Hard drive not recognized

Try unplugging from usb and plugging it back in. Also, you may need a SAS driver for your computer to recognize the drive. Some drives have internal encryption and require a driver before the computer recognizes them. Check the Mfg website to see whether this drive requires one.

Hi Kate...
Go to the dell website and download and install new drivers for your laptop
Bud
Here's the link... http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn

remove the drivers you have for the usb and re install them

How old is your OS maybe driver needs for that device for that device is corrupt try to localize and reinstall driver for external HDD

hi hazel.
see if this link helps you out.
laptop is no longer recognizing the Buffalo External Hard Drive Google...

1st try a different computers make sure its not your Hard drive!
2nd if that works then go to the hard drive maker and download a software driver for it that should fix the problem

trying using it on another system and and see if it happens like that. if it does, you may want to get a driver for the hard drive. it is likely the driver is corrupted. try it on another port also.

You can try opening the device manager in Window XP and uninstall the external hard disk (make sure you show unplugged devices).
Then replug the drive again, and it should reinstall the drivers.

Jules

This may or may not help, but it worked for me! After about 4 hours of trying everything (Device Manager/Uninstall, Disk Management, etc..) nothing at all would work. The USB external hard drive would power up but when you plug it in, the New Found Hardware will pop up and search unsuccessfully for drivers for a PLUG AND PLAY external drive!?!?!

In any event, I simply plugged another USB drive into my laptop (and desktop) and viola! The new hard drive was recognized and installed immediately as 'plug and play' should do. I then unplugged the new drive and tried plugging in the one that was recognized and all of the sudden....IT WORKS AGAIN!!!!

This fix might not help anyone who doesn't have a second USB external drive, but you could try plugging another USB device in and get it to load and then unplug it and try your drive. It worked for me on my laptop and then I did the same thing to my desktop (which also wouldn't recognize it) and it worked on the desktop too! Problem solved for me, thank GOD!

Hopefully, this bypass can save you a few hours of google time and unwanted anguish. Like I said, you may not have another USB drive but try plugging in any other USB device until it loads and then unplug it and then plug in your USB drive that wasn't working. It worked perfectly for me.

Hope it helps!!!!

-BIRDMAN - BIRD ^v^

hey im the same person who just posted above. i went to WD's website, and it said unplug the hard drive from the computer, and unplug it from the power source. then plug it into the power outlet, wait for it to spin up, then plug it in via USB/Firewire, whatever. it worked for me, so hopefully it will work for you.