External Hard Disk USB 2.0 not recognized

Question

Hi all, I've a very stressful trouble using my external hard drive USB 2.0. I run with a DELL LATITUDE D610 with XP pro e SP2 all updated.   The external HD is branded Tx and name TITANO, it is USB 2.0 compatibles and it have own AC adapter.   This product don't need drivers, it work with XP drivers, and techincal support of TX EUROPE tell me that ther'arent competibilities problems...   I've tried to connect the external hard drive to many other notebook of other brand and it work properly. I've tried with other latitude D610 of other my colleagues and also in this case the hard disk doesn't is recognized.   I've already use my external hard disk with other my laptop and it works properly. The Hard disk is already formatted and partioned and contains several file loaded in the past (so the HD work!). I don't have any idea to how continue my investigation...   Maybe there's some problem on the USB 2.0 on the dell... but it's strange because i could use the USB 2.0 on the dell with an external DVD burner (also with USB 2.0) and it work fine!.   All the D610 usb socket are USB 2.0? I can see 4 socket...   I've read so much topic in this forum with the same problem but anyone with a solution.   Please help me. Thanks in advance. G. Manali

Manali · Answer

Thanks a lot for your answer. I try to give you more informations.   I'm the administrator of my notebook, i've all the permissions.   When i connect the external hard disk to the USB port, the system recognize it as UNKNOW DEVICE, as under DEVICE MANAGEMENT than under the REMOVE HARDWARE OPTIONS.   Under the properties of the node in device management theres no drivers installed.   I've also connect the hard disk within an external card USB 2.0 port (D-LINK products) but the result is the same: unknow device.   As said before the hard disk contain already data... but if i connect the hard disk to another pc and run the repartitioned of the disks i will loss my files? I wouldn't that this happen...   Thanks in advance for each idea could you suggest to me... Regards   G.Manali

dbuk · Answer

XP usually *does* need drivers for USB drives, they are part of the XP install but not configured until the first time you use a particular device. Most times its completely automatic, you simply see the notifications as XP configures the driver for the new device - then never again. Maybe there's a problem with permissions and you need to be Administrator for the first use so the drivers can configure.

If you plug-in the device does it appear in the Remove Hardware options? And in the Control Panel/ Sysyem/ Hardware (device) Manager (under disks)?

I had a similar experience recently with a USB disk failing to recognize correctly on one (Thinkpad) notebook. I connected without problems to a different (Dell) machine, repartitioned the USB disk and then it worked perfectly on the Thinkpad.

dbuk · Answer

I agree, you do NOT want to repartiton at this stage.. If the disk has data which can be accessed on several ther machines it is unlikely there is a big problem with the partition table and format.

The 'unknown device' problem suggests XP has a problem recognizing the disk and setting up the correct drivers. Following your failed attempts there is probably some kind of 'wrong' data in registry relating to your disk, and I have no idea how you can clear it. Sorry I can't be more help, but when I've had problems like this I have never been able to identify the invalid registry entries and remove the defect without a major OS reinstall

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