Other External products

[BILL WALLACE]

If you have read the other posts several people have found that the drive is good by cracking open the case, unplugging the drive and mounting in an extra slot in their desktop computers.

Also, can you tell me how old the drive is?

When you get another drive will it be a Maxtor/Seagate?

I would like to know if it works on the machine you are having trouble on

I would like to know these answers, because I am going, sometime, to buy another external USB drive and I want to know if it may work on the problem machine.

Thanks in advance for all the information, but it sure would help me.

[Wayne B]

Bill,

I have read the posts about taking the drive apart, etc., but I'm not inclined to go that route, primarily because I don't want to risk screwing something else up in order to possibly save a $100 drive.  I'll just buy one that works.

The drive is only about a year old, much too new to fail, which is why I won't be buying another Maxtor.

A new drive (of any brand) should work fine - remember, mine is a drive problem, not a computer problem.  The drive won't work on either of 2 Vista computers, nor either of 2 XP (SP 2) machines.

Fortunately, my data isn't an issue, as this was a true backup disk.  I have burned my most important data onto DVD's, so at least I have that until I get a new backup drive.  I'm sure there'll be some good prices in the after-Thanksgiving sales.

Thanks for your suggestions.

[alchris]

Well, here I am...another person having this trouble. I purchased a second external hard drive before this problem began this week but of course the new one hasn't arrived yet. I think the problem began when SP3 added updates (Windows XP Pro), but that was immediately after I had had my computer unplugged for a week while out of town, and I did not use the hard drive on the one day in the meantime. The hard drive contains professional photos I have taken as well as all photos of the first year of my daughter's life and is currently (by just a week!) the only source of these images.

I can see the usb port with the hard drive listed in the Device Manager, but I cannot open the hard drive. When I click Properties, I receive the error message "This device cannot start. (Code 10)." I have tried connecting it on other computers, including the PC with which I used the hard drive until May (Windows XP Home SP3), as well as my Mac where is shows in the System Profiler but not on the desktop or in the list of devices, and they can similarly see the hard drive connection but cannot open it. 

I am willing to open up the hard drive but obviously I am hesitant. It is out of warranty, but my bigger priority is saving my photos. My first step is to try a new usb cord, but alas the computers are seeing the connection so I'm pessimistic about that (unless someone suggests otherwise). Is SeaTools worth it? What about trying this software: http://services.seagate.com/diysoftware.aspx ? And I'll need to wait for the new hard drive to arrive before I have another place to move these files if (when...) I do open up the hard drive.

Thank you VERY much for any further assistance.

[alchris]

Just as an update, I did end up breaking into the hard drive casing.  I then reconnected the hard drive to an old computer of mine, and fortunately that was all it took.  I did explore other options for four days first though -- three to figure out what was going on during which time I went from thinking it was a simple issue to panicking worried that I may not get everything back, and one more day once I understood the likely diagnosis during which I really debated whether opening the casing was my only option.  Thank you for all of the help here with diagnosing and resolving!  Darn Maxtor!!!

[kissime]

I'm in the same boat and am a bit more of a novice... I'm willing to crack it open and give it a go, but I'm not 100% sure that I understand completely what to do once I get it out of the case.  HELP!!!!!

[jneilson]

I have a question to those who have the Code 10 error like me - is your drive spinning?

Mine is very quiet, so I suspect no spin, and I'm considering cracking it open.  But I'm wondering since there is no spin, if installing it in another computer will enable it to spin up, or if t's just dead.

Thanks.

[BILL WALLACE]

No. most users with this problem (code 10) do not feel any motion (drive does not spinup

[jneilson]

Success!  I removed my Maxtor 3200 from the case and installed it in my Emachines T6542 and it works.

To remove the drive from its case I used a curved knife, like you might use for cutting flooring (it's very thin).

My case had the metal tabs that slide to the corners, so you just put the knife in the vent slots and push 

down hard - then it opened right up.  Taking the drive out of the internal metal case and removing the USB

board is easy.

I wondered if it would spin up, so I connected it to a spare power plug in my computer while it was on - not a

good idea!  While the drive spun up (good), my display went haywire and the computer froze.  Fortunately 

after disconnecting my computer it booted up OK.  Then I shut it down and installed the drive - I just left 

the jumper where it was in the cable select position.  My drive went thru a little test and now it's

recognized as drive J.

I should mention this all started when my computer would freeze at the boot screen - after researching

I started disconnecting devices and pin-pointed the problem to the Maxtor USB drive.  With it

disconnected, my computer would start up OK.  It began as an intermittent problem.

Good luck to all.

[BILL WALLACE]

GREAT!!!  I am pleased.......  and you should be too.  Good job and I know you feel relieved to have access to your data....

[tracyh]

I think the power supply is my problem with my 3200.  I do not have another one to swap it with.  Where can I get one that will work properly with this unit?  Thanks