Re: USB connected HDs

Anna wrote:
"Jeff" <jeff@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uTCCuGgPHHA.1248@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I purchased a Sata/IDE to USB Adapter to work with 6 old IDE hard
drives I accumulated from other PCs over the years. I connected the
included external power adapter to the HD and the USB adapter to
the USB 2 ports on a PC running XP SP2.

These PC USB ports work perfectly with other backup external HDs I
own and with USB flash drives. But: I cannot get my old HDs to show
up on the PCs using the
adapter cable.

I tried this with 2 different PCs, both running XP SP2 and had the
same problem with ALL my old IDE hardrives (set with jumper as
"MA") using the adapter, so I do not think it is a case of the HDs
being bad or the PCs and their USB ports being
bad.

What happens in all cases is:
1) the lights light up on the adapter showing it to be connected.
2) the icon showing that a USB device is connected shows on the
Windows taskbar, and when hovered on says there is a storage drive
connected. BUT,
a) no drive shows up in "My Computer", even on repeated refresh.
b) Computer management / Disk Management / does not reveal the
presence of the USB adapter connected HD
c) Device Manager shows (under USB controllers) that a storage
device is present and enabled and working correctly.

*Do I have to do anything in XP to make My computer show the HDs
attached to the PC with the USB adapter?

Thank you.

Jeff


Anna wrote:
Jeff:
I'm assuming you're working with one of these small,
"hold-in-the-palm" adapters.

It could be the adapter itself. As a matter of fact it probably *is*
the adapter. Our experience with these type of devices has been, by
& large, quite negative. To the point where we rarely recommend
them. In our experience, we've come across too many defective adapters
in
that they didn't work at all or worked fitfully. Hopefully, you have
return privileges for the device and if so, you may want to exchange
it for another one - trusting that that one will work as advertised.
Anna


"Jeff" <jeff@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:e26vuQlPHHA.3624@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Yes I am. Actually it is a Vantec SATA/IDE to USB Adapter I picked
up at
MicroCenter for $29. There was another one also sold at MicroCenter
for the same price made by a different manufacturer that I could
try. I just have a sneaky feeling the problem is not with the
adapter but with my jumper settings.

I can easily return it but I am only using it to access these old
HDs from long gone PCs that I want to be able to wipe clean so I can
safely throw them out. Using an IDE-USB adapter seemed to be the
only easy way I could get to wipe these old HDs.

Jeff


Jeff:
As it happens...Vantec is one of the more reliable brands in our
experience so perhaps the problem is not with the device as I
suspected. The type of adapters I was referring to was primarily the
ubiquitous no-name generic "brands". But since you indicated this
non-recognition problem exists for all six (6) HDDs and with two
different PCs it was (is) hard to escape the conclusion that a
defective device is the culprit, inasmuch as you've indicated that
there's no problem with device-recognition affecting your other USB
devices.
We're assuming in all this, of course, that you've properly connected
the device to your HDD(s) both with respect to the gizmo itself and
the auxiliary power supply connector.

I really don't think HDD jumper configuration is at the root of this
problem as you suspect in another of your posts. And since you also
indicate that all you want to do is "wipe them clean" before junking
them, why don't you simply install each as an internal HDD in one of
your machines and use Disk Management to perform that operation and
be done with it? Anna

Thanks Ana

That is what I will end up doing. It just "seemed" seductively easier to
just connect the USB adapter than open the case, remove an installed HD and
add the old HD, etc. Had I gone that route, I probably would have been all
finished by now <grin>.

Ah well.

Jeff


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: USB connected HDs
    ... the USB adapter to ... the USB 2 ports on a PC running XP SP2. ... HDs I own and with USB flash drives. ... the auxiliary power supply connector. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: Adapter for WEIRD Sony Vaio USB Connector?
    ... You got the picture right on -- that's the adapter. ... I take it that a USB carries both data signal to the device, ... The thing on the left here, consists of a four pin Firewire connector ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware)
  • Re: USB connected HDs
    ... drives I accumulated from other PCs over the years. ... included external power adapter to the HD and the USB adapter to the ... USB 2 ports on a PC running XP SP2. ... auxiliary power supply connector. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: USB connected HDs
    ... the included external power adapter to the HD and the USB ... I own and with USB flash drives. ... the auxiliary power supply connector. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Wireless USB Disconnects Work Around?
    ... my 802.11b wireless USB adapter disconnects randomly and without ... multiple wireless channels, played with all available "preamble type" ... share IRQ's with the USB host controller. ... I used a command built into Windows XP ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.network_web)