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HELP my western digital is not recognized

Last answer on Nov 3, 2009 3:52:44 pm GMT abzy.P, on Apr 11, 2009 4:21:19 pm BST 
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Hello,
hiya, my western digital works on my PC, but when i tried it on my ACER notebook it said " Drive :/F is not recognized." HELP plz

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1

FinnyG, on Jun 20, 2009 4:19:32 pm BST
  • +2

Today, after 6 months, and many visits to tech forums and the device manager on my home XP, I got my Western Digital external hard drive to be recognized. How? I unplugged the KVL (KVM) switch that was connecting my 2 home XPs (one still has a floppy drive that I need and some software that won't work with updated XP). The clue was that neither home XP recognized the external drive but both my non-conjoined office XPs did recognize it. I haven't a clue how the switch interfered but it did. I put this out there just in case anyone has this same problem.

   
Reply to FinnyG

2

Indra, on Jun 28, 2009 1:26:48 pm BST
  • +1

Hi There,

You need to format the disk; the instructions are there on the WD website. My WD had the same problem; it was a studio edition, so, the following link at the WD website helped:

http://wdc.custhelp.com/...!!&p_li=

   
Reply to Indra

3

CC, on Jun 29, 2009 10:53:56 am BST
  • +5

I have the exact same problem with a one month old 500gb passport drive - holding about 400gb of data. I have several other passport drives that have never had this problem. I'm concerned about 1) reformatting the disk and losing all the data and 2) this shouldn't have happened to begin with.

Is this really a defect that I should return under warranty as it will keep happening again and again?

   
Reply to CC

4

b, on Aug 8, 2009 9:04:14 pm BST
  • +2

Mine was working fine for weeks, was using Utorrent, plugged in my wacom bamboo tablet, like I did everyday for ages with no problem and BAM, Utorrent starts saying file missing file missing all the way. I explored the drive and the folders were there, but not the files, we're talking 600 Gigas. Removed and tried every USB port with no success.

Wheirdest thing, my laptop works fine with it! Whatta hell!

   
Reply to b

7

DarkCourier, on Sep 1, 2009 1:20:10 pm BST

I am wondering the exact same thing for I had gotten a 500GB Passport drive and it worked for a while but I haven't been able to use it for some time now since it ain't reconiseible any more.

But I just bought my 1TB My Book Essential Edition and it worked a momnet at first but then my computer came up with wanting to do a full system scan and since it was a lil late at that point in the evening I let the pc do the scan so then this morning I decide to re-boot the pc since it was left on all night to do the scan and now I my book is no longer reconised!

I mean seriously WTF?!?

Ummm can any one please give us some help here or but if I take this back... well it has enough storage space that I can use it for storage which is why I bought it in the first place but on the other hand I don't want to lose the data I put in there.

Should of made copies of the personal files I put in there, :/

Sorry CC that I don't have any helpful information for you but hey you ain't alone there.

Dang if this stuff would work it is great but when you can't even use the stuff... Actully I have bills I should be paying but I really needed a lamp for my room which is why I bought one at target last night and I happen to see the 1tb my book and was like hmmm well I do need something to put some lose files in. Now if only I can get it to work again, :/

   
Reply to DarkCourier

5

cemma, on Aug 11, 2009 8:07:28 pm BST
  • +12

How are you supposed to reformat the drive when your computer doesn't recognize it in the first place?! That's the problem.

   
Reply to cemma

8

DarkCourier, on Sep 1, 2009 1:26:02 pm BST

I'd like to know that too Cemma for that is now my problem, not just for the my book I bought yesterday but also for the 500GB passport I have.

in both cases they both have information I don't want to lose which is why I still have the passport with me.

What burns me is that the money I spent on the my book I could of made a payment on a bill I have and to have this not work....

Ah yea needless to say this is a major headache for everyone having this issue, :/

   
Reply to DarkCourier

6

b, on Aug 16, 2009 12:45:38 pm BST
  • +5

Solved it
formated the computer and reinstaled windows, not working, went into bios and disabled usb 2.0, it works (slower)

   
Reply to b

9

DarkCourier, on Sep 1, 2009 1:42:50 pm BST

I can't exactly reformat he pc itself B, I share this pc with my mom and yes I am currently living with my mom as a room mate but fincially speaking neither of us can survive with out the other.

But I don't mind, mom and I are family after all ^^.

But still is there no other way around this with out re-formating the pc?

   
Reply to DarkCourier

13

b, on Sep 4, 2009 4:38:23 pm BST
  • +2

Darkcourier - Actually I didn't needed to format the pc, found out later, just go to BIOS and disable usb 2.0 support. I know it's not solution, but it solved the problem for me (but is so slow...)

   
Reply to b

10

ahm, on Sep 2, 2009 3:02:13 am BST

I am having this same issue..

   
Reply to ahm

11

Omar A, on Sep 2, 2009 3:53:34 am BST
  • +3

You need the storage controller driver
here is a tutorial
http://pctechlife.com/forums/index.php?topic=66.0

   
Reply to Omar A

12

S, on Sep 2, 2009 4:31:05 am BST
  • +6

I have the same problem with my WD Essential Edition. The computer just won't recognize it anymore. I bought a new enclosure and put the hard drive in it yet still does not work. This is so very frustrating!!! What should I do?!

   
Reply to S

14

geoff, on Sep 21, 2009 9:20:10 am BST
  • +1

Hi what is this? story time? i don't care about your personal life, people.
if you have a solution, great, if not, take your stories elsewhere.

   
Reply to geoff

18

 Stop Being a Douche, on Nov 3, 2009 3:52:44 pm GMT

Hey Geoff,

Stop being a douche.

That being said and done, I have the same problem with my WD external HD. Sometimes when my computer restarts or shuts down for any reason, it stops reading it. If left alone, it suddenly recognizes it, but only after several hours. This doesn't help, but may help someone ultimately determine what is going on with this P.O.S. hard drive.

   
Reply to Stop Being a Douche

15

WitchPunkRockStar, on Oct 10, 2009 8:51:56 pm BST
  • +2

Clearly Geoffrey doesn't have a solution and has taken it elsewhere, may be his mummy is making him tidy his room.

For the rest of you follow this link from Microsoft 'A computer that is running Windows XP cannot detect a USB flash drive, an Apple iPod, or an external hard disk drive' (which worked for my PC) or buy a Mac, which worked best for me all round!

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925196/en-us

Geoffrey... play nicely with the other children.

   
Reply to WitchPunkRockStar

16

Rottenmind89, on Oct 16, 2009 4:03:41 am BST

The same thing happened to me I guess that's how I ended up on this forum and later I just unplugged the WD EHD for five minutes then plugged it back in and it worked...

   
Reply to Rottenmind89

17

b, on Oct 19, 2009 12:57:20 pm BST
  • +1

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
The Microsoft fix you pointed worked like a charm, thank you thank you!
If you ever come around Portugal I'll buy you a drink, hell, a dinner!

   
Reply to b
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