Recently, I tried adding an external hard-drive which is PnP (Plug n Play) -
My system NEVER recognized it despite numerous different tries at
installation. I returned the drive, (thinking it was defective) and the
"new" unit also would not be recognized - it shows as an, "mass storage
device" but won't allow me to assign a drive letter to it. I finally gave up
on that - and figure IF I purchased a conventional Internal hard-drive., that
I'd be able to finally back-up my files. No Joy !!!

Figuring an INTERNAL New Hard Drive might be the solution., I purchased - a
WD., SATA 500 Gig Drive. This also is not recognized by the computer
software. Spent 3 plus hours with a technician last night - tried updating
the Bios., the Chipset., The CD which came with the Drive - for some reason
won't open and I get an error message saying that I must "not" have Adobe ...
(Which I do have...) We tried formatting the Disk., tried assigning
different drive letters., disabled the other drives-(Media Card Reader and
the USB for Printer). No Joy ...

This is just NUTS ... The computer recognizes the drive - but the software
(Windows VISTA - somewhere - somehow) has some "issues" .. and the technician
that I talked with personally has VISTA with three extra drives and has NEVER
had this problem !! I don't know what to do ... I've got hours and hours
into this trying to cure it .... The Drives I purchased now amount to
several hundred bucks .. and right now they're just "great" for sinkers for
fishing .. for all they're worth....
When I go to the MSN website - it's what ? $59 an hour - on a 6 month old
computer - with VISTA in it .. and I don't think I'm the only one with these
issues ......that it doesn't allow me to back up my work since the software
(VISTA) requires a "Drive letter that's recognized" to assign a place for the
backup to "go to" ....... I feel more like a victim than a client.

Does it show up in Disk Management?

Start -> Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> Administrative Tools ->
Computer Management. From there select Disk Management from the list on the
left hand side.

--
Paul Smith,
Yeovil, UK.
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User.
[url]http://www.dasmirnov.net/blog/[/url]
[url]http://www.windowsresource.net/[/url]

*Remove nospam. to reply by e-mail*


"fly_fishr" <flyfishr@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:DDBDE84C-AAC6-4384-B502-DDEED62EE652@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
> Recently, I tried adding an external hard-drive which is PnP (Plug n
> Play) -
> My system NEVER recognized it despite numerous different tries at
> installation. I returned the drive, (thinking it was defective) and the
> "new" unit also would not be recognized - it shows as an, "mass storage
> device" but won't allow me to assign a drive letter to it. I finally gave
> up
> on that - and figure IF I purchased a conventional Internal hard-drive.,
> that
> I'd be able to finally back-up my files. No Joy !!!
>
> Figuring an INTERNAL New Hard Drive might be the solution., I purchased -
> a
> WD., SATA 500 Gig Drive. This also is not recognized by the computer
> software. Spent 3 plus hours with a technician last night - tried
> updating
> the Bios., the Chipset., The CD which came with the Drive - for some
> reason
> won't open and I get an error message saying that I must "not" have Adobe
> ...
> (Which I do have...) We tried formatting the Disk., tried assigning
> different drive letters., disabled the other drives-(Media Card Reader and
> the USB for Printer). No Joy ...
>
> This is just NUTS ... The computer recognizes the drive - but the
> software
> (Windows VISTA - somewhere - somehow) has some "issues" .. and the
> technician
> that I talked with personally has VISTA with three extra drives and has
> NEVER
> had this problem !! I don't know what to do ... I've got hours and hours
> into this trying to cure it .... The Drives I purchased now amount to
> several hundred bucks .. and right now they're just "great" for sinkers
> for
> fishing .. for all they're worth....
> When I go to the MSN website - it's what ? $59 an hour - on a 6 month old
> computer - with VISTA in it .. and I don't think I'm the only one with
> these
> issues ......that it doesn't allow me to back up my work since the
> software
> (VISTA) requires a "Drive letter that's recognized" to assign a place for
> the
> backup to "go to" ....... I feel more like a victim than a client.[/color]

