external drive problem

Message

#1 Post by **Kwackerz** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 8:57 pm

picked up a brand new 160gb hdd (sata) so i could back up some of my existing hdd on my number 1 pooter, (also a sata hdd) as it is on its way out

we're talking desktop pooter btw..

right. going to run both on my other pooter (number 2 pooter) externally, which is running vista home premium, upgraded from xp home. plug in the old, transfer files to my second computer, then swap the old hdd for the new one and transfer the files back across to that.

got an adaptor to turn a hdd into an external hdd and when i set up the old number 1 hdd as an external, it picks it up, recognises it and runs fine. no slave clip transfer the files and all is good, until...

plug in the second hdd, the new one (no slave clip fitted to that either), and it installs device drivers fine but doesnt show the fekker in my drive list and i cant find it.

old hdd is a seagate 300gb, new one is a hitatchi 160gb,

hopefully that all makes sense. any ideas wtf is up with it?

Aladinsaneuk · #2 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 9:09 pm

Check bios settings - specifically sata options

also check drivers are installed correctly

Pierre · #3 Post by **Pierre** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:41 pm

I know its external, but i had a similar problem with a new internal sata. I'm old skewl and used to IDE and XP so had to google why the dogsballs it wasnt appearing in vista. This worked :-

You want the Disk Management part of
Start, Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance, Administrative Tools, Computer Management , Storage, Disk Management (Local)

This will display the multiple hard drives (Disk 0, Disk 1, etc) and the partitions on them.

Right-click on the SATA drive and create the partition size you want and then format it

or something similar?

wavey · #4 Post by **wavey** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 9:24 pm

External drives are already partitioned & formatted, plug'n'play.

Internal drives need partitioning or windows wont see 'em, so follow Pierre's quote, should work perick.

Firestarter · #5 Post by **Firestarter** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 8:21 am

Pierre wrote:I know its external, but i had a similar problem with a new internal sata. I'm old skewl and used to IDE and XP so had to google why the dogsballs it wasnt appearing in vista. This worked :-
You want the Disk Management part of
Start, Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance, Administrative Tools, Computer Management , Storage, Disk Management (Local)

This will display the multiple hard drives (Disk 0, Disk 1, etc) and the partitions on them.

Right-click on the SATA drive and create the partition size you want and then format it
or something similar?

Should do the trick - remember it's an "internal" drive that's being connected externally through some widget (SATA>USB cable?), so likely isn't formatted, or if it is won't automatically mount as a logical drive. Did something similar myself recently for backup purposes, Pierre's got it bang-on. Note that doing it this way though, you will only be allowed to format as NTFS. If you want FAT32, you'll need some external package like fat32format (google it).

Why bother? In some cases, NTFS isn't always ideal for an external drive, however if you've got any large files (over 4Gb) you'll need NTFS. Did mine in FAT32, then tried doing a system backup, which failed cos the backup file was over 4Gb.

#6 Post by **Kwackerz** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 2:58 pm

That all makes sense.
Right, off to go play with some settings...

Cheers very much for the answers!! I should really have known that was the problem, but I shall put it down to tiredness and being full of cold.

#7 Post by **Kwackerz** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 3:42 am

Firestarter wrote:
Pierre wrote:I know its external, but i had a similar problem with a new internal sata. I'm old skewl and used to IDE and XP so had to google why the dogsballs it wasnt appearing in vista. This worked :-
You want the Disk Management part of
Start, Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance, Administrative Tools, Computer Management , Storage, Disk Management (Local)

This will display the multiple hard drives (Disk 0, Disk 1, etc) and the partitions on them.

Right-click on the SATA drive and create the partition size you want and then format it
or something similar?
Should do the trick - remember it's an "internal" drive that's being connected externally through some widget (SATA>USB cable?), so likely isn't formatted, or if it is won't automatically mount as a logical drive. Did something similar myself recently for backup purposes, Pierre's got it bang-on. Note that doing it this way though, you will only be allowed to format as NTFS. If you want FAT32, you'll need some external package like fat32format (google it).

Why bother? In some cases, NTFS isn't always ideal for an external drive, however if you've got any large files (over 4Gb) you'll need NTFS. Did mine in FAT32, then tried doing a system backup, which failed cos the backup file was over 4Gb.

That isnt working?
Connect drive, go to the management screen, tries to connect to virtual whatever it is...... hangs.... unplug usb from drive and it then reverts to working, shows my drives ok.

so try having it on management and with my existing drives up and it doesnt show.

Ill try using it as a slave first without Sata-USB, see if I can pick it up there, then if I can, use the management facility and format it

Aladinsaneuk · #8 Post by **Aladinsaneuk** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 7:55 am

So one drive works fine when it is connected to the external caddy

the other doesn't - that correct?

It is the new drive that is not responding....

If you connect internally - does the new drive get seen?

If it does get seen ok, then the new drive does not like the caddy... If not then the new drive is faulty....

One final thing - start the pc up, let it get to windoze then plug in the USB cable to see if it detects the drive

#9 Post by **Kwackerz** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 10:07 am

Going to try the new drive internally later, but yes youre right about the situation with it externally on usb.
Tried it with windows loaded up and it recognises the drive as it installs drivers but doesnt show it anywhere when you either look in the management or when you go to 'computer'

Bike racing on so itll have to wait...lol

#10 Post by **Kwackerz** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 4:38 pm

All sorted now, thanks to everyone who gave help!