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    External hard drive spins up, doesn't show up

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by lucas755, Jan 20, 2012.

  1. lucas755

    lucas755 Notebook Geek

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    I recently got a new hard drive. I decided to get an external enclosure as well, so I could still use my old one. Whenever I plug it into my computer, though, it doesn't show up in My Computer, Device Manager, or Disk Management. I've tried using a different usb port, a different cord, and plugging it into a different computer, all with the same result. I can feel it spinning up, but nothing happens in Windows. This was a working hard drive a week ago, what is the problem?
     
    lucas755, Jan 20, 2012
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  2. tijo

    tijo Sacred Blame

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    Is the enclosure USB powered or are you talking about a 3.5" drive in a powered enclosure?
     
    tijo, Jan 20, 2012
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  3. lucas755

    lucas755 Notebook Geek

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    USB powered.
     
    lucas755, Jan 20, 2012
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  4. Tsunade_Hime

    Tsunade_Hime such bacon. wow

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    Are you sure there was data on it? Does it show up in Disk Management?
     
    Tsunade_Hime, Jan 20, 2012
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  5. tijo

    tijo Sacred Blame

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    Did you use a single plug cable or a dual one. Some drives and enclosures are unable to run properly from only 1 usb, you need to an additional usb to give it enough juice.

    I'm disappointed by you Tsunade :p
     
    tijo, Jan 20, 2012
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  6. Tsunade_Hime

    Tsunade_Hime such bacon. wow

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    Oops didn't see that. Well have you tried another enclosure? Worst case, you have logical failure as Windows won't mount your volume..
     
    Tsunade_Hime, Jan 21, 2012
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  7. lucas755

    lucas755 Notebook Geek

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    I used a dual cable. And I'm definitely sure there was data on it.
     
    lucas755, Jan 21, 2012
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  8. deeastman

    deeastman Notebook Deity

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    Defective enclosure? I had to return a new enclosure once as defective, it simply wouldn't work although the light was on. Luckily I two other enclosures I could try the HD in so I knew it was a bad enclosure.
     
    deeastman, Jan 21, 2012
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  9. lucas755

    lucas755 Notebook Geek

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    I don't know. The light doesn't turn on.
     
    lucas755, Jan 21, 2012
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  10. tijo

    tijo Sacred Blame

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    If you do not have another enclosure, plug the drive into another computer or put it back into the laptop and use a linux boot cd and check whether you can see the drive.
     
    tijo, Jan 21, 2012
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  11. deeastman

    deeastman Notebook Deity

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    The OP said he did that in his first post. So if the drive was OK before putting it into the enclosure and not damaged in the process (could check again as you mentioned), the cables are good and the enclosure is getting enough power, the light on the enclosure does not indicate any presence of power or activity but the disk is spinning, it leads me to think the enclosure has an issue.
     
    deeastman, Jan 21, 2012
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  12. lucas755

    lucas755 Notebook Geek

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    I'll try putting it back in the computer now. No need for a boot disk, there's still and os installed on it.
     
    lucas755, Jan 21, 2012
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  13. tijo

    tijo Sacred Blame

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    I mean take the drive out of the enclosure and plug it into a desktop, on the motherboard, for example. I didn't mean plugging the enclosure in another computer. I was a bit ambiguous though.
     
    tijo, Jan 21, 2012
    #13