Open the Start Menu, right-click on Computer
and select Manage. Click on Disk Management.
From the Toolbar select Action > Rescan Disks.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

---------------------------------------------------------------

"fly_fishr" <flyfishr@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:DDBDE84C-AAC6-4384-B502-DDEED62EE652@microsoft.com...
Recently, I tried adding an external hard-drive which is PnP (Plug n Play) -
My system NEVER recognized it despite numerous different tries at
installation. I returned the drive, (thinking it was defective) and the
"new" unit also would not be recognized - it shows as an, "mass storage
device" but won't allow me to assign a drive letter to it. I finally gave up
on that - and figure IF I purchased a conventional Internal hard-drive., that
I'd be able to finally back-up my files. No Joy !!!

Figuring an INTERNAL New Hard Drive might be the solution., I purchased - a
WD., SATA 500 Gig Drive. This also is not recognized by the computer
software. Spent 3 plus hours with a technician last night - tried updating
the Bios., the Chipset., The CD which came with the Drive - for some reason
won't open and I get an error message saying that I must "not" have Adobe ...
(Which I do have...) We tried formatting the Disk., tried assigning
different drive letters., disabled the other drives-(Media Card Reader and
the USB for Printer). No Joy ...

This is just NUTS ... The computer recognizes the drive - but the software
(Windows VISTA - somewhere - somehow) has some "issues" .. and the technician
that I talked with personally has VISTA with three extra drives and has NEVER
had this problem !! I don't know what to do ... I've got hours and hours
into this trying to cure it .... The Drives I purchased now amount to
several hundred bucks .. and right now they're just "great" for sinkers for
fishing .. for all they're worth....
When I go to the MSN website - it's what ? $59 an hour - on a 6 month old
computer - with VISTA in it .. and I don't think I'm the only one with these
issues ......that it doesn't allow me to back up my work since the software
(VISTA) requires a "Drive letter that's recognized" to assign a place for the
backup to "go to" ....... I feel more like a victim than a client.

Actually, the drive shows up on the computer - I ended up talking with WD
about the drive - they had it tested online (Did the zero's) and it showed
that there were errors in multiple sectors .. so apparently it's a bad drive.
They recommended I get hold of the retailer and get it replaced. (Which I
have just finished talking to - a new drive is scheduled to be "here" on next
Monday) So, hopefully that'll be the end of the issue. We'll see. If it
too doesn't work - I'll be back, "online" .... but thanks. Jerry

"Paul Smith" wrote:
[color=blue]
> Does it show up in Disk Management?
>
> Start -> Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> Administrative Tools ->
> Computer Management. From there select Disk Management from the list on the
> left hand side.
>
> --
> Paul Smith,
> Yeovil, UK.
> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User.
> [url]http://www.dasmirnov.net/blog/[/url]
> [url]http://www.windowsresource.net/[/url]
>
> *Remove nospam. to reply by e-mail*
>
>
> "fly_fishr" <flyfishr@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:DDBDE84C-AAC6-4384-B502-DDEED62EE652@microsoft.com...[color=green]
> > Recently, I tried adding an external hard-drive which is PnP (Plug n
> > Play) -
> > My system NEVER recognized it despite numerous different tries at
> > installation. I returned the drive, (thinking it was defective) and the
> > "new" unit also would not be recognized - it shows as an, "mass storage
> > device" but won't allow me to assign a drive letter to it. I finally gave
> > up
> > on that - and figure IF I purchased a conventional Internal hard-drive.,
> > that
> > I'd be able to finally back-up my files. No Joy !!!
> >
> > Figuring an INTERNAL New Hard Drive might be the solution., I purchased -
> > a
> > WD., SATA 500 Gig Drive. This also is not recognized by the computer
> > software. Spent 3 plus hours with a technician last night - tried
> > updating
> > the Bios., the Chipset., The CD which came with the Drive - for some
> > reason
> > won't open and I get an error message saying that I must "not" have Adobe
> > ...
> > (Which I do have...) We tried formatting the Disk., tried assigning
> > different drive letters., disabled the other drives-(Media Card Reader and
> > the USB for Printer). No Joy ...
> >
> > This is just NUTS ... The computer recognizes the drive - but the
> > software
> > (Windows VISTA - somewhere - somehow) has some "issues" .. and the
> > technician
> > that I talked with personally has VISTA with three extra drives and has
> > NEVER
> > had this problem !! I don't know what to do ... I've got hours and hours
> > into this trying to cure it .... The Drives I purchased now amount to
> > several hundred bucks .. and right now they're just "great" for sinkers
> > for
> > fishing .. for all they're worth....
> > When I go to the MSN website - it's what ? $59 an hour - on a 6 month old
> > computer - with VISTA in it .. and I don't think I'm the only one with
> > these
> > issues ......that it doesn't allow me to back up my work since the
> > software
> > (VISTA) requires a "Drive letter that's recognized" to assign a place for
> > the
> > backup to "go to" ....... I feel more like a victim than a client.[/color]
>[/color]

