[SOLVED] Windows Vista external USB drives not working

darknyht · 04-18-2008, 01:32 PM

I have tried everything I can think of with no success, so I am posting this hoping someone else has a solution.

Starting this morning, all of my USB drives (1 USB Powered HDD, 1 Plug in USB HDD, 2 flash drives) are showing up in Vista as drives (get drive letter) with no drive space. Vista is insisting that all of them are formatted as RAW, and that they need formatted.

I let it attempt to format one of my flash drives, but it fails both in quick format and regular format with an error. The drives all work in other machines (Ubuntu Linux, Windows 2000, and Windows XP) and chkdsk can find nothing wrong with any of them. However, in Vista it insists there is something wrong with the drives. In fact the one USB HDD has a Linux boot partition on it and boots Linux up with no hesitation.

I have also attempted to remove all USB drivers and reinstall them thinking this was similar to another problem I had when my docking station failed, but this has not corrected the issue.

Needless to say, I am now at the point where I want to throw the laptop across the room. If anyone has a fix for this please let me know.

mazapan_joy_joy · 04-18-2008, 09:26 PM

I have a similar problem with a Flash Drive. Win Vista is giving me real headaches.
My problem I guess is a matter of drivers. I have a Kingston DataTraveler Minifun 4GB and when i plug it; Vista doesn't want to install the driver when trying to install from my HD. And when i ask it to look Online it says that can't find it.

If is not the same problem I'm sorry.
And if by any chance you can help I would thank you!!

darknyht · 04-18-2008, 11:35 PM

It sounds like you are having a slightly different issue, in your case Vista is not finding the drivers for the flash drive and in mine it find the driver but does not allow proper access to the drive. I can get a drive letter, see the drive in Computer Management (shows RAW format), and see the drive in Chkdsk (shows actual format) and diskpart.

I don't know if Kingston posts their drivers on their site, but you might try downloading and then pointing Vista through update driver in Device Manager.

mazapan_joy_joy · 04-19-2008, 01:04 AM

Ok, firstly i want to thanks you for the fast reply.

Yes, I can see the difference between your problem and mine.
And let me tell you that if i run up with the solution for youi will post it.

And talking about your advice for my issue, I try everything that i can think of. The only driver in the whole net is for Windows 98se (I even try to install it, but obiously it doesn't let me because "my O.S. is newer, and it doesn't need to").
In fact, when i ask Vista to look for the driver in my HD, after awhile it says that could find it but because of an error could not install it...
And the "solutions" online (a matter of speak) for the problems with Vista never works.... And I mean NEVER (including finding drivers or codecs, etc). It's just useles!!!

So, here I am with these, and so many others problems with Vista.
I'm from Argentina (i guess you can tell, for my english) and it's getting annoying every day to have Vista installed in my Pc with all these bugs and can't finding solutions for them!!!

Anyway...
I hope you can help me, if not, Thank you anyway!!

darknyht · 04-21-2008, 07:20 AM

I've contacted Microsoft regarding my issue. Hopefully I will be able to post a fix for it soon.

mazapan_joy_joy · 04-22-2008, 05:01 PM

OK... great. I'm in the same situation and thinking about Format my drive and Do a Fresh WIN XP install.
I hope you can find a solution and so do I.

Bye

darknyht · 04-22-2008, 05:06 PM

Found a fix for my own problem. I found out that the program SFC does work, but Microsoft removed an option that I was still using. To resolve my problem I started cmd.exe as an administrator then ran the following:

sfc /scannow

After it did it's scan and I rebooted, my flash drives and portable hard drive were readable again.

