External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation

parabola50 · 04-12-2009, 04:28 AM

I have a WD My Book Essential 1TB external drive that I bought about a month ago that's been working perfectly. I just formatted my main drive and reinstalled windows and now the external drive isn't reponding at all. I disconnected it while I was doing the format just to be safe.

I've tried plugging it in different ports, tried it on another computer, checked the bios, checked the hardware manager but it seems totally dead. It can't be broken because it's brand new and it was working fine an hour ago. I tried downloading the software from the WD site but it wasn't very helpful.

I need suggestions ASAP as I have about 500GB of stuff backed up on it, and I need some of it for work today!

Thanks.

**manic** · 04-12-2009, 04:58 AM

Did you install motherboard drivers after install of vista? Are there any
yellow or red flags in device manager next to usb, or any other hardware
for that matter.

parabola50 · 04-12-2009, 05:03 AM

I reinstalled XP, got rid of vista ages ago. I forgot about the little thing under my username.

I didn't install any mobo drivers, everything else is working ok. Only installed drivers for the graphics card, sound and network card. The device manager isn't showing the drive at all.

**manic** · 04-12-2009, 05:11 AM

You need to install chipset drivers, well you dont have to but you should.
If not your trusting MS to handle how the mobo talks to your hardware.
Not good, imo.
With xp unless you install, sp1, or sp2, cant remember which you will
not have usb2.0 support. Pretty sure its sp2. In other words the driver
for usb2.0 is included in sp2...

parabola50 · 04-12-2009, 05:11 AM

When I was selecting the drive to format, it came up as
C: 1TB
D: 320GB
This was weird because C: is my main drive and D: is the external, which is why I unplugged the external and restarted before continuing. So it was picking it up then, but now it wont :s

parabola50 · 04-12-2009, 05:12 AM

ok thanks, I'll find some drivers n try that

parabola50 · 04-12-2009, 05:24 AM

Installed the drivers and still nothing :'(

**manic** · 04-12-2009, 05:31 AM

You need service packs, as mentioned in prior post. Sp=service packs.
You need sp2 in order to have usb2.0 functionality. This is a windows
update. The driver for usb2.0 is included in the service pack. After
downloading and installing the sp, and it still doesnt work, you go into
device manager and remove the usb root hubs, then reboot and usb
should realign itself. This is the last thing to do, install sp2 and see what
happens. That is a Microsoft Update for your Operating system

parabola50 · 04-12-2009, 05:33 AM

Sorry forgot to say I already have SP3 installed. I'll try the USB thing now though. My other USB devices are working fine though (speakers, external DVD writer, mouse)

**manic** · 04-12-2009, 05:42 AM

If the other devices are usb2.0 that is kind of wierd. Does the drive
show up in disk management?

parabola50 · 04-12-2009, 05:48 AM

Nope, doesn't show at all.

**manic** · 04-12-2009, 05:52 AM

I would try the drive on another pc.

parabola50 · 04-12-2009, 05:55 AM

Already did. I plugged it in to my friends laptop and still got to response.

**manic** · 04-12-2009, 06:03 AM

May be that the enclosure has failed, Im not sure how to swap that out.
May try a different usb cable..Alot of times the enclosure will fail and the
drive is still ok, Im not familiar with the new fangled smaller drives.

**raptor_pa** · 04-12-2009, 08:13 AM

Can you feel the drive spin up at all? Does it make any noise when it starts up like clicking.

parabola50 · 04-12-2009, 08:26 AM

It doesn't do anything at all, no noise, lights, anything. It plugs in to a mains socket but it doesn't have an on/off switch. I think it just powers up when the computer tries to access it.

**raptor_pa** · 04-12-2009, 08:55 AM

The drive would have to spin up and init and report to the PCthat it is there. Also I don't know of any drives that will spin completely down and wait for access due to the delays. The heads would have to be parked before the drive spun down, then when accessed the platters would have to spin up to speed, unpark the heads, and reread the servo sectors. Kind of like awakening the drive from sleep, way to slow for normal access. Sounds like it's time to pull the drive from the enclosure and attach it to a spare port on the PC to see how it behaves. No spin up on WD usually indicate a failure of the spindle motor control chip on the PCB on the drive. If this is a 1 TB drive then it probably uses the Marvel MCU chip which will also cause these conditions when it fails. When you get the drive apart, look closely at the PCB of the drive and the chips on it. Look for scorch marks, pinhole burns on the chips, and cracked/heat stressed components. Then see if it spins up connected directly to an internal port of the PC. This will determine if the failure is in the enclosure or the disk itself. Best case scenario is the failure is the enclosure...

parabola50 · 05-11-2009, 10:08 AM

Thanks for the help guys, it's working now. WD sent me a new power cable which solved the problem. I have no idea how a simple mains cable can just stop working after 3 weeks of use, but that's what solved the problem heh.

Thanks!

04-12-2009, 04:28 AM	#1 (permalink)
parabola50 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 63 OS: Vista	External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation I have a WD My Book Essential 1TB external drive that I bought about a month ago that's been working perfectly. I just formatted my main drive and reinstalled windows and now the external drive isn't reponding at all. I disconnected it while I was doing the format just to be safe. I've tried plugging it in different ports, tried it on another computer, checked the bios, checked the hardware manager but it seems totally dead. It can't be broken because it's brand new and it was working fine an hour ago. I tried downloading the software from the WD site but it wasn't very helpful. I need suggestions ASAP as I have about 500GB of stuff backed up on it, and I need some of it for work today! Thanks.