Thanks Carey,
I tried that earlier too.
I called WD this AM ... they put me through to a higher-level
technician who had me run a diagnostic on the drive online. (He had it enter
zero's ..) Anyway - it showed multiple sectors throwing out errors ... so
apparently it's a bad drive. He recommended I get hold of the retailer and
have it replaced. (I have just completed doing that - and the "new" drive is
scheduled to be here on this coming Monday., so we'll see then ...) Thanks
for your input - and, hopefully I won't need to revisit the issue.
Jerry

"Carey Frisch [MVP]" wrote:
[color=blue]
> Open the Start Menu, right-click on Computer
> and select Manage. Click on Disk Management.
> From the Toolbar select Action > Rescan Disks.
>
> --
> Carey Frisch
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows Shell/User
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "fly_fishr" <flyfishr@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:DDBDE84C-AAC6-4384-B502-DDEED62EE652@microsoft.com...
> Recently, I tried adding an external hard-drive which is PnP (Plug n Play) -
> My system NEVER recognized it despite numerous different tries at
> installation. I returned the drive, (thinking it was defective) and the
> "new" unit also would not be recognized - it shows as an, "mass storage
> device" but won't allow me to assign a drive letter to it. I finally gave up
> on that - and figure IF I purchased a conventional Internal hard-drive., that
> I'd be able to finally back-up my files. No Joy !!!
>
> Figuring an INTERNAL New Hard Drive might be the solution., I purchased - a
> WD., SATA 500 Gig Drive. This also is not recognized by the computer
> software. Spent 3 plus hours with a technician last night - tried updating
> the Bios., the Chipset., The CD which came with the Drive - for some reason
> won't open and I get an error message saying that I must "not" have Adobe ...
> (Which I do have...) We tried formatting the Disk., tried assigning
> different drive letters., disabled the other drives-(Media Card Reader and
> the USB for Printer). No Joy ...
>
> This is just NUTS ... The computer recognizes the drive - but the software
> (Windows VISTA - somewhere - somehow) has some "issues" .. and the technician
> that I talked with personally has VISTA with three extra drives and has NEVER
> had this problem !! I don't know what to do ... I've got hours and hours
> into this trying to cure it .... The Drives I purchased now amount to
> several hundred bucks .. and right now they're just "great" for sinkers for
> fishing .. for all they're worth....
> When I go to the MSN website - it's what ? $59 an hour - on a 6 month old
> computer - with VISTA in it .. and I don't think I'm the only one with these
> issues ......that it doesn't allow me to back up my work since the software
> (VISTA) requires a "Drive letter that's recognized" to assign a place for the
> backup to "go to" ....... I feel more like a victim than a client.[/color]