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Resolved USB Drive not detected until after a System Restore

Discussion in 'Windows 7' started by Frank D, 2012/03/03.

  1. 2012/03/03
    Frank D

    Frank D Inactive Thread Starter

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    A weird problem: For the past week or so, every time I boot my PC, the external USB drive (500 GB WD "Elements ") is not detected by the system, and does not appear as connected. Yet, every time I do a System Restore to the SR done the previous night, it appears normally. Any clues? :confused:

    Frank D
     
    Frank D,
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  2. 2012/03/03
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff

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    Hi Frank D. Have you looked in Device Manager and checked to see if you have any yellow exclamation marks next to any devices?

    Have you tried plugging the USB drive into another USB port?

    I would try booting the computer into Safe Mode and see if the harddrive gets recognized there.
     
    Evan Omo,
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  4. 2012/03/03
    Frank D

    Frank D Inactive Thread Starter

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    Evan,

    Yes, I've looked in DM and there are no yellow triangle exclamation marks anywhere. I've plugged the drive into every other USB port (there are 6) on this PC and it is recognized as a drive via a popup, but it will not show up in Windows Explorer and is unavailable for use no matter which USB port it's plugged into. I've booted into Safe Mode and it's not available there either. The only way I can access it is to restore the system from the previous System Restore point. :(

    Looks like an in-place reinstall (http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/win7s-no-reformat-nondestructive-reinstall/) may be in order. Does anyone have a better suggestion?

    As stated previously, the drive is recognized and available with no problem when plugged into my wife's Win7 PC.

    Frank
     
    Last edited: 2012/03/03
    Frank D,
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  5. 2012/03/03
    chrisw

    chrisw Inactive

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    Don't be confused by System Restore....whether the ext drive is connected or not, SR points are on your main drive, not the external.
     
    chrisw,
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  6. 2012/03/03
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff

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    In Device Manager click View< Show Hidden Devices. Expand Disk Drives. Locate your external harddrive device and right click the device and click Uninstall. After the external harddrive uninstalls, reboot the computer and then see if it will work.
     
    Evan Omo,
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  7. 2012/03/03
    Frank D

    Frank D Inactive Thread Starter

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    Evan,

    I did as you suggested. Rebooted. Windows found and installed the driver and said it was ready for use. But no difference. The drive was recognized as a drive, but was not shown in Windows Explorer.

    I went to Computer Management > Disk Management. Tried to reassign it the current drive letter ( F: ), but it was not in the list of available drive letters, and the drive would be no good to me if I had to assign a new drive letter to it (all current references would have to be changed and there is no guarantee it would work). The drive shows up as healthy, but it has no drive letter. I rebooted back through Safe Mode and then normal mode, but no change. Finally, I did a System Restore, and viola, there it is, all recognized and available. (I said this was weird, didn't I?)

    Frank
     
    Frank D,
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  8. 2012/03/03
    jaydeee

    jaydeee Inactive

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    looks to me that you have driver conflict. I rather scan it with driver tool or update your all your drivers.
     
    jaydeee,
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  9. 2012/03/03
    Frank D

    Frank D Inactive Thread Starter

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    jaydeee,

    I didn't say this above, but before I uninstalled the USB drive in Device Manager, I checked for updated drivers for the USB drive and all my USB ports (using Windows Update as the source). No new drivers were found. So I don't think this is my problem, but thanks for your suggestion.

    Frank
     
    Frank D,
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  10. 2012/03/03
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff

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    This is very strange. I think its safe to assume that its not a driver problem or an issue with 3rd party programs interfering with the harddrive because Safe Mode didn't make any difference.

    Try running SFC from Command Prompt to check for any corrupt Windows files. Its worth a shot. To run SFC click Start< All Programs< Accessories< Right click Command Prompt and click Run as Administrator. After the Command Prompt window opens type sfc /scannow and hit enter. After the process finishes reboot the computer and see if that helps.
     
    Evan Omo,
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  11. 2012/03/04
    mathman

    mathman Inactive

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    As far as i know there is nothing wrong with your external hard disk. Possible errors might be in your USB port but that is also a rare chance because you say that after system restore the problems gets fixed. Well then the problem is left with your operation system. there is some driver missing, which you might get an idea from Device Manager. try installing a new windows by recovery mode or image if you have created any. That will most probably solve the problem
     
    mathman,
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  12. 2012/03/04
    Frank D

    Frank D Inactive Thread Starter

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    Evan,

    There is a problem with sfc /scannow on my computer also. Here is the link to a discussion of the problem and a description of it.

