I have a Western Digital 500GB external hard drive (USB) that used to work just fine. The hard drive still seems to work just fine and my PC (WinXP) works fine as well. For some reason, the drive no longer appears in my My Computer list of mapped drives. However!!! If I right click a drive and choose properties it shows me a list of all disk drives and the external IS included in this list (listed as WD). I have tried unplugging and replugging it in to redetect or what have you. Suggestions? Anyone? I feel like I'm missing an easy solution.
External Harddrive not showing up (mapping?)
- Thread starter ryanh221
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Try DriveCleanup, it was posted yesterday here (with instructions): https://www.techspot.com/vb/showthread.php?p=727106#post727106
I unplugged all my USB external drives (not anything else) and used it
Then plugged my USB Drive back in and it seems to be quicker. Anyway, this may fix the fault. Please let me know
I unplugged all my USB external drives (not anything else) and used it
Then plugged my USB Drive back in and it seems to be quicker. Anyway, this may fix the fault. Please let me know
Alright, it cleaned out 25 USB drives... Nice. I rebooted, waited for the reboot to finish, then plugged in the external. It said it detected a new mass storage device, installed it, said my new device was ready to be used, and it's not listed as a drive in My Computer (but still comes up when I right click and go to properties). I do not have any mapped drives. The cleanup felt like I was on the right track since it triggered the whole reinstall.
LookinAround
Posts: 6,429 +186
You really do need to walk through the steps/information in this guide. Just ask if you need more info/don't understand something or any of its directions. (besides, that feedback will also help me continue to improve it for readability 
)
In fact, you should see Part 2 in the guide. Follow instructions to check if Windows is hiding your disk drive. If not, then please start Initial Troubleshooting in Part 1 and report back
)In fact, you should see Part 2 in the guide. Follow instructions to check if Windows is hiding your disk drive. If not, then please start Initial Troubleshooting in Part 1 and report back
Ok, perhaps I've hit the problem...
When I go to the properties of the drives (right clicking on the drives in My Computer), Hardware Properties, I click on the WD drive (which shows up there just fine), then I go to the Volumes tab and click Populate... Under "Status" it says "Unreadable"... So is the external the problem and not the PC? Is there any saving this situation?
When I go to the properties of the drives (right clicking on the drives in My Computer), Hardware Properties, I click on the WD drive (which shows up there just fine), then I go to the Volumes tab and click Populate... Under "Status" it says "Unreadable"... So is the external the problem and not the PC? Is there any saving this situation?
LookinAround
Posts: 6,429 +186
Ryanh221
There are many possible different reasons you are having your problem. And, fact is, the problem you see could be the after effect of a different problem which occurs at some point much earlier then where you see it.
You keep doing your own thing and asking for help. The help is really to follow the steps in the Guide so you start verifying at the BEGINING and then verify step-by-step as to what's happening and at which point along the way you first note a failure.
THEN we can better help tell you the problem and how to fix it.
There are many possible different reasons you are having your problem. And, fact is, the problem you see could be the after effect of a different problem which occurs at some point much earlier then where you see it.
You keep doing your own thing and asking for help. The help is really to follow the steps in the Guide so you start verifying at the BEGINING and then verify step-by-step as to what's happening and at which point along the way you first note a failure.
THEN we can better help tell you the problem and how to fix it.
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