Vista - Vista is not assigning driver letters to external drives, claiming "Unknown Device"

03-19-2008

To clarify what I am using/doing:
I have 2 hard drives, one from a laptop WD400 and one from a desktop. I am
using a USB IDE cable, which worked fine on my XP computer. I am trying to
do both hard drives seperately, and am running into the exact same issues
with both. Jumpers are off, both set for "master". Power supply used for
desktop IDE drive. Both drives power up and spin, but neither are recognized
by the computer as "mass storage device", and do not appear under disk
management. Both disks are from computers that crashed- the laptop mainboard
failed (confirmed by manufacturer) and the CPU failed in the desktop.

I am running Vista Home premium on an ACER Intelq6600 w/ 4GB ddr2 and 500GB
SATA.

"theresekirchner" wrote:

Quote:

> I am having similar issues with a new computer, now running Vista Home
> Premium. My USB external drives are not installing properly and are coming
> up "unknown device". They do not appear in disk management at all, and are
> not recognized anywhere as mass storage devices. I have tried uninstalling
> the USB drivers and reinstalling them, removing infcache.1, numerous
> reboots... I no longer have an XP computer to access the information on
> these drives. Help please? Anyone??
>
> "John Barnes" wrote:
>

Quote:

> > I see. This is cross posted to general, too.
> >
> > "Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> > news:7D92C9BD-853A-41E2-A138-7883664892C1@xxxxxx

Quote:

> > > Been here for about three months, John. But not in vista.general. No
> > > way.
> > >
> > > "John Barnes" <jbarnes@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> > > news:uU%23XL5lcIHA.2000@xxxxxx
> > >> Ventured back into the pit again, Colin :-)
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> "Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> > >> news:576D3F19-ACB1-4914-9509-DE54AF7E8AA6@xxxxxx
> > >>> Do you have a system restore point far enough back that could get your
> > >>> registry right again if that's the problem?
> > >>>
> > >>> "Michael Faklis" <Michael_Faklis@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> > >>> news:eEOcOblcIHA.5400@xxxxxx
> > >>>>I think my problem may be corruption in the registry, where drive
> > >>>>letters may be assigned.
> > >>>>
> > >>>> The problem started last month. Prior to that I had no problems
> > >>>> attaching new storage devices. Then I bought a new PNY 8gb thumb drive
> > >>>> certified for Vista ReadyBoost. That memory stick didn't work in Vista
> > >>>> so I returned it and got the SanDisk 8gb thumb drive. That didn't work
> > >>>> either. Now new external hard drives and thumb drives aren't assigned
> > >>>> drive letters, and Vista claims they are an "Unknown Device". Hard
> > >>>> drives and thumb drives that were in use prior to the PNY drive still
> > >>>> work in Vista.
> > >>>>
> > >>>> - Michael Faklis
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>> "Bob" <nowhere@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> > >>>> news:sMadnYiBit2GXSTanZ2dnUVZ_gKdnZ2d@xxxxxx
> > >>>>> Same problem here with WD external drive. I have not been able to find
> > >>>>> a solution but I have found a pain in the ass workaround. I plug the
> > >>>>> drive into my XP machine where it is recognized and then connect it
> > >>>>> back to the Vista machine. Vista then recognizes it for a week or two
> > >>>>> then the cycle starts again.
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> "Michael Faklis" <Michael_Faklis@xxxxxx> wrote in message
> > >>>>> news:%23n2$P7kcIHA.5348@xxxxxx
> > >>>>>> My Vista Ultimate laptop stopped assigning driver letters to new
> > >>>>>> external
> > >>>>>> drives, whether external hard drives or thumb drives. Old thumb
> > >>>>>> drives I
> > >>>>>> used in the past are still recognized. This problem is happening on
> > >>>>>> my new
> > >>>>>> Western Digital 1 tb external drive, whether using USB 2 or Firewire
> > >>>>>> 400.
> > >>>>>> It is also happening on my new SanDisk 8gb U3 thumb drive and a new
> > >>>>>> PNY 1gb
> > >>>>>> U3 thumb drive.
> > >>>>>> When inserted, Vista starts loading driver drivers for the device,
> > >>>>>> but then
> > >>>>>> claims the drive is an "Unknown Device". For the external hard
> > >>>>>> drive, the
> > >>>>>> driver software installation finds the WD My Book USB Device, USB
> > >>>>>> Human
> > >>>>>> Interface Device, USB Mass Storage Device, USB Composite Device, and
> > >>>>>> then it
> > >>>>>> fails to find "Unidentified Device". Device Manger shows the WD My
> > >>>>>> Book USB
> > >>>>>> Device under disk drives, and also an Unknown device under Other
> > >>>>>> devices.
> > >>>>>> Disk Management shows the drive, but without a drive letter. My
> > >>>>>> computer
> > >>>>>> shows nothing for this drive.
> > >>>>>> All of these drives work fine on my older XP Pro laptop.
> > >>>>>> Please tell me why a drive letter is not being assigned to this
> > >>>>>> "Unknown
> > >>>>>> Device" and how do I correct this problem.
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>> - Michael Faklis <Michael_Faklis@xxxxxx>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>>
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>>
> > >>>
> > >>
> > >

