External USB HDD enclosure problems... please help

[dustineck]

I have recently put a 160gb hdd in one of those USB hdd enclosures in an attempt to have it used as an external hard drive. I am running into some problems though... I get it to install fine, and it recognizes it as a USB mass storage device and a disk drive, but for some reason the drive won't show up in the disk management or "My Computer"

I have tried using two different enclosure, both have run into the same problem.

If anybody knows what I need to do to get this workin I would really appreciate it. The drive works fine if i just plug it into an IDE cable, I can add/remove files and do whatever, but it won't work with the USB interface.

 

[themusgrat]

Do you have the latest chipset drivers, because sometimes they have storage related drivers.

 

[dustineck]

As far as I know the latest drivers are installed.

 

[montag451]

Some external caddies for some reason, don't support 48bit LBA drives. Looks like yours may be one of them.

 

[dustineck]

It worked at one point, so i am not sure that is the problem.

 

[montag451]

Ok, I stand corrected - in that case, have you installed anything, or restored an image or done anything with other USB devices recently?

Could also try a new USB cable.
Has the caddy got an external power supply - if yes, use it - just in case.

 

[dustineck]

I have tried two different usb cables, two different enclosures, and always used the external power supply. I just have no idea why it would not be working. I have tried the drive in the enclosre on two different computers with no luck. The drive work fine outside the enclosures and used to work in the encolsures. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[montag451]

Originally posted by: dustineck
I have tried two different usb cables, two different enclosures, and always used the external power supply. I just have no idea why it would not be working. I have tried the drive in the enclosre on two different computers with no luck. The drive work fine outside the enclosures and used to work in the encolsures. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Well that just about narrows the issue down to 'external' if both caddies used to work fine, and the drive is fine........

Have you got anything else plugged into the usb?
I can't really see where else to go on this, unless you try a PCI IDE controller card.

 

[kwo]

What about a *different* drive in the enclosure? (e.g. something smaller?)

Strange, though if this is a problem on two computers (what OS?)

 

[dustineck]

Windows XP on both the computers I tried. It installs fine, shows up in the Device Manager as a Disk Drive and a Universal Serial Bus. I just doesn't show up under the Disk Management and My Computer.

 

[dustineck]

I tried another drive, and no change. I am thinking about pulling all the data off the drive again, reformating, and repartitioning it. Is there an order in which i have to partition/format the drive? I just can't get this problem figured out. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.