[cdinh98]

When I first got my 120GB hard drive, I plug it into my laptop and everything is fine. It works like how a normally functioning hard drive would. I also plugged it into my brother's laptop (windows XP) and it also shows up. But now, when I plug it into my laptop, the screen shows up by saying

"Found New Hardware
Window needs to install driver software for your Unknown Device

-Locate and install drive software (recommended)
Windows will guide you through the process of installing driver software for your device.
-Ask me again later
Windows will ask again the next time you plug in your device or log on
-Don't show this message again for this device
Your device will not function until you install your device software"

Of course I choose the first option and it leads to the next screen that says

"Windows couldn't find driver software for your device

-Check the solution
-Browse my computer for driver software (advanced)"

And either way I go on I get stuck. If I check the solution, it doesn't give me anything.
I can't find it in My Computer nor does disk management detect it and lets it show up as one of the hard drives
I have important files in it and i want to be able to get them out.

Any help?

[Megabite]

Try it on your Brothers PC...

I assume it is a External HD with a USB connection......You can take it out of the case and hook it up directly inside the PC or a PC and see if it recognizes it.

[Rich-M]

Drivers are native to Windows now so if the cable is ok then the drive is shot.

[cdinh98]

It doesn't work on my brother's pc either. but i'll try to hook it up directly to my laptop.

And I'm guessing the cable is okay because the drive lights up when I plug it into the USB port.
What does the drive being shot mean by the way?

Thanks for your replys

[Rich-M]

Originally Posted by cdinh98

It doesn't work on my brother's pc either. but i'll try to hook it up directly to my laptop.

And I'm guessing the cable is okay because the drive lights up when I plug it into the USB port.
What does the drive being shot mean by the way?

Thanks for your replys

It does not work...it's dead. Lights going on mean nothing BTW.

[cdinh98]

Well, lights going on means the cable still works.
Ok.. but the drive as in USB drive?

[cdinh98]

Well, lights going on means the cable still works.
Ok.. but the drive as in USB drive?

[Rich-M]

Originally Posted by cdinh98

Well, lights going on means the cable still works.
Ok.. but the drive as in USB drive?

No it doesn't. It means the power cable and circuits work.

[crjdriver]

If the drive does not work on two systems, it is only one of two things.

1 The drive itself has failed.
2 The enclosure has failed.

To test, pull the drive from the enclosure and connect it directly to a desktop as an internal drive. If it works now, you know the enclosure has failed. If it does not work, then the drive itself has failed.


I assume you have a backup copy of the data files on the drive. Remember data you do not have at least two copies of is data you do not care about.