USB broken AcomData PD250USE-BL 250GB 2.5-Inch Executive Portfolio Portable USB/eSATA - the part of the USB that plugs into the hard drive broke off from the cord. How can I replace it? Thank you.

SOURCE: acomdata hard drive doesnt show up on my computer

I have the 250 GB Acomdata drive. Had the exact same problem--computer would not recognize drive; blue light on drive lit and drive making a slight whirring/clicking noise. I read somewhere that some people that have had this problem have found the problem is with the USB interface between the drive and case, NOT with the drive itself. I took the drive out of its case and installed it in a desktop computer and was able to get all of the data off of the drive.

SOURCE: maxtor one touch 4 mini 250GB hard drive beeping

I had the same problem and the Maxtor/Seagate website did not have any solutions. I finally got in touch with Tech Support and got a fix. I was using it with a Dell tower and plugging into a USB port in the front. I also was using an after market cable.

I learned the Maxtor is a power hog and beeps and shuts down when it is not getting enough power. I did not know but the USB ports on the front of a desktop/tower computer do not provide as much power as a port on the back (the back ports are sometimes directly connected to the motherboard). I got a USB extension cable and connected it to a USB port in the back and it solved the problem.

I also learned that most laptop USB ports are not powerful enough to run the Maxtor. Mine would also not work if you attempt to share it by using an unpowered USB hub. I have gotten it to work with a powered desktop USB hub (Belkin).

I believe that this may explain why you get a "Y" cable with the drive. I could not find an explaination for the cable or how to use. There may be an accessory to purchase that attached to the cable and powers it.

SOURCE: have new drive Hitachi SimpleDrive Mini 250GB USB

Most USB hard drives require an external (or secondary) power cable to power the devices when connected to laptop or netbook computers. In some cases, even older desktop computer models will require a similar cable.
This is due to the specifications for the USB standard as it dictates the amount of voltage that a USB port can deliver. Some USB ports are considered "powered" and are sometimes identified by the USB logo and a small "+" sign to indicate the added voltage.
Note: Not all manufacturers use this logo, so if your computer doesn't have this variation of the logo, it doesn't necessarily mean the USB port is not powered.
This added voltage supplies additional current to power smaller devices, such as portable (or 2.5") USB hard drives. However, in the even that the USB port is not powered, then only the minimum amount of current is supplied. This should be enough to slightly power the drive, but not sustain it, thus causing the clicking noise and there isn't enough current running through to move the arm that reads the data on the hard drive.
Chances are that the USB ports on your Asus Eee are not powered and won't allow your hard drive to run until either a secondary cable is purchased or if you use a powered USB hub instead.
The secondary cable looks a lot like a Y-USB cable with one end that connects to your hard drive and the other end consisting of 2 USB plugs that both connect to existing USB ports on your netbook. Between the 2 USB ports, they can draw enough current to power the hard drive - the downside being that if you only have 1 USB port you cannot utilize the cable or if you have 2, they will both be occupying the ports while the hard drive is in use. These cables can cost about $1-7 depending on brand and can be found online in retailers such as eBay & CompUSA.
The USB powered Hub is a more expensive solution, ranging at about $10-25, but is the higher recommended of the 2 solutions since it will provide its own power supply to the tiny device, will use on 1 of your USB ports and since it's a hub, they usually have anywhere from 3-5 additional USB ports (all powered) for you to use, if needed. Some even include built-in memory card readers and they do not require any additional drivers or software to install and can work on any desktop/laptop/netbook.