External USB Hard Drive just won't work.

brentspies · 05-08-2006, 12:36 AM

I have an old 80 gig external HDD made by western digital. A few months ago i decided i was going to take it out of its external encloser and install it in my new desktop. I completely didn't think about it not being a SATA drive with i decided i wanted to install it. I didn't have an adapter cable for it so i thought i would just put it back in its case and copy all its data to the HDD that was already in my desktop and forget about it. Well. When i reassembled the HDD in its encloser. It no didn't work. When i would pug it in it would start to spin the disc, then stop, then spin and stop. and continue to do that for 30 seconds. then it gives up and stops spinning completely. My computer won't recognize it as a USB device. It just won't work. I almost had success when i tried hooking it up a few weeks ago, it was still spinning and stopping. but when i held the drive in my hand and waved it around in the air back and forth, it would keep spinning and not stop. the computer still didn't recognized it as a USB device, but i thought that i was getting closer.

I want to know it there is anything i can do to get this drive to work? I don't really feel like shelling out 300 bucks to get the data recovered by a company. I have thought about trying the freezing trick, but i just don't think that will fix the problem. If someone has any ideas. please help. I have tried almost every thing. Could it be that the jumpers are on wrong? or maybe i broke a power connection when taking it out? the power connecter didn't come out very easy. Any advice would be great.

~~whodat~~ · 05-08-2006, 05:47 AM

greetings

i think your power adapter in your enclosure went bad

try this

post back

brentspies · 05-08-2006, 12:10 PM

I'll try that. then i will get back to you.

brentspies · 05-13-2006, 06:11 PM

It didnt' work. nothing changed as far as what the HDD does when hooked up.

Any more suggestion?

**jnob** · 05-13-2006, 06:36 PM

I'd get the adapter that will allow you to connect it as a slave inside your case to see if you can recover the data.

~~whodat~~ · 05-18-2006, 04:03 AM

where is the jumper set on the hard drive?

**linderman** · 05-18-2006, 05:44 AM

i'll bet your USB enclosure went bad. Personally I would opt for a Promise brand IDE/Sata controller Card (PCI slot card =about $40.00) then you would have plenty of options for cloning your boot drive and other back-up storage solutions.

In that configuration you could change your boot order and boot to the back up 80 gig drive if and when your current boot drive gets wiggy??????

or a tad cheaper >>>>> you could get a adapter for IDE drive to Sata ?????

brentspies · 05-27-2006, 06:09 PM

There is currently no jumper on the hard drive. I don't know if there was one on it or not. I may have fallen off and gotten lost when i took the hard drive out of the encloser. would that make the hard drive act funny?

05-08-2006, 12:36 AM	#1 (permalink)
brentspies Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 21 OS: WinXP Pro	External USB Hard Drive just won't work. I have an old 80 gig external HDD made by western digital. A few months ago i decided i was going to take it out of its external encloser and install it in my new desktop. I completely didn't think about it not being a SATA drive with i decided i wanted to install it. I didn't have an adapter cable for it so i thought i would just put it back in its case and copy all its data to the HDD that was already in my desktop and forget about it. Well. When i reassembled the HDD in its encloser. It no didn't work. When i would pug it in it would start to spin the disc, then stop, then spin and stop. and continue to do that for 30 seconds. then it gives up and stops spinning completely. My computer won't recognize it as a USB device. It just won't work. I almost had success when i tried hooking it up a few weeks ago, it was still spinning and stopping. but when i held the drive in my hand and waved it around in the air back and forth, it would keep spinning and not stop. the computer still didn't recognized it as a USB device, but i thought that i was getting closer. I want to know it there is anything i can do to get this drive to work? I don't really feel like shelling out 300 bucks to get the data recovered by a company. I have thought about trying the freezing trick, but i just don't think that will fix the problem. If someone has any ideas. please help. I have tried almost every thing. Could it be that the jumpers are on wrong? or maybe i broke a power connection when taking it out? the power connecter didn't come out very easy. Any advice would be great.

05-13-2006, 06:36 PM	#5 (permalink)
jnob TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: CA Valley Posts: 692 OS: XP Pro, SP2 My System	I'd get the adapter that will allow you to connect it as a slave inside your case to see if you can recover the data. __________________ Everest Memtest86

05-18-2006, 05:44 AM	#7 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,437 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	i'll bet your USB enclosure went bad. Personally I would opt for a Promise brand IDE/Sata controller Card (PCI slot card =about $40.00) then you would have plenty of options for cloning your boot drive and other back-up storage solutions. In that configuration you could change your boot order and boot to the back up 80 gig drive if and when your current boot drive gets wiggy?????? or a tad cheaper >>>>> you could get a adapter for IDE drive to Sata ????? __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

05-08-2006, 05:47 AM	#2 (permalink)
~~whodat~~ Register user Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 5,931 OS: XP	greetings i think your power adapter in your enclosure went bad try this post back

05-08-2006, 12:10 PM	#3 (permalink)
brentspies Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 21 OS: WinXP Pro	I'll try that. then i will get back to you.

05-13-2006, 06:11 PM	#4 (permalink)
brentspies Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 21 OS: WinXP Pro	It didnt' work. nothing changed as far as what the HDD does when hooked up. Any more suggestion?

05-18-2006, 04:03 AM	#6 (permalink)
~~whodat~~ Register user Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 5,931 OS: XP	where is the jumper set on the hard drive?

05-27-2006, 06:09 PM	#8 (permalink)
brentspies Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 21 OS: WinXP Pro	There is currently no jumper on the hard drive. I don't know if there was one on it or not. I may have fallen off and gotten lost when i took the hard drive out of the encloser. would that make the hard drive act funny?