Vantec ide to usb 2.0 adapter, problems connecting to windows 8

[ATV_79]

Just got a Vantec ide to usb 2.0 adapter to get some files off of an old hard drive and to possibly use the old hard drive as an external storage device. I connect my hard drive to the computer and it shows up in the devices and printers for a split second and then disappears. It continues doing this like it is trying to connect but can't.

 

[Emerald]

Is the adapter directly connected to the computer or via a USB Hub?

Are you using a USB2.0 port?

Disconnect all cables from the HDD and then only connect the power. Can you here the drive spin up properly or does it start clicking?

 

[ATV_79]

Plugged in the back of the computer directly to the motherboard.
Followed the directions with the adapter, plugged the power in first heard the disk spin up then plugged in the usb. The computer chimes as it always does when it finds new hardware but just continues chiming as though it finds it over and over again.

 

[Emerald]

without the drive being connected to the computer, does the drive continuously try to spin up?

what is the make and model of the drive?

what is the Master/Slave setting of the drive? there should be three options. Master, Slave, and Cable Select.

 

[ATV_79]

without the drive being connected to the computer, does the drive continuously try to spin up?

what is the make and model of the drive?

what is the Master/Slave setting of the drive? there should be three options. Master, Slave, and Cable Select.

once it spins up it remains spinning

it is a western digital 500 gb
I also tried another hard drive, western digital 60 gb, that I had laying around

I had it on cable select first but changed it to master with no difference in the outcome

 

[Emerald]

does the 60GB drive show the same behavior or are you able to access the drive in Windows?

 

[ATV_79]

does the 60GB drive show the same behavior or are you able to access the drive in Windows?

exact same deal

 

[Emerald]

have you tried connecting the drive to the computer first before connecting the power?

 

[ATV_79]

have you tried connecting the drive to the computer first before connecting the power?

yes, no difference

 

[Emerald]

have you tried using power for the computer's PSU?