Windows Vista forum: USB2.0 External Hard Drive Problem

The only thing I can think of to do right now is to share it, by hooking it to another PC. Other than that, I can't get to mine either if it's hooked to my new PC.

RTM is not the released version.
Support no longer exists for installs of Betas, RC1, RC2 or RTM.
You need a paid for version of and version for an upgrade or clean install of Vista of ant release version.
Which build are you trying to install as a working OS again?

I just posted my problem just like yours. Mine is about Vista not seeing a Maxtor drive with your same symptoms.
I was curious if you ever solved yours and could offer any advice.
Thanks in advance.

Ezquest/Maxtor admits there are Vista compatibility problems.
The retailers I spoke to say
to make sure you buy from the fairly limited
set of drives that are Vista-ready, but that leaves anyone
foolish enough to upgrade from XP to Vista without doing enough
research in hardware (software, too?) compatibility issues at risk
that their current stuff will break.
(By the way, my trusty little Window Washer software from Webroot
now hangs, too and is now useless.)

Is it just me, or is leaving unsuspecting paying customers with broken
configurations when they upgrade anyway to do business?
I think Microsoft should offer to send a tech rep to reinstall XP to anyone with Vista (along with a refund) who wants it.
This is software malpractice. Vista needs a big red warning label
about it not being upward compatible from XP.

MSFT has even harmed the retailers (their so-called business partners).
I called a major store about purchasing a new hard drive and
asked about Vista compatibility and the sales guy actually told me
to wait until things settle down. They must have had
a lot of returns to discourage a purchase. Things must be really
bad out there...

I don't even think Vista is even ready for Beta.
I'm sure these bugs showed up in their system test
but they pushed it out the door anyway.
I guess this is the Post-Gates Microsoft.
One Microsoft way: spray perfume on it and ship it.

Here's my problem description:
In Device manager Vista sees each of the 2 identical drives as "Maxtor 6h500R0 USB Device" and says under Device Status
"Working Properly."
But it will not show up with a drive letter.
I tried to format it in Disk Management and it has an Icon with a red plus sign and says it is "unknown" and "unreadable" and the only options I get when I click on the icon are "Properties" and "Help".
There are no further options for anything. Properties and help are
read-only information.
(There are lots of properties that look reasonable, so it's seeing something there.)
I tried to update the drivers but Vista says the correct drivers are the ones already in Vista.
Again, these drives work fine in XP. I reformatted them in XP, but
Vista still won't let me format them or use them, even though it still says they are "working properly" in Device Manager status.
(And also, like the other problem, it occasionally won't show up
in hardware, but on most tries it does. It's a 500gb drive made by EZquest but the internal drive is sourced from Maxtor.)
Thanks for any help and for piggybacking on this thread.

- I have tried contacting LaCie... they do not officially support vista at this time.