Re: USB connected HDs


"Jeff" <jeff@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uddnO7lPHHA.4172@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
: 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
:
It is not necessary to physically mount the drive in the case.
The simplest is to use the DVD/CD cable.
This eliminates having to mess with the jumpers on the old drive.
Just support the drive so there is no chance of touching the circuitboard on
the drive to the computer case.
Formatting by its self will not clean the drive.
Format, then write zeroes to the drive.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/FileAndDisk/SDelete.mspx
--
Ronald Sommer

.

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