Issue With External Drive

dolomite · 15th November 2006

I am using a Thinkpad T42p - OS windows XP-SP2. I have a USB external HDD - Maxtor one touch iii. I don't want to use the Maxtor software.

If I start up with maxtor on - XP says I have new hardware and identifies the Maxtor. When I try to install I get a "code 42". This is duplicate device. If I uninstall the Maxtor through device manager. turn off the maxtor. turn it back on. XP identifies the maxtor and auto play starts up. If I cancel the autoplay and cancel install new hardware everything is fine. Of course when I start up again I get the same problem.

All systems such as acronis, etc recognize the HDD and write to it fine after I rejigger as above. I definitely do NOT want to use the maxtor software. I tried using the maxtor drivers but XP says they are not the right ones(?).

Any help appreciated..

Dave M

dld · 15th November 2006

I have the Maxtor USB2 OneTouch external HD and I use Acronis True Image Home. You don't have to install any kind of Maxtor software in order to use the Maxtor. This Maxtor software is only required if you use the OneTouch feature which is useless for you if using Acronis True Image. Even if using the Dantz Retrospect software the OneTouch feature will only make a copy of your C: drive minus the registry settings. Format the Maxtor using WinXP disk management and use it to store your ATI images.

dolomite · 15th November 2006

Thanks for quick reply. I actually did check XP disk management. Problem seems to be that XP keeps thing that the one touch is a new drive even though it has it in the device manager. I had a one touch ii before the iii and it worked fine with no problem w/o maxtor software.

Will try to use Disk management. Problem is I suspect it is going to want to reformat. I have been having disk problems and got everything onto Maxtor iii and don't want to reformat!

Dave M

dld · 15th November 2006

You could try My Computer, right-click on your Maxtor, Properties, Hardware, Troubleshoot. This is the recommended procedure suggested by MS for this error.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310123

dolomite · 15th November 2006

I have tried troubleshooter - It says restart --- after that does not work it does not have another solutions. Sort of useless.

I check Disk Management - it says drive is OK -- "active" everyhting showing up normal. If I power down and restart for some reason windows wants to add the one touch again which creates the problem.

Bill Castner · 15th November 2006

Remove the USB filters:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...=rss&spid=3223

It is expected that if you use a different USB port, the device will be considered a new device.

You might want to use USBDView, freeware, to edit the table of identified USB devices under XP: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/usb_devices_view.html

**r.leale** · 16th November 2006

Hi Dave,

I think that starting with the external Hdd off would solve your problem.
Then when you actually switch it on, it will appear in 'My computer' as normal without being installed.
Booting with my Maxtor external HDD switched on triggered a 'Validation needed' procedure last month. XP said that the configuration of my machine had changed significantly since installation. Something to be avoided if possible!

Roger

dolomite · 16th November 2006

--- Have tried ideas - restart w/o maxtor off and then turn on - same results - Code 42. I tried usbdeview - works well - deleted some old maxtor garbage. Nothing changed still code 42 when i reboot. I found a Maxtor driver - mxopswd.sys - still on the system32/drivers - I deleted but then system would not recognize maxtor drive which seemed very strange.

I am back to if I uninstall the device and turn the drive off then on - cancel the Hardware found. cancel autoplay - it works fine.

Any help appreciated. I checked Windows and Maxtor but don't seem to have any help.

Bill Castner · 16th November 2006

You need to find out from Maxtor the role of the driver file. Did you remove from the registry the filters as suggested earlier?

Please also see: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=870893

dolomite · 16th November 2006

Regedit will not let me delete upperfilters. Decided not a good idea to delete lower w/o some advice first.

Bill Castner · 16th November 2006

Delete the lower.
What message do you receive when you try to remove the UpperFilter value?

Have you tried right-clicking the value, Permissions, and giving yourself Full permissioins to the registry key first?

surferdude2 · 17th November 2006

dolomite, Just in case it applies, I'll tell you that Acronis True Image ver. 7 (and perhaps other versions) has some issues with drive recognition on certain systems. For example, on my system - if I activate the optional Acronis Recovery Manager, it causes my system to not recognize my CD ROM drive. That applies whether or not I use the option. Funny think though - when I go to Device Manager and have it scan for new hardware, it always finds and installs the missing CD ROM drive. Next boot - gone again! Voodoo I think. All works well if I don't activate that option. Apparently it writes code to sector 0 and somehow that interferes with some drive recognition process.

I just pass that along since you mentioned having Acronis installed.

Bill Castner · 17th November 2006

ZoneAlarm Firewall version 6.5 can make optical drives and USB devices "disappear" from My Computer and Windows Explorer but not Device Manager.