Why me?! Please help with usb-to-ide adapter problem?

I've downloaded True Image.
I received a Bytecc BT-200 usb to IDE adapter.
My laptop has win XP sp3.
When I plug the usb cable in to my laptop, the new 20 GB Hitachi 2.5" IDE hdd connected to the BT-200 spins up but my laptop doesn't see the usb device. I don't see it in "My Computer" either.
I tried connecting the hdd to my desktop PC which also has win XP sp3 via the BT-200 and it doesn't see the hdd either.
To rule out a bad hdd, I took the known good 10 GB hdd out of my laptop and connected it to my desktop PC via the BT-200 adapter. The PC doesn't see that hdd either. I tried adding the hardware manually, but the PC simply doesn't see the device. What should I do I do now?

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I think it needs more power than a single USB port can give it.

Do you have a USB cable such as Vantec includes with their USB enclosures? This cable offers power to one HD from two USB ports effectively giving twice the power to older, more power hungry HD's.

See (about 1/2 way down the page):
http://www.cdrinfo.com/Sections/Reviews/Specific.aspx?ArticleId=14650&PageId=1

Wow, 20GB and 10GB drives? Hope you transferred that data off a long time ago?

 

This is purely an internet surfing machine. I use my desktop for downloading music and burning dvd's.

I can't believe this! Why must life be so difficult?!
Sorry for the rant, but it seems I'm one of those people that thinks they do adequate research before buying things, only to have the rug pulled out from under them at the last moment
This is the FIRST I've read that my hdd needs some "special" adapter!!!!!!!

 

Oh yeah...the 20 gig hdd is "new".

 

Just to be clear, I don't know you need a 'special' adaptor, but that would be my guess - that it needs more power to the HDD - even if it is spinning, it might still not be enough to properly initialize its internal circuits.

Also, even the link I provided may not be the correct adaptor for your specific situation. I just wanted to show you a 'Y' cable with two USB inputs to draw (double) the power for a single attached HD.

Thinking about this a little more, are you using USB 1.1 ports on this machine? If so, that could be the reason the drive is not getting enough power (USB 1.1 offers much less amperage to devices than USB 2 does).

If you are using USB 1.1 ports - does the Bytecc adaptor offer a way to give the HD additional power? Possibly through an AC adaptor that can plug in to the Bytecc?

This stuff can be frustrating until its all sorted, hope I'm giving you some ideas for the direction you should be looking to correct these problems you're facing now.

 

Thanks! I've emailed Bytecc. There is a power supply with the kit, but it doesn't look like it will plug into my hdd. Is there a way to "trick" the laptop into sending more power? I have some extra usb cables that I could splice into to make some sort of Y adapter if I knew which wires to connect. I really hate spending more money if I don't have to
Thanks again!!!!!

 

This was at wikipedia...
"A number of USB devices require more power than is permitted by the specifications for a single port. This is common for external hard and optical disc drives, and generally for devices with motors or lamps. Such devices can be used with an external power supply of adequate rating, which is allowed by the standard, or by means of a dual-input USB cable, one input of which is used for power and data transfer, the other solely for power, which makes the device a non-standard USB device."

 

Okay... can I take a spare usb cable, cut it open and expose the outer + and - power leads. Then open up the outer insulation on the usb-to-ide adapter's cable, locate the + and - power leads and splice them in parallel with the spare usb cable's power leads in order to give the hdd more juice?

 

Just don't - that will go wrong.

 

If there's a power supply with the kit, then I'd have to think that there's some way to connect it to the adaptor, unless Bytecc is just in the habit of randomly sending out extra power supplies for some reason.

Is there a manual that came with the adaptor that might show you where to plug in the power supply?

 

I did something a lot like this with my dad's old dell. Windows never saw the drive - ever. But HDClone did, and the clone worked fine.

Long story short, Windows is stupid. If you're trying to clone to a new drive, don't worry about it. Windows is irrelevant.

 

When I press "clone" with the hdd drive connected via the adapter I get a message that I only have 1 hdd connected
My understanding is that the included power supply connects to full sized hdd's that actually have a power connection. The small laptop hdd's don't have power connections.

I feel like the first person to ever try this :[

 

Oh, something else you might try is rescanning for disks in disk management after you plug in the enclosure. Try looking in this thread ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=437467) starting about post 8 or so.

 

I'll try that tonight! Thanks

Something I was thinking... I'm guessing they don't make an ide cable for laptops that you can connect 2 hdd's to? That would make things easier!

 

I found this thread dealing with similar issue. One poster said you CAN make your own usb Y adapter!!!!!!
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/1092762.html

 

I tried the disk management settings, but the laptop still can't see the hdd. I did notice that both the new and old hdd's require 1 amp. I ordered an $8 usb "y" adapter from ebay that should pass power from both usb slots simultaneously. I'm still surprised this issue isn't addressed in these usb-to-ide kits :/

 

It is in some kits (like Vantec).

 

True. It's unfortunate that more kits don't have it or offer it as an option or at least list the caveat in their description.

 

Success!!!!!!
It was one of two things.
First, I hooked up a desktop ide hdd to the adapter using the supplied power supply. The laptop recognized it and true image saw it too. I thought this might slap the laptop into acting right so I disconnected the large hdd and connected the new laptop hdd as before. The laptop saw it, but only as a mass usb device rather than an actual hdd. True image also had a strangely "simple" display, showing only the words disk 1 and disk 2 and before/after bar graph. Being the impatient meddler I am, I decided to go ahead and cut up the adapter and make a diy usb Y adapter. After hooking up my franken-adapter with dual usb inputs, I started true image again. I had pulled the little cover off of the adapter and there was a surface mount led blinking away so I figured I'd give the cloning process a shot. The program still didn't show the elaborate display, but just disk 1 and disk 2 and the before/after bar graph for disk 2. I rebooted and the program went to work. It took about an hour. Thanks ya'll!

 

Good to hear 'Success!!!!!!', so much better than the other possibility.

 

the company i bought the adapter from sent me another one. i used it without a y adapter and it worked perfectly. apparently lack of power wasn't the issue.