04-12-2009, 04:58 AM	#2 (permalink)
manic Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 5,246 OS: xp	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation Did you install motherboard drivers after install of vista? Are there any yellow or red flags in device manager next to usb, or any other hardware for that matter. __________________

04-12-2009, 05:03 AM	#3 (permalink)
parabola50 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 63 OS: Vista	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation I reinstalled XP, got rid of vista ages ago. I forgot about the little thing under my username. I didn't install any mobo drivers, everything else is working ok. Only installed drivers for the graphics card, sound and network card. The device manager isn't showing the drive at all.

04-12-2009, 05:11 AM	#4 (permalink)
manic Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 5,246 OS: xp	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation You need to install chipset drivers, well you dont have to but you should. If not your trusting MS to handle how the mobo talks to your hardware. Not good, imo. With xp unless you install, sp1, or sp2, cant remember which you will not have usb2.0 support. Pretty sure its sp2. In other words the driver for usb2.0 is included in sp2... __________________

04-12-2009, 05:11 AM	#5 (permalink)
parabola50 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 63 OS: Vista	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation When I was selecting the drive to format, it came up as C: 1TB D: 320GB This was weird because C: is my main drive and D: is the external, which is why I unplugged the external and restarted before continuing. So it was picking it up then, but now it wont :s

04-12-2009, 05:12 AM	#6 (permalink)
parabola50 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 63 OS: Vista	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation ok thanks, I'll find some drivers n try that

04-12-2009, 05:24 AM	#7 (permalink)
parabola50 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 63 OS: Vista	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation Installed the drivers and still nothing :'(

04-12-2009, 05:31 AM	#8 (permalink)
manic Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 5,246 OS: xp	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation You need service packs, as mentioned in prior post. Sp=service packs. You need sp2 in order to have usb2.0 functionality. This is a windows update. The driver for usb2.0 is included in the service pack. After downloading and installing the sp, and it still doesnt work, you go into device manager and remove the usb root hubs, then reboot and usb should realign itself. This is the last thing to do, install sp2 and see what happens. That is a Microsoft Update for your Operating system __________________

04-12-2009, 05:33 AM	#9 (permalink)
parabola50 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 63 OS: Vista	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation Sorry forgot to say I already have SP3 installed. I'll try the USB thing now though. My other USB devices are working fine though (speakers, external DVD writer, mouse)

04-12-2009, 05:42 AM	#10 (permalink)
manic Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 5,246 OS: xp	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation If the other devices are usb2.0 that is kind of wierd. Does the drive show up in disk management? __________________

04-12-2009, 05:48 AM	#11 (permalink)
parabola50 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 63 OS: Vista	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation Nope, doesn't show at all.

04-12-2009, 05:52 AM	#12 (permalink)
manic Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 5,246 OS: xp	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation I would try the drive on another pc. __________________

04-12-2009, 05:55 AM	#13 (permalink)
parabola50 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 63 OS: Vista	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation Already did. I plugged it in to my friends laptop and still got to response.

04-12-2009, 06:03 AM	#14 (permalink)
manic Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Florida Posts: 5,246 OS: xp	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation May be that the enclosure has failed, Im not sure how to swap that out. May try a different usb cable..Alot of times the enclosure will fail and the drive is still ok, Im not familiar with the new fangled smaller drives. __________________

04-12-2009, 08:13 AM	#15 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,866 OS: XP	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation Can you feel the drive spin up at all? Does it make any noise when it starts up like clicking. __________________

04-12-2009, 08:26 AM	#16 (permalink)
parabola50 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 63 OS: Vista	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation It doesn't do anything at all, no noise, lights, anything. It plugs in to a mains socket but it doesn't have an on/off switch. I think it just powers up when the computer tries to access it.

04-12-2009, 08:55 AM	#17 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 4,866 OS: XP	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation The drive would have to spin up and init and report to the PCthat it is there. Also I don't know of any drives that will spin completely down and wait for access due to the delays. The heads would have to be parked before the drive spun down, then when accessed the platters would have to spin up to speed, unpark the heads, and reread the servo sectors. Kind of like awakening the drive from sleep, way to slow for normal access. Sounds like it's time to pull the drive from the enclosure and attach it to a spare port on the PC to see how it behaves. No spin up on WD usually indicate a failure of the spindle motor control chip on the PCB on the drive. If this is a 1 TB drive then it probably uses the Marvel MCU chip which will also cause these conditions when it fails. When you get the drive apart, look closely at the PCB of the drive and the chips on it. Look for scorch marks, pinhole burns on the chips, and cracked/heat stressed components. Then see if it spins up connected directly to an internal port of the PC. This will determine if the failure is in the enclosure or the disk itself. Best case scenario is the failure is the enclosure... __________________ Last edited by raptor_pa; 04-12-2009 at 09:06 AM.

05-11-2009, 10:08 AM	#18 (permalink)
parabola50 Registered User Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 63 OS: Vista	Re: External WD drive not responding after windows reinstallation Thanks for the help guys, it's working now. WD sent me a new power cable which solved the problem. I have no idea how a simple mains cable can just stop working after 3 weeks of use, but that's what solved the problem heh. Thanks!