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Storage: Simpletech Simpletons USB Hard drive Vista problems
Simpletech Simpletons USB Hard drive Vista problems
by SFdriveSaver - 3/20/07 11:46 AMIf you are having a problem with your Simpletech simpledrive USB hardrive being read as an unknown device even though it worked on your old machine, and the tech support people pass you back and forth between your computer manufacturer (ie gateway) and the USB drive manufacturer (ie Simpletech)faster than a pinp pong ball, and on both sides the tech simpletons tell you it is not their fault. Check to make sure your drive is formatted NTFS not the hated by Vista- FAT32.
Finding External Hard Drives for Vista--Ugh!
by kar4ken - 5/27/07 8:39 PM In reply to: Simpletech Simpletons USB Hard drive Vista problems by SFdriveSaverI am looking at new external hard drives to replace the (not very old, not very cheap) Maxtor 3000 dv that doesn't seem to be Vista compatible.
Of course, I'm not totally sure, as the Vista system isn't set up yet, since I'm taking the time to move 60Gigs of data to my laptop over my home LAN just in case. I can't really find info that says for sure if the Maxtor will or won't work with Vista (though it seems likelier it won't).
Finding a new external drive that is for sure Vista compatible is extremely frustrating. Am I missing some shortcut?
No issue.
by R. Proffitt
- 5/28/07 6:48 AM
In reply to: Finding External Hard Drives for Vista--Ugh! by kar4ken
"Check to make sure your drive is formatted NTFS" was the clue given. Just format it if it doesn't come that way.
NTFS Ext. Hard Drive for Vista Not Touted by Makers--Why?
by kar4ken - 5/28/07 8:39 PM In reply to: No issue. by R. Proffitt
Thanks for the reply. I have read that, but I can't trust it with sixty-something gigs of my data, when even the marketing departments of the hard drive companies don't seem to trust it enough to tout it. You'd think that this would be a selling point, but it's not mentioned, even on the company sites' descriptions of their drives. At least on the ones I've gotten to so far.
Microsoft's Vista-Compatible Hardware Tool is very slow, and is of no use unless you know already know the, I guess it's model number they list by. Why not list by manufacturer, which I think would be more useful (especially for someone who wants to know where to start in looking for new hardware for Vista)?
Also, a web search for various combos of "Vista" "External" and "Hard Drive" returns nothing substantial. And then you have problems like what SFdriveSaver's original post here mentioned and I feel even less confident that it's as simple as an NTFS format.
I really think both Microsoft and the hardware manufacturers should, especially by now, allow customers to easily locate and confidently purchase hardware for their Vista systems. That they don't, makes me suspicious. Either they aren't sure what works with Vista, or they don't care about customers spending their hard-earned money for nothing but trouble. Neither scenario is even half good.
Finally, on the Maxtor sub-site of Seagate, some drives are listed with a Hardware-yes, but software-no for Vista. I'm guessing that means I can get the external to show up as a drive in Windows Explorer but that any special software (say for one-touch back-up) won't function. Am I correct on this?
I can understand your concern.
by R. Proffitt - 5/29/07 5:27 AM
In reply to: NTFS Ext. Hard Drive for Vista Not Touted by Makers--Why? by kar4ken
But we have some dozen plus at the office, all self made, a few names and all of them work fine. None are in FAT32 format.
I'm sure some consumers will be scared off and will pay more for a Vista sticker.
Bob
120GB WD Passport external HD
by paulygi - 7/16/07 1:52 PM In reply to: I can understand your concern. by R. Proffitt
I have a 120GB WD Passport external HD and recenlty had issues with Vista with it. It was formatted in NTFS by Vista and I had used it back up my system but when I went to complete an incremental backup it started to crash, at least is sounded like it. Vista then could not even connect to the drive , explorer would hang.
I returned it to my XP machine and did a CHKDSK /F and Defrag with out issue. the ChKDSK did list some hidden files that needed fixing. *.WBCAT???
Call it in.
by R. Proffitt - 7/16/07 2:47 PM
In reply to: 120GB WD Passport external HD by paulygi
I would not trust this drive.
Bob
Also
by paulygi - 7/23/07 8:25 AM In reply to: Call it in. by R. Proffitt
I've also had issues with my OCZ Rally2 and Vista always have to reformat it.
Who installed Vista?
by R. Proffitt - 7/23/07 8:32 AM
In reply to: Also by paulygi
I'm beginning to wonder if they forgot some motherboard or other drivers.
Bob
Old forum, fresh problem simpletech and win 7
by Joey301 - 10/29/09 7:19 AM In reply to: Simpletech Simpletons USB Hard drive Vista problems by SFdriveSaverI realize this is an old subject, but maybe it just will not go away. I have the Simpletech 160 USB hard drive. I bought a new Vista computer, and it never recognized the drive. Now, have Win 7 and it will also not recognize the drive. Actually, Win 7 sees it and puts it in the Device manager under USB drives. However, it lists it as an unknown device and it never appears as a drive on my computer. I have called SimpleTech, and the name says it all, their advice was simple and not helpful. The techs at Cyberpower did not know what to do either (though they were very helpful in trying). I have lots of saved files on this drive that I do not want to lose, so I am hoping someone has an answer here that does not involve reloading windows or getting a new motherboard.
Thanks for any help,
Joey
I didn't read
by R. Proffitt - 10/29/09 7:43 AM
In reply to: Old forum, fresh problem simpletech and win 7 by Joey301
Where you prepared the drive for use.
prepared
by Joey301 - 10/29/09 7:51 AM In reply to: I didn't read by R. Proffitt
How should I have prepared. I am not going to reformat it because I want to keep what is on it. There is no way to do that is there?
That's news to me.
by R. Proffitt - 10/29/09 10:02 AM
In reply to: prepared by Joey301
Sorry but I only have your posts to work with. If there are files on the drive, get them out first.
Then treat the drive as if it was blank. Start over. Sorry but how to partition and format would have me duplicate easy to find web content. This issue is not unknown but the way I fix it is simple. I prepare the drive on the new machine.
Bob
Fat@32
by Joey301 - 10/29/09 7:53 AM In reply to: Simpletech Simpletons USB Hard drive Vista problems by SFdriveSaverYou said. Check to make sure your drive is formatted NTFS not the hated by Vista- FAT32.
I am not sure how to do that. If there is data on the drive, can I still do that? How is Win 7 formated, is it all NTFS now?
J
simpletech's answer
by Joey301 - 10/29/09 9:31 AM In reply to: Fat@32 by Joey301Here is their final answer from tech support
This model drive has not been in production for almost three years so they were never tested in vista. If the drive does not work in 7 we have no drivers to help. If the drive still works on a XP system there is no problem with the drive it is just not compatible with 7.
That does not make sense to me. Why is something not compatible, there should always be a method.
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