SOURCE: External hard drive does not display icon in My Computer
1. Is the Verbatim brand new ?? Have you been able to use it in
in the past ?
2. What is your OS ?
SOURCE: My computer won't recognize the external hard drive.
Hi,
The bad news is he's mostly right, not much the average user or lazy technician can do.
The good news is if you handy there's a cheap solution you can attempt, and if it fails several escalating levels of professional assistance you can get.
First, if you're feeling handy and want to try this yourself you can remove the HDD which will be a standard 2.5" or 3.5" harddrive(measure the narrow side).
Second, remove the cables and unscrew any mounting brackets.
If the cables are similar sizes and smooth resembling a USB cable they are SATA Cables and it is a SATA drive.
If one has four cables, usually one red, one yellow and two black and the other is a much wider wafer cable with either 40 or 80 pins it is an IDE drive(which type is of utmost importance in the next step).
Now, go to a computer store, or parts store(no staples doesn't count). Ask for a 2.5/3.5" SATA/IDE hard drive enclosure. I will be an empty shell similar to the one you just took apart.(should cost 20-50 depending on brand and store, I like nexstars myself but brand is not that important).
Take it home and assemble it with your drive inside. Power it up and plug in the USB.
If it works you HDD is likely fine and just the controller board has failed in the other enclosure. If it doesn't you're only out a few bucks and now you know for sure the problem is with the HDD and you will likely require further, direct assistance from a pro like myself.
Either way get back to me and I can bump you along to the next step or pat you on the back for a job well done
Hope this helps FixYa,
Chris
Armor-IT
SOURCE: external hard drive model #47560 wont display on
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 (mac/ Linux) 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
USB flash drives can fail for no apparent reason.
Sandisk Cruzers are especially bad for this.
USB hard drives should be treated with extreme care. this is a real hard drive and knocks and bumps can quite literally kill them.
SOURCE: Verbatim USB 8GB file copy problem
ITS virus problem which is playing with the inf file of the usb drive.
also another possibility is 1) the usb port ihas loose connections and disconnects i between drive sensing
2) certain 8 gb drives go back to a capacity of 2 gb drive if one formats it accidentally .
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SOURCE: I have bought a verbatim external hard drive
One or more of the hints below will probably sort out most USB problems with most USB portable / external hard drives and OTHER devices (though not always)
A few things to check but assumes USB and Windows for other interfaces / operating systems (mac/ Linux) 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
6. For FLASH DRIVES you should ensure that the device is set for "quick removal" using the drive control panel properties or use the USB "Safely Remove Hardware" option. If you dont do this there is a very strong chance that any files you transfer may not be there when you plug into another computer.
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
USB flash drives can fail for no apparent reason.
Sandisk Cruzers are especially bad for this.
USB hard drives should be treated with extreme care.
This is a real hard drive ! and knocks and bumps can quite literally kill them.
It is possible to remove drives from the enclosures in most cases and connect directly inside a PC to fully check it.
You should also do this to cheack the drives connections are not bad inside the enclosure
Note that if you hear a drive clicking or pinging this could be the worst thing you would hear.
Known as "The Click Of Death"
If none of the above steps help look at updating the drivers from the manufacturers web site in the support section.
A USB hard drive is a portable external storage device that works just like a conventional hard drive.
The device is simply plugged into a USB port on your computer as you would connect a flash drive.
Unlike a flash drive, however, a USB hard drive can store a much larger amount of data.
If your computer will not recognize your USB hard drive, you can try troubleshooting steps to resolve the problem.
Plug one end of the USB cable into the port on your hard drive and plug the other end into the USB port of your computer. Ensure that both ends of the cable are connected securely.
Open "My Computer" (Windows XP) or "Computer" (Windows Vista/7).
The USB device should be listed as "removable disk" once it is plugged into the computer.
If it is not listed among the available drives on your computer, proceed to the next step.
Ensure that the data cable is working properly.
Try another USB cable if you have one available.
Disconnect all other USB devices from the computer as they may interfere with the operating system detecting the external hard drive.
Reboot the computer if the USB hard drive is still not recognized.
Plug the USB cable into another USB port and check to see if the device is detected.
If you are using a USB hub, remove the device and plug the external hard drive directly into a USB port.
If the computer still fails to recognize the device, the external hard drive itself may be experiencing a hardware problem.
Check the status of the hard drive in the "Device Manager" window. Under Windows XP, right click "My Computer" and select "Device Manager."
For Windows Vista and Windows 7, click the "Windows" button in the lower left corner of the screen, then type "Computer Management" in the search bar and press "Enter."
Select "Device Manager" in the "Computer Management" window. In the Device Manager window, click the "+" sign that appears beside "Disk Drives."
If the external drive is not listed, click "Other Devices" in the Device Manager window and see if an "Unknown Device" appears.
The external hard drive may have been detected but the device is not working properly.
If it is still under warranty, take the device to the computer store where it was purchased to have it repaired or replaced.
Hope this helps
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