20 Most Recent SimpleTech 320GB SimpleDrive External by Fabrik 320 GB USB 2.0 Hard Drive - Page 9 Questions & Answers

you have not said what sort of problem there can be a lot of problems with hard drivesdoes it start does it shut down continuoslyyou could run the chkdsk utility click start run type cmd then type chkdsk/r/f which will scan for and attempt to recovery any bad sectors and automatically fix any corrupt files on your hard drive there are many ways of running the chkdsk utility click start right click on my computer you should see your drive usually C: select properties click tools check now tick both boxes automatically fix files and scan for and attempt recovery on any bad sectors or you could tick one box and wait until its finished then return and tick the other box then select check now,start should schedule this task when restart it will only schedule on restart if its the Primary hard drive with an operating system on it do not do anything while the chkdsk utility is in progress any input may damage your computer hope it helps

make sure the lead/s that attach to your hard drive are securely seated if your computer came with a motherboard disc the drivers could be on it click start control panel administration tools computer management device manager look through all of your devices if you see a yellow question mark?or exclamation mark ! or red x right click to reinstall drivers or if you can see your usb but its not working ports(com&lpt)right click update driver hope this helps

click start control panel administration tools computer management device manager look through all of your devices if you see a yellow question mark?or exclamation mark ! or red xright click to reinstall drivers or

if you can see your usb but its not workingports(com&lpt)right click update driver

sometimes the wires inside the cable will be damaged due to bending or stretching or placing heavy equipment upon the cable

just replace the cable of the hard disk, when you plugged the external disk drive you got that windows could recognize the USB device change the cable everything should work fine again,

check the USB leads that attach to the motherboard usually red-white-green-black make sure they are securely seated and have no dust build up on them dust will cause static and a lot of unforeseen problems

if this fails to fix the problem you might have to install a usb 2 or 3 card they are cheap and easy to install you can buy these on Ebay very cheap hope this helps

They are dual voltage 5v and 12v

External hard drives of this type are mainly composed of a USB-to-SATA interface & a 2.5" SATA hard drive. If any of these components is defective, then you won't be able to access your data.
So, basically we have 2 possibilities:
1. A failing USB-to-SATA interface. You can test this possibility by disassembling the device, taking the hard drive out, & testing the hard drive in your desktop computer using a 2.5" to 3.5" SATA adapter. If the hard drive works fine, then the problem lies within the USB-to-SATA interface.
2. In the previous step, if the hard drive could not be detected by your desktop computer or is not working properly, then it is the failing part.

Can you tell if they are not accessible from windows ie can you access them in safe mode if you can i suspect that windows may be doing a check disc this would cause them to lock out, however this could be a virus from one of the drives that has migrated to all

You need data recovery. This guy does it remotely and only asks for donations. http://FreeDataRecovery.us

Hello mbrin72,
If there is no activity when powering on your external drive, this usually indicates a failing drive. If you do not hear a hum or feel vibrations, this means the drive has gone bad.
Check the warranty of your product. The manufacturer may replace it at no cost. (other than shipping)
If recovering the data is of high importance, I recommend this service: http://www.datarecovery.net/hard-drive-recovery.html
I highly recommend getting a quote. Although, they do not charge if they can not recover your data.
Hope this helps!

Well the drive is finished, but you can still take it to a computer shop who can open the casing and pop in a new 2.5inch drive, it will cost you less than buying a new one.

First make sure usb cable connected to harddrive is working fine. try it in different usb ports. Press windows key +R key so you can see run then type in run "devmgmt.msc" then press ok so you can see device manager uninstall all usb drivers then it automatic install usb drivers. then check. Also you need to change registry for that type in run "regedit" then press ok then you can see registry editor then locate below key. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11 CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} And remove upper filter and lower filter.Then restart computer then check. Also locate the below key and make sure it's value is 3 not 4. HKLM\system\currentcontrolset\services\usbstor make sure start value is 3 not 4. Let me know if you need further assistance. Thanks for using FixYa

Try to put in another usb port,if not change the usb cord.Good luck.

SimpleTech hard drives do not require a driver to work. You might try a different cable or check it on another computer. If you need more help, please call HitachiGST Tech Support M-F 8AM to 6PM PST at 1.888.426.5214 and a technician will be happy to help you.

You can find documentation for your drive here: http://www.hitachigst.com/tech/techlib.nsf/products/SimpleDRIVE_External_Storage. I hope this helps.

Hello.

Have you ever viewed the files on the external drive previously ?

But, I'd suggest to connect the drive to another Mac. Just be certain not to "initialize" or "format" the drive which will wipe any data you DO have.

In case you don't have the software drivers, all Hitachi (Simple Tech) drivers can be found here:

http://www.simpletech.com/support/support_downloads.php

Select your particular SimpleTech drive and Mac operating system and download and install the driver on the other computer.

Hope this resolves your problem.

Your hard drive has died a gory death. The noise is probably a failed spindle bearing. I have seen it suggested that putting the drive in the freezer for a few hours, then hooking it up and powering up sometimes works to get the drive going long enough to recover the data. However, I would not put my hopes on this. If you do not have a backup of your data (you have done backups, right?), then the data is lost unless you want to pay several hundred dollars to have a data recovery company try to recover your data from the platters. It depends on how important the data is. Sorry you are having this problem, it can be very frustrating.

Most USB devices do not work when connected to a computer as the computer boots up (unless the BIOS allows this function).
Boot up the computer first and then insert the USB device/hard drive.

If you need to remove a USB device when the computer is running then click on Safely Remove Hardware - click on that device and ONLY REMOVE the device when advised to do so. Failure to do this will eventually cause the device to fail.

If you are running Vista, try these steps:

Connect the drive but do not Format the drive, right click 'my computer' then 'manage' go to 'storage/disk management' view the drives; your usb drive will not be allocated a drive letter. You can set one manually or leave it for about 2~5 minutes for one to be allocated auto. Each time you connect the drive you may have to do this.

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If you weren't planning to reinstall an operating system from CD and then restore your data files, then what software did you use to "back up your system?" Did you clone the parition, or did you try to just copy all the files?

If the vista disk management solution didn't help, please repost with more information.

Yes you can if its electrically OK

Start, Control Panel, Administrative Services, Computer Management, Disk Management.
it should be listed in there and you can use that panel to format etc.
Make sure you let it have a drive letter.

Also a few USB tips below.

I devised these simple steps that tend to remedy quite a few issues with most USB portable / external hard drives and devices (though not always)

A few things to check but assumes USB and Windows for other interfaces / operating systems similar steps may be adapted to suit.

1. Ensure it is connected directly to the computer to a USB 2.0 port not a USB 1.0 port as this can have effects on performance and reliability

2. Use only the cables that came with it NOT one that fits that may have been lying around or is longer. Not all USB cables are equal even though they should be)

3. Do not connect through an external USB HUB unless that hub is USB 2.0 AND has its own power supply.

4. Use ONLY the power supply that came with it if it has an external power supply Don’t use any other unless you know it has both the same voltage and current rating e.g. 12V 500mA anything rated below that would not work properly.

5. Always use the same port for connecting your devices. Some devices do not like being switched about. If switched they may want to install software / drivers again. This can be especially true if you move a HUB to another port

If you checked and fixed anything there and still have issues then check your hardware from CONTROL PANEL / SYSTEM / HARDWARE.

Any exclamation marks by hardware need fixing before you investigate any further