I'm out of ideas...please help - major computer problems

[Impossibles]

It all seemed to start with the purchase of a kaser external hard drive.

Bought it as a network storage space for my computer and my GF's lappy to store common files, such as pics and music. Once I got all those files on there, I reformatted my computer and did a clean install of Windows MCE 2005.

I also started downloading torrents with all that new HD space (just some music and a couple movies...no appz)

Everything seemed to work great for a couple weeks, then one day the external HD stopped being recognized by Windows. I've spent hours this weekend taking it apart, trying to connect the HD directly in my computer, running disk scans/data recovery programs to no avail.

Now my computer that seemed to run fine before is having problems. A lot of websites won't run because of script errors.

I can't open drive manager.
I can't do a search or open start/help and support.
I get errors when I try opening control panel/users.
I can't run windows update (just get a blank MS page)

And the new HD and mobile enclosure I bought to replace the 'dead' kaser drive doesn't seem to get detected by Windows. It sees a 'USB Mass Storage Device', but no drives show up in my computer.

WTF can I do??? I'm at a complete loss.

[stevethewheel]

First off, to make yourself sane again, connect the external drive to your gf computer so you can confirm your external drive is OK.

[Impossibles]

First off, to make yourself sane again, connect the external drive to your gf computer so you can confirm your external drive is OK.

I've done that...both the old and the new external enclosures can't be read by either computer.

[Impossibles]

Well this should be interesting...I was able to get my comp to detect the Kaser drive, although it asked me to format it.

So I'm running EasyRecovery on it, and there is a whole bunch of data that is on there that wasn't mine (the HD is marked 'recertified'). I wonder what's going to be on it....looks like a whole bunch of pdfs, bmp, and dwg files.

EDIT: Well nevermind...none of the recovered data is readable. And althought there were about 1000 pics of mine on there, not one found on the 100+GB I was looking to recover??

[smilodon]

I got a similar problem with a Maxtor OneTouch 300Gb external drive. It was working fine, I was downloading from BitTorrent onto it, and at some point, it started no longer being recognized by my PC. I'd reboot and it would sometimes resolve the issue until at some point, the computer no longer saw anything on it!! Recovery & stuff wouldn't cut it and I was forced to reformat. Don't much trust those USB external drives anymore...

[Mr Nobody]

Now my computer that seemed to run fine before is having problems. A lot of websites won't run because of script errors.

I can't open drive manager.
I can't do a search or open start/help and support.
I get errors when I try opening control panel/users.
I can't run windows update (just get a blank MS page)

Sounds like virus/spyware.

[Alcetic]

definately sounds like spyware/virus...hence those script errors.

[akito925]

I got a similar problem with a Maxtor OneTouch 300Gb external drive. It was working fine, I was downloading from BitTorrent onto it, and at some point, it started no longer being recognized by my PC. I'd reboot and it would sometimes resolve the issue until at some point, the computer no longer saw anything on it!! Recovery & stuff wouldn't cut it and I was forced to reformat. Don't much trust those USB external drives anymore...

I'd have the same problem, its due to unplugging the drive from usb, it trys to write a index file in windows, but when you unplugg it corrupts the index file on the harddrive itself. so most of my data I store is on a sata external harddrive, sata removable is more reliablte, less coruuppted, but best to burn it on dvd! all your pics!

[Impossibles]

I got a similar problem with a Maxtor OneTouch 300Gb external drive. It was working fine, I was downloading from BitTorrent onto it, and at some point, it started no longer being recognized by my PC. I'd reboot and it would sometimes resolve the issue until at some point, the computer no longer saw anything on it!! Recovery & stuff wouldn't cut it and I was forced to reformat. Don't much trust those USB external drives anymore...

Yeah, I've pretty much given up. I'm not too bothered with it, but the gf is pretty choked about losing all those pics.

I'd have the same problem, its due to unplugging the drive from usb, it trys to write a index file in windows, but when you unplugg it corrupts the index file on the harddrive itself. so most of my data I store is on a sata external harddrive, sata removable is more reliablte, less coruuppted, but best to burn it on dvd! all your pics!

I'll definately DVD backup from now on. I think you're right about the powering down without disconnecting the drive causing the drive to fail.

[mortimusmaximus]

I lost all my files once and it was because I was overclocking and did not realize I had pushed the pci bus way out of spec.This threw the usb controller for a loop and voila a lost bunch of files.

Found this general guide to usb drives.There is a way in xp to confihure a drive for quick removal I just forget where to find the setting.

When you've finished using your USB flash drive, it is generally recommended that you should first of all click on the 'Safely Remove Hardware' icon that appears in the System Tray in the bottom right of your computer's Task Bar before then unplugging the drive. This makes sure that no programs are continuing to access the drive, and in particular, it makes sure that no programs are in the middle of writing some data to the drive when you unplug it.

With delayed caching functions, you might think you've finished with the USB drive even though the computer still has some pending tasks. If you unplug the drive while the computer is in the middle of updating a file, you'll probably end up with a corrupted file, and perhaps you might end up with an entire corrupted flash drive (due to the index file also being open or not correctly updated).

[evilbunny]

the HD is marked 'recertified'

There's the problem right there.