04-18-2008, 01:32 PM	#1 (permalink)
darknyht Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 4 OS: Windows Vista SP1	[SOLVED] Windows Vista external USB drives not working I have tried everything I can think of with no success, so I am posting this hoping someone else has a solution. Starting this morning, all of my USB drives (1 USB Powered HDD, 1 Plug in USB HDD, 2 flash drives) are showing up in Vista as drives (get drive letter) with no drive space. Vista is insisting that all of them are formatted as RAW, and that they need formatted. I let it attempt to format one of my flash drives, but it fails both in quick format and regular format with an error. The drives all work in other machines (Ubuntu Linux, Windows 2000, and Windows XP) and chkdsk can find nothing wrong with any of them. However, in Vista it insists there is something wrong with the drives. In fact the one USB HDD has a Linux boot partition on it and boots Linux up with no hesitation. I have also attempted to remove all USB drivers and reinstall them thinking this was similar to another problem I had when my docking station failed, but this has not corrected the issue. Needless to say, I am now at the point where I want to throw the laptop across the room. If anyone has a fix for this please let me know.

04-18-2008, 09:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
mazapan_joy_joy Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 4 OS: Windows Vista Ultimate x86 Service Pack 1	Re: Windows Vista external USB drives not working I have a similar problem with a Flash Drive. Win Vista is giving me real headaches. My problem I guess is a matter of drivers. I have a Kingston DataTraveler Minifun 4GB and when i plug it; Vista doesn't want to install the driver when trying to install from my HD. And when i ask it to look Online it says that can't find it. If is not the same problem I'm sorry. And if by any chance you can help I would thank you!!

04-18-2008, 11:35 PM	#3 (permalink)
darknyht Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 4 OS: Windows Vista SP1	Re: Windows Vista external USB drives not working It sounds like you are having a slightly different issue, in your case Vista is not finding the drivers for the flash drive and in mine it find the driver but does not allow proper access to the drive. I can get a drive letter, see the drive in Computer Management (shows RAW format), and see the drive in Chkdsk (shows actual format) and diskpart. I don't know if Kingston posts their drivers on their site, but you might try downloading and then pointing Vista through update driver in Device Manager.

04-19-2008, 01:04 AM	#4 (permalink)
mazapan_joy_joy Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 4 OS: Windows Vista Ultimate x86 Service Pack 1	Re: Windows Vista external USB drives not working Ok, firstly i want to thanks you for the fast reply. Yes, I can see the difference between your problem and mine. And let me tell you that if i run up with the solution for youi will post it. And talking about your advice for my issue, I try everything that i can think of. The only driver in the whole net is for Windows 98se (I even try to install it, but obiously it doesn't let me because "my O.S. is newer, and it doesn't need to"). In fact, when i ask Vista to look for the driver in my HD, after awhile it says that could find it but because of an error could not install it... And the "solutions" online (a matter of speak) for the problems with Vista never works.... And I mean NEVER (including finding drivers or codecs, etc). It's just useles!!! So, here I am with these, and so many others problems with Vista. I'm from Argentina (i guess you can tell, for my english) and it's getting annoying every day to have Vista installed in my Pc with all these bugs and can't finding solutions for them!!! Anyway... I hope you can help me, if not, Thank you anyway!!

04-21-2008, 07:20 AM	#5 (permalink)
darknyht Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 4 OS: Windows Vista SP1	Re: Windows Vista external USB drives not working I've contacted Microsoft regarding my issue. Hopefully I will be able to post a fix for it soon.

04-22-2008, 05:01 PM	#6 (permalink)
mazapan_joy_joy Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 4 OS: Windows Vista Ultimate x86 Service Pack 1	Re: Windows Vista external USB drives not working OK... great. I'm in the same situation and thinking about Format my drive and Do a Fresh WIN XP install. I hope you can find a solution and so do I. Bye

04-22-2008, 05:06 PM	#7 (permalink)
darknyht Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 4 OS: Windows Vista SP1	Re: Windows Vista external USB drives not working Found a fix for my own problem. I found out that the program SFC does work, but Microsoft removed an option that I was still using. To resolve my problem I started cmd.exe as an administrator then ran the following: sfc /scannow After it did it's scan and I rebooted, my flash drives and portable hard drive were readable again.