Solve : iomega External HD not working; beeping?

1.	Solve : iomega External HD not working; beeping?
Answer» I have an iomega 160 GB external hard drive I was using as a Time Machine volume on my Mac. I reformatted it to FAT so I could move files to my new Win7 Thinkpad at college. I got a new USB CORD and plugged it in. It chirps/beeps, sometimes slow, sometimes fast, sometimes depending on if i move the drive. The computer does not recognize it; any help? I'm worried that it may have been damaged when it went through the airport x-ray machine. I don't want to format it, since I'd have to travel 3000 MILES to get my files back.If this is one of those drives that is powered thru the USB CABLE, try a new USB cable. Moving it and hearing a difference to me sounds like the cable when flexed a certain way is giving it just a hair more juice at times etc. If the cable DOESNT resolve the issue and you also try a different USB port, then it could be a damaged drive. Although airport x-ray woudnt affect it as much as say it taking a hard hit in transport.I found the manual online. The USB cable it shipped with was special: it attached to two ports on the computer, one for power, one for data. It also said beeping meant it wasn't getting enough power through the data connection alone. Therefore I'll need to get another of this cord at the store when it opens tomorrow. IMHO, those drives are junk. Cheaper to get a new & different drive, look for a self-powered notebook drive, Western Digital or Seagate. Here's one on sale this week. Western Digital - My Passport Essential 500GB External USB 3.0/2.0 Portable Hard Drive - Pacific Blue Quote from: 3Davideo on August 28, 2011, 06:12:34 PM I found the manual online. The USB cable it shipped with was special: it attached to two ports on the computer, one for power, one for data. It also said beeping meant it wasn't getting enough power through the data connection alone. Therefore I'll need to get another of this cord at the store when it opens tomorrow. That's exactly the problem. I have a Maxtor drive that requires the two port cable. It does the same thing if I forget to plug in the other cable or plug it into an unpowered USB hub. The cable isn't too hard to find usually (at least not where I live). If you can't find one in a shop, Newegg.com has one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812200791 Most of these drives are a USB mini-B on the hard drive end, but you will want to double check that, because some aren't (like my Western Digital external, which is USB micro-B). If yours is a micro-B and not a mini-B, you'll want this cable: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812200832 If you're not sure which yours is, post the model number or a picture of the port of the drive itself so we can help you identify which cable it is. If it's more than a few years old, it's probably a mini-B though.Sure the drive might be junk, but I have files on it. And I go to a techie school and they have a computer store/center on campus, they should have it.

Answer»

I have an iomega 160 GB external hard drive I was using as a Time Machine volume on my Mac. I reformatted it to FAT so I could move files to my new Win7 Thinkpad at college. I got a new USB CORD and plugged it in. It chirps/beeps, sometimes slow, sometimes fast, sometimes depending on if i move the drive. The computer does not recognize it; any help?

I'm worried that it may have been damaged when it went through the airport x-ray machine. I don't want to format it, since I'd have to travel 3000 MILES to get my files back.If this is one of those drives that is powered thru the USB CABLE, try a new USB cable. Moving it and hearing a difference to me sounds like the cable when flexed a certain way is giving it just a hair more juice at times etc. If the cable DOESNT resolve the issue and you also try a different USB port, then it could be a damaged drive. Although airport x-ray woudnt affect it as much as say it taking a hard hit in transport.I found the manual online. The USB cable it shipped with was special: it attached to two ports on the computer, one for power, one for data. It also said beeping meant it wasn't getting enough power through the data connection alone. Therefore I'll need to get another of this cord at the store when it opens tomorrow. IMHO, those drives are junk. Cheaper to get a new & different drive, look for a self-powered notebook drive, Western Digital or Seagate. Here's one on sale this week.
Western Digital - My Passport Essential 500GB External USB 3.0/2.0 Portable Hard Drive - Pacific Blue
Quote from: 3Davideo on August 28, 2011, 06:12:34 PM

I found the manual online. The USB cable it shipped with was special: it attached to two ports on the computer, one for power, one for data. It also said beeping meant it wasn't getting enough power through the data connection alone. Therefore I'll need to get another of this cord at the store when it opens tomorrow.

That's exactly the problem. I have a Maxtor drive that requires the two port cable. It does the same thing if I forget to plug in the other cable or plug it into an unpowered USB hub.

The cable isn't too hard to find usually (at least not where I live). If you can't find one in a shop, Newegg.com has one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812200791

Most of these drives are a USB mini-B on the hard drive end, but you will want to double check that, because some aren't (like my Western Digital external, which is USB micro-B).

If yours is a micro-B and not a mini-B, you'll want this cable:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812200832

If you're not sure which yours is, post the model number or a picture of the port of the drive itself so we can help you identify which cable it is. If it's more than a few years old, it's probably a mini-B though.Sure the drive might be junk, but I have files on it. And I go to a techie school and they have a computer store/center on campus, they should have it.

Solve : iomega External HD not working; beeping?

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