction? I would be open to backing up all my data off the drive and burning it to CD/DVD but I don't know what sort of program could be of use? I'm not in any hurry to get this problem fixed as the only files on the drive are mostly mp3's and music video's but all together there's about 20GB of data there which I'm not re-downloading! Please help Regards Matthew Matthew........ Is it possible that the additional load of the external hard drive is more than your PSU can handle ? How many watts is your PSU ? dl65 One thing I forgot to mention before is that I've had this thing working for almost a year now and all of a sudden it's decided not to work. To ANSWER your question my PSU is 150W, it's a preety old computer but its definently a good working one.No...Sorry its a 250W unit, does more than 25Amp surley this is enough, I don't have alot of things running in this computer and I also just tried it on a friends computer and it did the same thing.Was it a new drive when you relegated it to this duty a 1/2 years ago? It may just be dying? If it doesn't work on any other computer as well I would suspect the device. Quote ...the type I have is the one that doesn't require an external power supply it just connects into 2 usb ports.... Very common problem, I've had several do the same thing. USB port is unable to provide enough power to perform read/write. USB ports supply 500ma Max. External power supply for the USB drive case will fix the problem. I'm getting my friend to come around my house sometime with his external usb hard drive case (same as mine) and I will put my hard drive in it to determine wether its the case or the drive. GX1_Man: I BOUGHT the case BRAND new and the drive 2nd hand off ebay. Because the same problem is happening on different computers I was thinking it is the drive, but I guess something else might be playing a part in this too. Computer_Commando: Very interesting, not enough power ay? Infact this morning when I tried it again on my computer the drive seemed to have trouble powering up, it just kept spinning then stopping then repeating the process over and over. But on my upstairs computer (just got it up and running with WIN98) it powered up fine but still couldn't access the data on the drive without the computer freezing. Thanks so farI'm getting my friend to come around my house sometime with his external usb hard drive case (same as mine) and I will put my hard drive in it to determine wether its the case or the drive. GX1_Man: I bought the case brand new and the drive 2nd hand off ebay. Because the same problem is happening on different computers I was thinking it is the drive, but I guess something else might be playing a part in this too. Computer_Commando: Very interesting, not enough power ay? Infact this morning when I tried it again on my computer the drive seemed to have trouble powering up, it just kept spinning then stopping then repeating the process over and over. But on my upstairs computer (just got it up and running with WIN98) it powered up fine but still couldn't access the data on the drive without the computer freezing. Thanks so far

Answer»

Hi there,

I am having a very frustrating problem right now, I have a 30GB Fujitsu 2.5" hard drive which I am currently using in an external usb hard drive case, the type I have is the one that doesn't require an external power supply it just connects into 2 usb ports.

When I plug it in, it shows up in "My Computer" as drive D which is normal but when I try to click on it (highlight it) "My Computer" stops responding.
I tried running "Scandisk" but as soon as I click the drive under the list "Scandisk" stops respoding.

I'm running Windows 98 SE so what I did is deleted all drivers that the usb drive needs to operate and I replaced them with fresh COPIES, but this did not do anything.

I'm starting to think there is a Read/Write error going on here but I'm unsure how to fix it. The Hard drive powers up just fine and makes that whirling spinning sound you hear but no matter what program I USE to try and access the drive that program will stop responding.

Could this be a hard drive malfunction?
I would be open to backing up all my data off the drive and burning it to CD/DVD but I don't know what sort of program could be of use?

I'm not in any hurry to get this problem fixed as the only files on the drive are mostly mp3's and music video's but all together there's about 20GB of data there which I'm not re-downloading!

Please help

Regards Matthew Matthew........ Is it possible that the additional load of the external hard drive is more than your PSU can handle ? How many watts is your PSU ?

dl65 One thing I forgot to mention before is that I've had this thing working for almost a year now and all of a sudden it's decided not to work.

To ANSWER your question my PSU is 150W, it's a preety old computer but its definently a good working one.No...Sorry its a 250W unit, does more than 25Amp surley this is enough, I don't have alot of things running in this computer and I also just tried it on a friends computer and it did the same thing.Was it a new drive when you relegated it to this duty a 1/2 years ago? It may just be dying? If it doesn't work on any other computer as well I would suspect the device. Quote

...the type I have is the one that doesn't require an external power supply it just connects into 2 usb ports....

Very common problem, I've had several do the same thing. USB port is unable to provide enough power to perform read/write. USB ports supply 500ma Max. External power supply for the USB drive case will fix the problem.
I'm getting my friend to come around my house sometime with his external usb hard drive case (same as mine) and I will put my hard drive in it to determine wether its the case or the drive.

GX1_Man: I BOUGHT the case BRAND new and the drive 2nd hand off ebay. Because the same problem is happening on different computers I was thinking it is the drive, but I guess something else might be playing a part in this too.

Computer_Commando: Very interesting, not enough power ay? Infact this morning when I tried it again on my computer the drive seemed to have trouble powering up, it just kept spinning then stopping then repeating the process over and over. But on my upstairs computer (just got it up and running with WIN98) it powered up fine but still couldn't access the data on the drive without the computer freezing.

Thanks so farI'm getting my friend to come around my house sometime with his external usb hard drive case (same as mine) and I will put my hard drive in it to determine wether its the case or the drive.

GX1_Man: I bought the case brand new and the drive 2nd hand off ebay. Because the same problem is happening on different computers I was thinking it is the drive, but I guess something else might be playing a part in this too.

Computer_Commando: Very interesting, not enough power ay? Infact this morning when I tried it again on my computer the drive seemed to have trouble powering up, it just kept spinning then stopping then repeating the process over and over. But on my upstairs computer (just got it up and running with WIN98) it powered up fine but still couldn't access the data on the drive without the computer freezing.

Thanks so far

Solve : Inaccessible Hard Drive?

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