external harddrive - please help

mumto2loves

I think I might be having a 'moment'

I've got an external hard drive 'thing' which I haven't used for over a year. its got loads of photos on it and i want to look at them. Ive plugged it in and nothing happens and i don't know what to do to see the photos!!

I thought a little box used to pop up asking me what i want to do?? (view the files etc ...)


if it makes a difference its a buffalo HD-E500U2-UK and my computer is windows 7.

KiKi

Do you mean a memory stick?

If so, go to Windows Explorer (press and hold the button with the picture of the Window on it then press 'E') and under 'Computer' on the left hand side should be the options for the different drives. It should be listed under there along with your C drive and any other internal drives.

If it's very large external drive connected with a USB lead, some of them have to be turned on, or even plugged into the mains (in case it's been that long since you used it!).

HTH
KiKi

closed

If it's a big one, is it plugged into the mains.

Try a different computer.

Could be faulty, which is why the originals should be kept on the c drive, and usb drives use for backup. If it is faulty, your only options are to take the hd out, and try inside a pc, or inside another caddy or pay large sums for data recovery.

Winky,_The_House_Elf

I'm not very techie but I didn't want to read and run!

Have you tried looking to see if its actually connected?

Click the windows start button, then click computer and it should show all your drives (like c:drive, cd/dvd:drive etc)

Is it showing there?

Edit: Too slow!

mumto2loves

Yeah its a big one (well bigger than a memory stick) about the size of half an a4 bit of paper. I have plugged it in and the green light is on.

so it should do something when plugged in then?

:doh:

KiKi

mumto2loves wrote: »

Yeah its a big one (well bigger than a memory stick) about the size of half an a4 bit of paper. I have plugged it in and the green light is on.

so it should do something when plugged in then?

:doh:

As above, it should come up under the list of drives. Have you done this:

If so, go to Windows Explorer (press and hold the button with the picture of the Window on it then press 'E') and under 'Computer' on the left hand side should be the options for the different drives. It should be listed under there along with your C drive and any other internal drives.


KiKi

mumto2loves

KiKi wrote: »

Do you mean a memory stick?

If so, go to Windows Explorer (press and hold the button with the picture of the Window on it then press 'E') and under 'Computer' on the left hand side should be the options for the different drives. It should be listed under there along with your C drive and any other internal drives.

If it's very large external drive connected with a USB lead, some of them have to be turned on, or even plugged into the mains (in case it's been that long since you used it!).

HTH
KiKi

wow thats a bit scary! I've just done that and it brings up everything on my computer with an 'e' in it - including emails from my yahoo mail box which i'm not logged into atm!!!
but no photos

mumto2loves

KiKi wrote: »

As above, it should come up under the list of drives. Have you done this:

If so, go to Windows Explorer (press and hold the button with the picture of the Window on it then press 'E') and under 'Computer' on the left hand side should be the options for the different drives. It should be listed under there along with your C drive and any other internal drives.


KiKi

sorry wasn't ignoring you just got side tracked looking at all the 'e' things on my computer and being shocked that I could bring up my emails without being logged in!!:eek:

I haven't actually got an option of computer (unless i'm doing it wrong. Ive got

programs
control panel
documents
music
pictures

KiKi

mumto2loves wrote: »

wow thats a bit scary! I've just done that and it brings up everything on my computer with an 'e' in it - including emails from my yahoo mail box which i'm not logged into atm!!!
but no photos

It shouldn't do that, think you hit the wrong thing!

Do this instead. Go to the Start button on your screen (bottom left, picture of a window) and then click on Computer.

On the left hand side should be a list of things. There's one that will say 'Computer', and underneath it a list of your drives. The C: drive will be one (prob the first) and then hopefully the memory stick.

Try that.
KiKi

mumto2loves

nope.
Just local disc (c: )


oh. dear.:(

i guess it's broke.
can I get it fixed?

debitcardmayhem

mumto2loves wrote: »

nope.
Just local disc (c: )


oh. dear.:(

i guess it's broke.
can I get it fixed?

Have you tried a different USB port ?