    ==========================================
    Windows Forums • Sfc /scannow won't run at all :(
    http://forum.mintywhite.com/viewtopic.php?t=7683
    Post subject: Sfc /scannow won't run at all :(
    Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 4:33 pm
    Frank D

    I click on the Start orb, type cmd, right-click on cmd.exe and click on Run as administrator. In the DOS-style window I type sfc /scannow and press Enter. I get the message "Beginning system scan. This process will take some time." After about 2 seconds, I see "Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation." and I'm returned to the C:\Windows\system32> prompt.

    I've googled everything I can think of but there isn't anything I've tried that makes it work. Is there a fix for it? Or is there a third-party program (preferably freeware) that can substitute for it? Thanks!

    Frank

    Here's a screenshot: http://gyazo.com/fefb3f66da8779ef41fa6de80d7c8b6c
    ==========================================

    That problem has not been resolved, so in addition to my current USB drive problem, I can't run sfc /scannow.

    Frank
     
    Frank D,
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  13. 2012/03/04
    Frank D

    Frank D Inactive Thread Starter

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    mathman,

    I agree that my problem is with my OS. I've tried Device Manager and allowed Windows to search for updated drivers for the USB drive and all my USB ports, as described above, with no change. Restoring from an image is a possibility, but in view of more than just one problem with my OS, I think that an in-place Windows reinstall (http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/...ive-reinstall/) would be the better way to go. Any opinion(s)?

    Frank
     
    Frank D,
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  14. 2012/03/04
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff

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    It definitely looks like you have some serious issues going on with your Windows 7 installation.

    You've already been through a load of suggestions and advice from the members on the mintywhite forums without success.

    Yes I think at this point a repair install of Windows is in order. We could beat around the bush throwing suggestions out there but the fact that System Restore solves the problem temporarily shows that you have some corrupt Windows files that are not allowing the OS to function properly.

    I know that a repair install can be a pain but I would bite the bullet since it might be the only way to get Windows running properly.
     
    Evan Omo,
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  15. 2012/03/04
    Frank D

    Frank D Inactive Thread Starter

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    Update:
    While thinking this situation over, I got the idea to try running a program I had downloaded (for free) a few weeks ago from Giveawayoftheday.com: Advanced SystemCare 5 Pro, which I hadn't used fully before. This time I selected and ran every item in its arsenal. After running it, among a bunch of other things it found quite a few errors on my C: drive and set my PC up for a chkdsk on reboot. When I rebooted from chkdsk, guess what . . . ? My USB hard drive is back!!!! It appears right where it's supposed to in Windows Explorer and it's in the same good condition that it was in before this problem began. :-D

    Now I'm not in any way connected with ASC, and it's possible or even likely that my problem could have been fixed by just running chkdsk, but I have to say that ASC made everything easy and covered all the bases, and I didn't have to think very hard to select and run all the tests it offered. It did not fix my sfc /scannow problem, however. At any rate, it seems that my USB drive problem has been fixed and I'm back in happier territory. But I'll still keep that in-place reinstall ready to run if I have more operating system problems.

    If this fix remains in place after multiple reboots over the next few days, I'll mark this thread solved. For the present I'll cross my fingers.

    Thank you all for your help.

    Frank
     
    Frank D,
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  16. 2012/03/04
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff

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    Thats great news to hear Frank. :) Glad that running chkdsk seems to have solved the problem. Lets hope that the fix sticks and your external harddrive will continue to run properly on your machine.

    With that in mind I would create a fresh system restore point in Windows 7 and take this time to back up your important data just in case anything happens in the next few days.

    Overall, job well done. :cool:
     
    Evan Omo,
    #15
  17. 2012/03/04
    Frank D

    Frank D Inactive Thread Starter

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    Evan,

    Thank you. I do a System Restore before and after any major change (which this was) and my backup is Acronis TrueImage Home 2010's Nonstop Backup, which backs up to the USB drive everything that's been saved to the C: drive every 5 minutes. So I should be covered. :)

    Frank
     
    Frank D,
    #16
  18. 2012/03/04
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff

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    Alright then. Good to know.
     
    Evan Omo,
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  19. 2012/03/05
    Admin.

    Admin. Administrator Administrator Staff

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    Please mark your thread as 'Resolved'.

     
    Admin.,
    #18
  20. 2012/03/05
    Frank D

    Frank D Inactive Thread Starter

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    Evan,

    Day two and three reboots with the USB drive showing up normally. I'll mark this as "resolved." I appreciate your help.

    Frank
     
    Frank D,
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  21. 2012/03/05
    Evan Omo

    Evan Omo Computer Support Technician Staff

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    Awesome. Thanks for the update. :)
     
    Evan Omo,
    #20

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