Drive Not Ready - Exception Processing Message c0000a3 Parameters

[TorturedChaos]

So i plug in my external hdd today, and get this error

"Windows - Drive Not Ready
Exception Processing Message c0000a3 Parameters 75b6bf7c 4 75b6bf7c 75b6bf7c"

Option to: Cancel, Try Again, Continue.

Doesn't seem to matter which button I press, error pops back up in about 10 seconds

Spent some time on Google, and didn't find much that was helpful.

Now I can copy stuff onto and off of my external hdd just fine. And after I turn the hdd off I still get the error until I unplug the USB from the computer, then get it a few more times after that. Also, doesn't seem to matter which USB port I use.

I tried reformatting the drive, even changing between FAT 32 & NTSF. Doesn't make a difference. So anyone got any Ideas??

 

[Tmagic650]

What is the make of the external drive?

 

[TorturedChaos]

What is the make of the external drive?

Pretty sure its a Western Digital, 300 gig. Got it about 4 years ago or so. I'm at work right now, but when I get home I can pop open the enclosure and give you the exact model.

Just remembered....
This happen the last time I hooked it up to my computer a couple weeks ago, but the data copied fine. Took it to my friends house and copied some stuff off of it to his girlfriends laptop running vista, but no errors then.

 

[Tmagic650]

You probably have run out of time... At 4 years, the drive is most likely at the end of its life. You can always use the same enclosure with a new drive. One other thing, try the hard drive out of the enclosure, before you replace it

 

[TorturedChaos]

You probably have run out of time... At 4 years, the drive is most likely at the end of its life. You can always use the same enclosure with a new drive. One other thing, try the hard drive out of the enclosure, before you replace it

Ok I was kinda afraid of that. Although it has no where near 4 year of 'use' on it. Most of those 4 years the drive has been off. Only turn it on when I need to move data on or off it, other than that it remained off.

Also why would the drive give me an error on my computer and not on my friends girlfriends laptop? Although mine is xp pro and her's is Vista. I will have to test it on my other pc and see if it gives me the error.

 

[Bobbye]

You probably have run out of time... At 4 years, the drive is most likely at the end of its life.

I'm going to dispute this time line on a hard drive. While we don't know the cause of your problem at this moment, this time line is just plain wrong!

Is this a more accurate typing of the message:
Exception Process Message c0000013 Parameters 75b6bf7c 4 75b6bf7c 75b6bf7c


Before you do anything, please read: Some causes for Exception Process Message c0000013
http://www.consumingexperience.com/2007/11/windows-no-disk-exception-processing.html

 

[TorturedChaos]

I'm going to dispute this time line on a hard drive. While we don't know the cause of your problem at this moment, this time line is just plain wrong!

Is this a more accurate typing of the message:
Exception Process Message c0000013 Parameters 75b6bf7c 4 75b6bf7c 75b6bf7c


Before you do anything, please read: Some causes for Exception Process Message c0000013
http://www.consumingexperience.com/2007/11/windows-no-disk-exception-processing.html

Nope definitely c00000a3.

So the hdd model is WD300JB-00KFA0.

Also, I don't have the error on my other windows xp machine, only on this one. So im thinking its more to do with my computer than the drive.

But I will try the things listed on that guide, even tho its a slightly different error. I will start up Avast to do a scan tonight before I go to bed.

 

[Bobbye]

Okay, thank you. Interesting that when I used the whole error message in search all I saw was the 013 code. But when I just typed in c0000a3 I got the error. There are many comments by others finding the same thing.

Here's a site that might help:
http://www.tech-archive.net/Archive/WinXP/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/2008-01/msg02658.html

I didn't find any fixes that were consistent.

 

[TorturedChaos]

Okay, thank you. Interesting that when I used the whole error message in search all I saw was the 013 code. But when I just typed in c0000a3 I got the error. There are many comments by others finding the same thing.

Here's a site that might help:
http://www.tech-archive.net/Archive/WinXP/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/2008-01/msg02658.html

I didn't find any fixes that were consistent.

I found a couple 'fixes' that involved deleting an item from your register, but none of them said what the item did, So I was very un-trusting of those. Also found a lot to do with floppy drives, but I have never had a floppy drive installed, or have anything hooked up to that port on the mobo.

Found a couple of solutions that dealt with clearing the recent access programs & recent documents from the start menu. Tired those, no help

 

[Tmagic650]

This is an older Western Digital drive of the first 250+ GB capacity... you were lucky to get the service you did from it, wether or not it was used all the time... It is curious that it works on another computer though. It could be that the enclosure/drive is pulling a bit more current from a USB port now that it is older

 

[TorturedChaos]

This is an older Western Digital drive of the first 250+ GB capacity... you were lucky to get the service you did from it, wether or not it was used all the time... It is curious that it works on another computer though. It could be that the enclosure/drive is pulling a bit more current from a USB port now that it is older

Umm ok. Well maybe I will try unhooking everything from my USB ports and try it. Or see if I can dig up one of my old firewire cables. Enclosure has it, but stopped using it b/c my laptops firewire port broke. Haven't tried the ones on this new build yet tho....

 

[TorturedChaos]

Well I wasn't able to find any of my firewire cables. But I did do a virus scan. didn't find anything. Also went into my bios and made sure my non-existent floppy drive as disabled. Also tried changing the drive letter and reformatting, trying both NTSF & FAT32. But I still get he error, on windows xp pro that is.

I just installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit Evaluation copy. Build 7100. I don't get any error running this OS. Also, as I have said before I don't have any issue on my other xp pro machine or my buddies g/f laptop running Vista (don't know what version). So I am thinking its a software/OS issue with my xp pro install.

Any thoughts as to what i could be?

 

[TorturedChaos]

Ok so after posting this, i restarted into my Win xp pro, and forgot my external hdd was still plugged in. And I got no errors now. Unplugged, plugged it back in. Auto play comes right up. Not really sure what fixed it, but it works fine now . Was still giving me errors until I did the dual boot with Win 7......

 

[LookinAround]

Does the external HD have its own power supply A/C adapter? If not, it might be as Tmagic mentions and an issue of sufficient power on the USB port.

IMHO Best solution (whether the problem or not) get a USB hub that can supply 1000mA USB port (USB spec, your computer and most hubs only provide 500mA)

I've found the 1000mA USB ports have sometimes solved issues with sometimes flaky external USB hi powered devices (like HDs and cameras). It's just handy to have one around

 

[TorturedChaos]

Does the external HD have its own power supply A/C adapter? If not, it might be as Tmagic mentions and an issue of sufficient power on the USB port.

IMHO Best solution (whether the problem or not) get a USB hub that can supply 1000mA USB port (USB spec, your computer and most hubs only provide 500mA)

I've found the 1000mA USB ports have sometimes solved issues with sometimes flaky external USB hi powered devices (like HDs and cameras). It's just handy to have one around

nope it has its own power, and now seems to work just fine. Wish i knew why it didn't work before....