External hardrive problems..

[crystalclark87]

Okay.. So I was super happy when I got an external hardrive because it would make my scrapping life sooo much easier! Well, it has now died and I can't figure out what I did and how to fix it.

One day it was workng, I even added some more of my supplies to it. I unplugged it because we were moving rooms. When I plugged it back in my computer would not recognize it. It turns on, but it wont connect to my computer. At first I was getting an error message, but now I don't get anything at all.

I did leave it plugged into my computer and on for a day or so by accident because I forgot to turn it off. I don't know if that has anything to do with it or not, but could it? If so, how come it worked just fine afterwards, and then died randomly?

Does anyone know what to do to fix it, or, do I just have to get a new one?

[montmeag]

Sorry, I'm no help. Mine is a USB powered one. How long have you had it? You might call tech support.

[crystalclark87]

We got it last year sometime. My husband got it through a friend for really cheap (like half off or something like that.) Unfortunately, I dont even know the brand, it doesn't say on it. It is just silver and has a blue light when it turns on.

My husband uploaded like 30 DVD's on it when we first got it. We never watched them, so he said I could use it a couple months ago. I then took off all the DVD's and loaded my scrapbooking stuff.

[crystalclark87]

I just looked on google for "silver external hardrives" and found it! It is a Calvary CAUE37320 320GB USB 2.0

[cjoy2day]

my DH does Tech support let me ask him tomorrow & I'll let you know if he has any ideas. Mine stays on & plugged in all the time. Try another usb port on your computer.

[Alyson]

My sister's EHD died a couple of weeks ago. I took it in to Staples to have one of our tech guys check it out. I don't know that he helped anything, but he was only trying to get the info off the drive. This is not his specialty, but it costs about $300-$500 to pay a pro to do this. He wasn't able to get the info off, so I brought it home. I'm hoping to find some other way to get it to work. I thought I might take it up to the college and see if the electronics dept. had anyone that wanted to have their students try to retrieve the info as practice for something.

I did find a website that would retrieve the info, tell you what they were able to retrieve and how much it would be, then let you decide if the price and info were worth it. If you decided no, they wouldn't charge you. If you're interested, let me know and I'll get the website for you.

[Alyson]

P.S. I've decided I'm obsessed with backing everything up. I have all my info on my portable EHD, another EHD, and backed up on DVDs as well. Of course, my portable will probably have to loose some of that data because it's almost full. I've even contemplated getting a fire & water proof safe to keep my DVD back ups in. I think I'm going a little overboard, but I would be devastated to loose all my pics and scrapbook pages.

[cjoy2day]

My mom recently had a hardrive crash on her external. It was because she droped it. She lost TONS of music & photo's :(

[Jenny McDonald]

Note to self- Do NOT drop External Hardrive! ;)

[peverill]

That is a great note. I am putting a sticky on mine right now!

[Jenny McDonald]

I LOVE STICKY NOTES!!! Paula, I bet we'd be get along so well!

[cjoy2day]

DH said to:

1. reboot your computer
2. go to explore and see if the drive letter is still out there. If it is rt click and close it (release map?)
3. if you have another usb stick, maybe try and plug it into the same port you use w/ your external hardrive. Make sure your computer recognizes something new
4. Check usb cable, if you have one from something else like your printer borrow it and see if that does anything.

That's about all the ideas he had. He said he didn't think it would be very common to just die in a move like that but it could happen.

[crystalclark87]

thank you guys for your help. (I'm not home right now so I can't try this yet Jaime, but I will for sure). Luckily I only loaded scrapbook supplies that I have on cd. I have all my photos on my computer still, so I wouldn't be losing anything if I can't get it to work. I just don't want to have to buy a new EHD. Thanks again for the info!

[cjoy2day]

I understand. I hope it works when you get back. I have so much on mine and no DVD burner. I'm thinking about getting another one to make a back-up of everything.