External Backup Drive Problems

I have two USB external enclosures that I use for backup purposes on
my SBS08 machine. For years now, each week I would remove one drive,
put in a another drive, format the drive, then repeat on the other
enclosure.

Now, I am having a problem I cannot figure out. The first drive (which
holds a daily backup of user files using a 3rd party app) changes out
just fine.

The second, which holds the backup for the builtin SBS backup,
replaces just fine. However, when I format it using Disk Management,
lots of things go bad.

1. Disk Management locks up and does not respond. Closing it and
reopening it, it will say "Loading disk configuration information" but
never does.

2. Both external drive become unaccessible.

3. The SBS backup program will start, but never load.

The only solution I have found is to reboot. Being it is our main
server, that is problematic. However, after a reboot, everything works
perfectly.

There is nothing in the error logs.

Anyone have an idea? Is there some service I can try restarting? I am
just totally clueless on this. Not sure what changed accept Microsoft
updates.

"Printman2000" <> wrote in message
news:8d873588-5600-42c7-83fc-...
>I have two USB external enclosures that I use for backup purposes on
> my SBS08 machine. For years now, each week I would remove one drive,
> put in a another drive, format the drive, then repeat on the other
> enclosure.
>
> Now, I am having a problem I cannot figure out. The first drive (which
> holds a daily backup of user files using a 3rd party app) changes out
> just fine.
>
> The second, which holds the backup for the builtin SBS backup,
> replaces just fine. However, when I format it using Disk Management,
> lots of things go bad.
>
> 1. Disk Management locks up and does not respond. Closing it and
> reopening it, it will say "Loading disk configuration information" but
> never does.
>
> 2. Both external drive become unaccessible.
>
> 3. The SBS backup program will start, but never load.
>
> The only solution I have found is to reboot. Being it is our main
> server, that is problematic. However, after a reboot, everything works
> perfectly.
>
> There is nothing in the error logs.
>
> Anyone have an idea? Is there some service I can try restarting? I am
> just totally clueless on this. Not sure what changed accept Microsoft
> updates.

Does it work okay if you plug it into a different machine? or to a different
usb port?
I have an issue on a Vista PC where the machine often locks up if I plug a
device into a specific usb port. Not quite the same scenario but it has
taught me to try different combinations of things to see if I can find what
is at fault. I suspect the drive is at fault, but it could feasibly be a
different bit of hardware which is causing the problem.
--
Brian Cryer
http://www.cryer.co.uk/brian