Other External products

[Ganon]

I had this thing for over a year. Yesterday, it was working a-okay on my new laptop. Today, when I decided to finally unload the rest of the files, NOTHING! Windows could no longer detect it. Computer Management didn't see it!! I fear that something in the drive might be faulty but I WANT THE STUFF BACKED UP SOMEHOW!! The files in there are of absolute importance!

Of course, it could also be the cable and I'll get another one soon. I HOPE its just the cable because I can't afford expensive data recovery. Anyone here have any simple ideas to extract certain files from externals that suddenly can't be seen by the laptop!

By the way, the OS is Vista. And don't direct me to the troubeshooting page as NOTHING THERE WORKED!!!

[Ganon]

It may also be worth noting that the light is solid. An unusual behavior as when it was actually WORKING PROPERLY it just blinked at a steady pace.

[MrButkus]

Vista 64?

Vista does have issues with "ownership" but usually you can "see" the files.

Message Edited by MrButkus on 07-25-2009 11:16 AM

[Ganon]

No, its 32-bit. To explain things a little further, yesterday AFTERNOON it was working fine, seeing it, accessing it. It was only when I tried going back to it later that evening that...well techincally, it WAS there but there was NOTHING INSIDE! To goof things up further, the properties of the storage device still said that at least 138GB was taken, even though it LOOKED empty. So I plugged it out hoping that might solved things, plugged it back in and...yeah. Can't see at all. All of the methods brought about by the troubleshooter can't see it either.

[Gordon]

Reading these issues it seems like all of you are at my house because I have the exact same problem.  Maxtor onetouch mini 4 that maxtor manager will not recognize.  I can use windows explorer to see the files but maxtor manager is useless.  A search of the internet reveals this is a reoccuring problem with no solution.  It seems that seagate does not care about its customers.  If an inexperienced computer user encountered this issue they would be stumped.  I know this because I work for one of the big box office supply stores and I am asked about this issue on occasion.  HEY SEAGATE PEOPLE -- when a customer asks me to recommend an external hard drive I think I will tell them to buy western digital.  They can't be any worse.

[Edited in compliance of the community rules and regulations.]

Message Edited by BradC on 07-25-2009 10:44 PM

[Ganon]

So what you're saying is that my precious files are forever lost due to faulty hardware that somehow hides itself from the computer at a moment's notice? Because the drive ISN'T SHOWING UP AT ALL NOW!! Geez, should've unloaded everything on the laptop the instant I got it.