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.
You need to get the XP drivers for this device and install them. The Vista Drivers came on the Vista machine but XP isn't recognizing the device. This is a common problem, you should be able to get the drivers from the device Website if they did not come installed on the device.
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