[bartnoel]

Dear all,

At a cost of 200-something dollars I bought a new IBM Travelstar 120 GB portable harddisk to use with my laptop and desktop computers.

Apparently it causes a conflict:

After first using it on my laptop it wouldn't start up poperly anymore (desktop items would only show after I pressed the Escape button), it was extremely slow, and it had by itself switched to from the classic view to category view etc, etc. Lot's of weird things. After running the back up of my C: drive and re-installed it all was better, although still my Windows Explorer opens not with the Folders open on the left side but with the tasks panel.

However, when I tried to use the Travelstar on my desktop, the same problems (switching to a different view in XP etc) happened, but now also in my System Manager it recognises the disk, but in Explorer it doesn't show up so I can't use it there.

Questions:
- What is the possible cause and solution for the conflict the Travelstar causes
- How can I make sure on my desktop computer that Windows Explorer recognises the Travelstar disk

Thanks and regards,
Bart

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is it formatted? A harddisk will not appear in MY COMPUTER until it is formatted.

[gerryf]

is it formatted? A harddisk will not appear in MY COMPUTER until it is formatted.

[bartnoel]

I used it already onmy laptop and there it did appear in the Explorer. Would it help to erase everything on it and re-format it on this desktop computer or shouldn't that make a difference?

[gerryf]

shouldn't make a difference

I'm not going to be around much today, but if you could list models numbers of drive laptop and desktop it may help

[bartnoel]

Ok, I'll have to let you know in two go's:

Laptop is a FujitsuSiemens, C series Lifebook, with an Intel Pentium 1,70 Ghz, 594 Mhz, 504 MB ram. Disk drive: Fujitsu MHT 2060AT.

Windows: XP professional, version 2002, service pack 2

Desktop info will come later today.

[gerryf]

I cannot find a 120gb travelstar external drive on the hitachi products page (hitachi bought ibm's drive business)

are you sure that is it? what is the model number

I'm guessing from its size that the drive is usb2 compatible--are both machines usb 2--or is this a firewire drive?

Are they both Windows xp? Do both machines have the latest firewire drivers if the above is a firewire (usb is bult in to win xp)

Honestly, I cannot think of any reason why adding a usb drive would

[gerryf]

also, are they updated to service pack 2?

[bartnoel]

I cannot find a 120gb travelstar external drive on the hitachi products page (hitachi bought ibm's drive business)

are you sure that is it? what is the model number

I'm guessing from its size that the drive is usb2 compatible--are both machines usb 2--or is this a firewire drive?

Are they both Windows xp? Do both machines have the latest firewire drivers if the above is a firewire (usb is bult in to win xp)

Honestly, I cannot think of any reason why adding a usb drive would

ANSWERS:

Well, I have it here and it says "for IBM Travelstar'on it, and indeed USB 2. Capacity is app 112 GB. Model number not mentioned don't have the box anymore)

Both are XP and updated to service pack 2. The laptop is so new it must be USB 2, but did not check it yet. The desktop (am on it now) is Pentium 4, 2.62 Ghz, 512 MB ram. Wheter the desktop is USB 2 I am not sure: I am checking the device manager but see only one description in which it saysUSB two, the others (teher are 4) don't. See attachment.

I don't know what a firewire drive is, but I suppose it is something that replaces USB, and hence not applicable here.

So, I have no clue...

Attached Files

•  USB2.doc   50.5KB   18 downloads

[gerryf]

is it connected?

Right click MY COMPUTER, choose MANAGE, go to DISK MANAGEMENT

give me a screen shot of that, too

"for IBM travelstar"?

[bartnoel]

I cannot find a 120gb travelstar external drive on the hitachi products page (hitachi bought ibm's drive business)

are you sure that is it? what is the model number

I'm guessing from its size that the drive is usb2 compatible--are both machines usb 2--or is this a firewire drive?

Are they both Windows xp? Do both machines have the latest firewire drivers if the above is a firewire (usb is bult in to win xp)

Honestly, I cannot think of any reason why adding a usb drive would

[bartnoel]

Ok, it's getting stranger by the day: managed to see it once in Explorer, but immediately it got stuck. I can not see it now anymore after several tries in Explorer, But under Safely Remove Hardware on the task bar it is mentioned, and also in the Devive Manager Disk Drives. But it is not seen under Disk Management, as you asked... By the way, the second time I wanted to check the Disk Mgmt it got stuck again (only that window Disk Mgmt, not the whole computer). On my laptop no problems now.

See 3 desktop screen shots attached

B

is it connected?

Right click MY COMPUTER, choose MANAGE, go to DISK MANAGEMENT

give me a screen shot of that, too

"for IBM travelstar"?

Attached Files

•  Device_mgr_disk_drive.doc   53KB   8 downloads
•  Disk_mgmt.doc   55.5KB   8 downloads
•  Safely_Remove.doc   95.5KB   7 downloads

[bartnoel]

Second reply:
Now trying the Disk Mgmt again and suddenly it does show up, but no name (see attached Doc screen shot). In explorer nothing...

Ok, it's getting stranger by the day: managed to see it once in Explorer, but immediately it got stuck. I can not see it now anymore after several tries in Explorer, But under Safely Remove Hardware on the task bar it is mentioned, and also in the Devive Manager Disk Drives. But it is not seen under Disk Management, as you asked... By the way, the second time I wanted to check the Disk Mgmt it got stuck again (only that window Disk Mgmt, not the whole computer). On my laptop no problems now.

See 3 desktop screen shots attached

B

Attached Files

•  Disk_Mgmt_2.doc   57.5KB   7 downloads

[bartnoel]

I cannot find a 120gb travelstar external drive on the hitachi products page (hitachi bought ibm's drive business)

are you sure that is it? what is the model number

I'm guessing from its size that the drive is usb2 compatible--are both machines usb 2--or is this a firewire drive?

Are they both Windows xp? Do both machines have the latest firewire drivers if the above is a firewire (usb is bult in to win xp)

Honestly, I cannot think of any reason why adding a usb drive would

[bartnoel]

Third Reply

And now that I put it in a third USB port (one I didn't know had...) it is working...!

I have four USB ports, two apparently don't take it, this third one does. Visible under Dsk Mgmt, Explorer and all.

Second reply:
[b]Now trying the Disk Mgmt again and suddenly it does show up, but no name (see attached Doc screen shot). In explorer nothing...

[gerryf]

after disconnecting all devices, try removing the all usb devices and rebooting...let windows rededect them.

This external drive---does it have its own power supply?

I have a funky external drive that behaves oddly sometimes--to get it to work, I need to power it up and THEN connect it to the usb port---

The usb port does not generate enough power to run a drive, and in the case of this one drive, the initialization process conflicts with the drive start up


I wonder if there is a firmware update for your drive?