[SOLVED] 2TB WD Elements 2621 is detected on one of my computers but not the other.

[MrFletcher]

I've tried everything I can find online but nothing works.

The computer acknowledges the external hard drive in disk management but I can't access it at all. it doesnt show up in file explorer. this hard drive is new and has not been dropped or anything, in fact like i said it works fine on my other computer.

 

[JWNoctis]

Is your other computer a Mac, or running Linux? What's the file system?

Try to assign a drive letter inside disk management. See if that works.

 

[MrFletcher]

both computers are windows, it works on the windows 10 computer but not the windows 8.

and all the options on the right click dropdown in disk management are grayed out except for 'help'

 

[BFG-9000]

It's a USB port powered 2.5" disk drive, and it's very common for some USB ports to not be able to deliver enough power to spin those up. That's why they sell USB Y-cables (some drives even come with one in the box), so you can use power from more than one port (the data lines from the 2nd USB type-A connector aren't connected)

Up through USB 2.0, a port was only required to deliver 2.5w (5v and 0.5A). USB 3.0 was a little better (0.9A for 4.5w) but it wasn't until USB 3.2 Gen 2 that it was required to deliver 7.5w (5v and 1.5A). In practice most board and hub manufacturers do supply more than this but not all do.

If you already have a powered USB hub, try putting that in-between the drive and Windows 8 computer. If not, look for one of those or a Y-cable (or just plug the drive into a USB port on your router to access it over the network)

 

[MrFletcher]

that sounds like it could be the problem.

I see pictures and links can't be posted but I would like some kind of confirmation of what kind of Y cable im looking for or where i can get one.

 

[BFG-9000]

That would depend on what plug fits in your WDC drive. For example if it has a micro-B plug jack there you could get this: https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters-Splitter-Y-Cable-Inches/dp/B00L1K1OIA

Just make sure whatever you get has two type-A plugs on the other end

 

[BFG-9000]

Or if it's older USB 2.0 with a mini-USB jack then there's this:
https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-USB2HABMY1-Cable-External-Drive/dp/B003WV5DMO

 

[MrFletcher]

mine has a slot like the first one. I ordered it, should get it tomorrow.

 

[MrFletcher]

I have the Y shape cord and I tried plugging both into the USB ports in the back and both in the front.

both times the computer acted like it was installing a driver or something but then nothing ever showed up in the file explorer window.


EDIT: I dont know if this is a thing or not. but this drive is a replacement for a previous one that broke. could it be maybe the old one is still assigned to the drive letter even when unplugged?

 

[MrFletcher]

I disabled my old drive but nothing changed.
then I went through storage spaces and my drive was listed as "drives with unrecognized configuration" "error unrecognized configuration reset drive"
the reset button was grayed out....until it wasn't ( strangely after about 7 minutes or so ) and after pressing it it finally assigned a letter to the drive and now its working.

I don't know if disabling the drive or getting the y cable was necessary but now its working and that's all that matters to me, just as I was about to give up.
and also this kind of solution wouldn't work for someone who didn't want to lose their saved files as it required fully resetting the drive.

sorry for triple post but I think its all good now.

Thank you all.