External Hard Drive issue

[at_witz_end]

Have a Maxtor One Touch III 500gb external hard drive. Initially set it up, formatted literally backing up my life to it and nine months down the road all of a sudden my computer does not acknowledge the drive. I have rebooted with the drive off. I have uninstalled / reinstalled software and drivers, changed out the cables.

Even more interesting, I have a "removable disk" showing up on My Computer with the letter "F" and when I try to launch it, it tells me there is no disk in the drive.

Disk manager does not acknowledge the drive either, at least not that I can tell.

PLEASE HELP!

 

[nickc]

can u change the hard drive in the cage? if so put another hard drive in and see u can see it an old small hard drive will tell u if the cage is still is working.

 

[at_witz_end]

Sorry to sound like I do not know what I am doin, but I don't.
What is a cage?

 

[nickc]

the external inclosure.

 

[nickc]

the external device the drive is install in.