Help! I don't understand the instructions (portable HD)

Floxxie

Following the death of my laptop from a liquid spillage, I have now received a USB portable Hard Disk with a user manual which apparently holds my 'lost' files. I thought I would be able to plug it in and the files would automatically transfer onto my new laptop but that hasn't happened.

Unfortunately I really do not understand the instructions. It is referring to FDISK but I cannot follow the instructions for Windows 7 as I don't have the various icons etc that they mention.

In fact the instructions are written in really bad English e.g.'Find USB hard disk and click the fight key of the mouse' (does the mouse have a fight key?)so I am at a loss of even trying to understand what the words mean.

Can anybody help me recover my files please? TIA

(It's an cit 2.5" external exclosure USB-HDD)

davb

It won't copy the files back by itself, you would normally use Windows explorer to drag and drop them - but you obviously have to know where they are, and where they are going to.
I don't know why they mention Fdisk, that is very odd. Can you post the instructions here (assuming it's not pages long), then we can get a better idea.

Floxxie

Hi davb,

The instructions are pretty long but I can do the headers of each section and then provide more detail if required.

• system requirements
• description of indicators on USB Hard Disk box
• Installation of WINDOWS98 Operating System
• Installation of WINDOWS2000/ME/XP/VISTA/Windows 7 Operating System
• Operating System
• Installation of MAC OS Operation System
• Division of Sections of the USB Hard Disk

Under the Division of Sections of the USB Hard Disk, it reads..

FDISK is a software for section division of hard disk after which formatting is possible. Only after formatting the hard disk run normally. Procedures for section division are as follows:

Connect the USB to computer. Click start, setup, control panel, management tools, computer management. Click 'disk management' on the left of the window appeared and a list of disks connected to the computer will show on the right while the status of the hard disk is shown at the same time. Find USB hard disk and click the fight key of the mouse in the status bar. Operate according to the instructions.

I don't understand a word of it

Poostix

I don't know about win7 but if you open up my computer (or the win7 version) then plug the hard drive in it should find the HDD on its own and display it in the list of accessable drives. Then you will have to navigate the files and pick and chose what you want to bring over.

I'm guessing the the mouse "fight key" is the right button?

DO NOT FORMAT THIS DISK USING FDISK UNTIL YOU HAVE THE DATA THAT YOU NEED FROM IT OTHERWISE YOU WILL LOSE ALL OF YOUR DATA

davb

Ok, I think a lot of that is for old systems. I would just connect ot to the PC via USB and see if a new drive appears in My Computer - you should get a popup asking if you want to explore, play music etc, and if you do, choose explore.
If it shows, we can then tell you what to do next.

Floxxie

I get:

'open folder to view files'
'use this drive for backup' and
'speed up my system'

for the options.

closed

open folder to view files, then copy and paste.

fdisk or formatting will wipe the drive, so avoid doing that

Floxxie

Sorry that's under the 'autoplay' that pops up as soon as the USB has been plugged in.

Haven't found the 'my computer' icon on this system. Can find 'computer' though

closed

same thing.

just go into windows explorer (not internet explorer), and browse the disk

when you find the files copy them to your pc, don't move them

Floxxie

Thanks closed, but where as I copying and pasting them to? The c drive?

closed

yes, then burn the important ones to a dvd, so you have 3 copies on different media