External harddrive no longer reconized

[chriskmee1]

I have formatted since this first happened, so i doubt its anything to do with Windows. I really am stuck on this one, i can usually figure out stuff by myself, and it bugs me that i have no clue where to begin to fix this issue.

 

[sjw40364]

Will it work without the hub if you put a different drive in that external case?. I see no reason it should work on another computer but not yours. I would have suggested extra solder was causing a short, but it works fine on other computers tends to preclude that. You have done a good job of systematically eliminating possibilities, and most of what you have already done is what I would have suggested. So being no electronics expert I can't think of anything else that would cause such.

 

[chriskmee1]

i haven't tried using another drive in the case/with the adapter, mainly because the only other drives i have are the ones in my desktop, and i wouldn't want to try and power one on those up with a usb adapter designed specifically for that portable hdd. I agree with you in that i have done a good job of eliminating the possibilities, and that is why i came here, because i eliminated all the ones i could think of. I also see no reason it should not work on my computer without a hub, but works on everyone else's just fine. This is what lead me to a motherboard blacklist, but i don't even know if one such list exists. I think at this point i will just continue to use it with my hub, i don't use it that often, but it would have felt really good to have won this battle. O well, at least i feel better knowing that other computer smart people are just as confused as i am about this.

If anyone else had any other ideas, i would still love to hear them. Thanks everyone for the help and ideas.

 

[sjw40364]

I don't usually recommend this but have you tried downloading the latest BIOS and flashing your existing one? I do know the BIOS concerns recognition of hardware at start-up.

 

[chriskmee1]

I don't usually recommend this but have you tried downloading the latest BIOS and flashing your existing one? I do know the BIOS concerns recognition of hardware at start-up.

that is something i have considered doing, and if its a mobo problem, it would probably fix it, but i have heard horror stories of what can happen when you flash your BIOS, and i don't think i am willing to risk doing that for this harddrive. Are my concerns misplaced? maybe i was just hearing the rare stories, or is there commonly problems associated with flashing the BIOS?

 

[sjw40364]

I have done it before without any problems on at least 2 occasions. There is risk involved, but both times I did it I never had any problems.
10 common mistakes you should avoid when flashing your BIOS | TechRepublic
Beginners Guides: Flashing a Motherboard BIOS - PCSTATS.com
You might try unhooking the motherboard battery first for a couple minutes to reset it to factory defaults. That is a relatively safe procedure.

 

[chriskmee1]

i think i might look into that later, at least now i might have a solution. Thanks again for the help, if i end up doing the flash, i will let you all know how it went.

 

[sjw40364]

Just so you know that although its not that complicated now and I did mine from within Windows using the manufactures flash program, you might be better off just buying a new external HD. Personally I do not see how the BIOS could affect it as generally it only controls startup devices needed to start Windows, then Windows handles all peripherals. It is that that is the only thing i could think of that might be related to how a motherboard could block anything. So if a Bios update doesn't have specific fixes or updates for devices you have installed or want to install I would probably avoid doing it.