SOLVED: Thinkpad T420 does not recognize external drive

[Corobori]

For a few years I have been working with an HP Elitebook 8460p to which I connected an external drive, a Western Digital Element 2042. Working just fine. A few months ago I purchased a Thinkpad T420 and I thought that connecting the external drive would be a piece of cake but unfortunately no. So far I have been been enable to do so and I can't figure out why. When booting the drive doesn't show up in the drive's list.
I have been trying just about each port on my Thinkpad and none worked, the actual cable and port seem to work as the light at the back of the drive are on.

I know for a fact that the drive works, I just fired off my HP Elitebook 8460p again to make sure it was indeed still alive and it is fine. I can see it on my HP's boot menu and in the HP's disk management details. But not on my Thinkpad T420.

I used an enclosure with another drive to make sure the USB ports on my Thinkpad T420 are ok and this works fine. I also changed the drive's letters.

If the ports on the Thinkpad is fine if the external drive is fine, why then my external drive is not recognized by my T420 thru the USB port ?

This is the external drive's information as they are shown on the HP

 

[ArtPog]

You say you've had the Thinkpad for a "few months" now. Was there any problem with the USBEHD during that time or did the problem you describe only arise recently?

So is the USBEHD listed in Device Manager? Any listing in Disk Management?

 

[D_Know_WD]

Hi there Corobori,

That is unpleasant. 🙁

So, the drive is working just fine on your old laptop, but it is not recognized by your new one right? Does the drive spin up?

Could you please provide screenshots of Disk Management and Device Manager while the drive is connected to your new laptop?

It may be a good start to go to your new laptop's manufacturers website and update all the drivers.(especially the USB ones)

Let me know how this goes,
D_Know_WD

 

[Corobori]

You say you've had the Thinkpad for a "few months" now. Was there any problem with the USBEHD during that time or did the problem you describe only arise recently?

This external drive never worked on my Thinkpad

So is the USBEHD listed in Device Manager? Any listing in Disk Management?

The disk doesn't show up neither in the Device Manager nor in the Disk Management

So, the drive is working just fine on your old laptop, but it is not recognized by your new one right? Does the drive spin up?

It does spin up, I can hear it and feel it too. The light on the back switches on too.

It may be a good start to go to your new laptop's manufacturers website and update all the drivers.(especially the USB ones)

All done

Could you please provide screenshots of Disk Management and Device Manager while the drive is connected to your new laptop?

Here is the Device Manager

Here is the drive

And here are my BIOS settings (I tried disabling the securitychip but it didn't change anything

Microsoft (R) Windows Script Host Version 5.8
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

WakeOnLAN
current setting = ACOnly
possible settings = Disable,ACOnly,ACandBattery,Enable

EthernetLANOptionROM
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

USBBIOSSupport
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

AlwaysOnUSB
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

TrackPoint
current setting = Automatic
possible settings = Disable,Automatic

TouchPad
current setting = Automatic
possible settings = Disable,Automatic

FnCtrlKeySwap
current setting = Disable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

FnKeyLock
current setting = Disable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

ThinkPadNumLock
current setting = Independent
possible settings = Independent,Synchronized

PowerOnNumLock
current setting = Auto
possible settings = Auto,On,Off

BootDisplayDevice
current setting = LCD
possible settings = LCD,VGA,Digital,Digital1onDock,Digital2onDock

GraphicsDevice
current setting = IntegratedGfx
possible settings = IntegratedGfx,DiscreteGfx,SwitchableGfx

OsDetectionForSwitchableGraphics
current setting = Disable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

SpeedStep
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

AdaptiveThermalManagementAC
current setting = MaximizePerformance
possible settings = MaximizePerformance,Balanced

AdaptiveThermalManagementBattery
current setting = Balanced
possible settings = MaximizePerformance,Balanced

CDROMSpeed
current setting = Normal
possible settings = High,Normal,Silent

CPUPowerManagement
current setting = Automatic
possible settings = Disable,Automatic

PCIExpressPowerManagement
current setting = Automatic
possible settings = Disable,Automatic

OnByAcAttach
current setting = Disable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

PowerControlBeep
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

LowBatteryAlarm
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

PasswordBeep
current setting = Disable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

KeyboardBeep
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

SATAControllerMode
current setting = AHCI
possible settings = Compatibility,AHCI

CoreMultiProcessing
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

HyperThreadingTechnology
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

AMTControl
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

HardwarePasswordManager
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

LockBIOSSetting
current setting = Disable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

MinimumPasswordLength
current setting = Disable
possible settings = Disable,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12

BIOSPasswordAtUnattendedBoot
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

BIOSPasswordAtReboot
current setting = Disable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

FingerprintPredesktopAuthentication
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

FingerprintReaderPriority
current setting = External
possible settings = External,InternalOnly

FingerprintSecurityMode
current setting = Normal
possible settings = Normal,High

FingerprintPasswordAuthentication
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

SecurityChip
current setting = Active
possible settings = Active,Inactive,Disable

TXTFeature
current setting = Disable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

BIOSUpdateByEndUsers
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

FlashOverLAN
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

DataExecutionPrevention
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

VirtualizationTechnology
current setting = Disable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

VTdFeature
current setting = Disable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

EthernetLANAccess
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

WirelessLANAccess
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

WiMAXAccess
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

WirelessWANAccess
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

BluetoothAccess
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

ModemAccess
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

USBPortAccess
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

IEEE1394Access
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

ExpressCardAccess
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

UltrabayAccess
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

eSATAPortAccess
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

MemoryCardSlotAccess
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

SmartCardSlotAccess
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

IntegratedCameraAccess
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

MicrophoneAccess
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

FingerprintReaderAccess
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

ATpModuleActivation
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable,Disable

ComputraceModuleActivation
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable,Disable

BootMode
current setting = Quick
possible settings = Quick,Diagnostics

StartupOptionKeys
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

BootDeviceListF12Option
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

BootOrder
current setting = HDD0:ATAPICD0:USBHDD:USBFDD:HDD2:HDD1😛CILAN:ATAPICD1:ATAPICD2:HDD3:HDD4
possible settings = HDD0,HDD1,HDD2,HDD3,HDD4,PCILAN,ATAPICD0,ATAPICD1,ATAPICD2,USBFDD,USBCD,USBHDD,OtherHDD,OtherCD,NODEV

NetworkBoot
current setting = PCILAN
possible settings = HDD0,HDD1,HDD2,HDD3,HDD4,PCILAN,ATAPICD0,ATAPICD1,ATAPICD2,USBFDD,USBCD,USBHDD,OtherHDD,OtherCD,NODEV

BootOrderLock
current setting = Disable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

ReserveMemoryForUEFIBootManager
current setting = Enable
possible settings = Disable,Enable

 

[Corobori]

Guys, I have solved this issue. On my trip to town I visited a place where they are fixing up notebooks. The guy in charge told me to purchase a dual USB cable, it wasn't easy to find one but I just got it and the external drive is now coming up nice and easy 🙂