> >
> >

03-19-2008	#11 (permalink)
theresekirchner n/a posts	Re: Vista is not assigning driver letters to external drives, clai To clarify what I am using/doing: I have 2 hard drives, one from a laptop WD400 and one from a desktop. I am using a USB IDE cable, which worked fine on my XP computer. I am trying to do both hard drives seperately, and am running into the exact same issues with both. Jumpers are off, both set for "master". Power supply used for desktop IDE drive. Both drives power up and spin, but neither are recognized by the computer as "mass storage device", and do not appear under disk management. Both disks are from computers that crashed- the laptop mainboard failed (confirmed by manufacturer) and the CPU failed in the desktop. I am running Vista Home premium on an ACER Intelq6600 w/ 4GB ddr2 and 500GB SATA. "theresekirchner" wrote: Quote: > I am having similar issues with a new computer, now running Vista Home > Premium. My USB external drives are not installing properly and are coming > up "unknown device". They do not appear in disk management at all, and are > not recognized anywhere as mass storage devices. I have tried uninstalling > the USB drivers and reinstalling them, removing infcache.1, numerous > reboots... I no longer have an XP computer to access the information on > these drives. Help please? Anyone?? > > "John Barnes" wrote: > Quote: > > I see. This is cross posted to general, too. > > > > "Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@xxxxxx> wrote in message > > news:7D92C9BD-853A-41E2-A138-7883664892C1@xxxxxx Quote: > > > Been here for about three months, John. But not in vista.general. No > > > way. > > > > > > "John Barnes" <jbarnes@xxxxxx> wrote in message > > > news:uU%23XL5lcIHA.2000@xxxxxx > > >> Ventured back into the pit again, Colin :-) > > >> > > >> > > >> "Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@xxxxxx> wrote in message > > >> news:576D3F19-ACB1-4914-9509-DE54AF7E8AA6@xxxxxx > > >>> Do you have a system restore point far enough back that could get your > > >>> registry right again if that's the problem? > > >>> > > >>> "Michael Faklis" <Michael_Faklis@xxxxxx> wrote in message > > >>> news:eEOcOblcIHA.5400@xxxxxx > > >>>>I think my problem may be corruption in the registry, where drive > > >>>>letters may be assigned. > > >>>> > > >>>> The problem started last month. Prior to that I had no problems > > >>>> attaching new storage devices. Then I bought a new PNY 8gb thumb drive > > >>>> certified for Vista ReadyBoost. That memory stick didn't work in Vista > > >>>> so I returned it and got the SanDisk 8gb thumb drive. That didn't work > > >>>> either. Now new external hard drives and thumb drives aren't assigned > > >>>> drive letters, and Vista claims they are an "Unknown Device". Hard > > >>>> drives and thumb drives that were in use prior to the PNY drive still > > >>>> work in Vista. > > >>>> > > >>>> - Michael Faklis > > >>>> > > >>>> > > >>>> "Bob" <nowhere@xxxxxx> wrote in message > > >>>> news:sMadnYiBit2GXSTanZ2dnUVZ_gKdnZ2d@xxxxxx > > >>>>> Same problem here with WD external drive. I have not been able to find > > >>>>> a solution but I have found a pain in the ass workaround. I plug the > > >>>>> drive into my XP machine where it is recognized and then connect it > > >>>>> back to the Vista machine. Vista then recognizes it for a week or two > > >>>>> then the cycle starts again. > > >>>>> > > >>>>> "Michael Faklis" <Michael_Faklis@xxxxxx> wrote in message > > >>>>> news:%23n2$P7kcIHA.5348@xxxxxx > > >>>>>> My Vista Ultimate laptop stopped assigning driver letters to new > > >>>>>> external > > >>>>>> drives, whether external hard drives or thumb drives. Old thumb > > >>>>>> drives I > > >>>>>> used in the past are still recognized. This problem is happening on > > >>>>>> my new > > >>>>>> Western Digital 1 tb external drive, whether using USB 2 or Firewire > > >>>>>> 400. > > >>>>>> It is also happening on my new SanDisk 8gb U3 thumb drive and a new > > >>>>>> PNY 1gb > > >>>>>> U3 thumb drive. > > >>>>>> When inserted, Vista starts loading driver drivers for the device, > > >>>>>> but then > > >>>>>> claims the drive is an "Unknown Device". For the external hard > > >>>>>> drive, the > > >>>>>> driver software installation finds the WD My Book USB Device, USB > > >>>>>> Human > > >>>>>> Interface Device, USB Mass Storage Device, USB Composite Device, and > > >>>>>> then it > > >>>>>> fails to find "Unidentified Device". Device Manger shows the WD My > > >>>>>> Book USB > > >>>>>> Device under disk drives, and also an Unknown device under Other > > >>>>>> devices. > > >>>>>> Disk Management shows the drive, but without a drive letter. My > > >>>>>> computer > > >>>>>> shows nothing for this drive. > > >>>>>> All of these drives work fine on my older XP Pro laptop. > > >>>>>> Please tell me why a drive letter is not being assigned to this > > >>>>>> "Unknown > > >>>>>> Device" and how do I correct this problem. > > >>>>>> > > >>>>>> - Michael Faklis <Michael_Faklis@xxxxxx> > > >>>>>> > > >>>>>> > > >>>>>> > > >>>>> > > >>>> > > >>>> > > >>> > > >> > > > > > > >
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