Laptop won't let me access my external HD HELP!

Hello, I am having this weird problem. My laptop won't allow me to open
my Western Digital "My Passport" external hard drive. I am using a Vista
64bit home edition. It shows up in "My Computer", but when I attempt to
access it, I get this message:

Location Not Available
F:/ is not accessible.
Thefile or directory is corrupted and unreadable.

I got this one just once: The parameter is incorrect.

The funny thing is, my desktop PC sees it correctly, with the WD logo
instead of a silly "Local Disk (F:/)" and I can access it and work fine.
Just my laptop is being a pain. The desktop is using Windows XP though.


Can anyone please help me?


--
cjdudley

Sounds like the drive has some sort of autorun program that starts up when
you plug the drive in, which Windows XP (32-bit I assume?) would like fine
but is probably not compatible with 64-bit Vista. Check with the Western
Digital support folks and/or Web page to see if the autorun feature can be
disabled. It might be as simple as renaming a file on the hard drive or may
take additional steps.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Desktop]
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/


"cjdudley" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> Hello, I am having this weird problem. My laptop won't allow me to open
> my Western Digital "My Passport" external hard drive. I am using a Vista
> 64bit home edition. It shows up in "My Computer", but when I attempt to
> access it, I get this message:
>
> Location Not Available
> F:/ is not accessible.
> Thefile or directory is corrupted and unreadable.
>
> I got this one just once: The parameter is incorrect.
>
> The funny thing is, my desktop PC sees it correctly, with the WD logo
> instead of a silly "Local Disk (F:/)" and I can access it and work fine.
> Just my laptop is being a pain. The desktop is using Windows XP though.
>
>
> Can anyone please help me?
>
>
> --
> cjdudley

I have seen this problem while trying to use a Seagate pocket drive. It is
supposedly driven entirely from the USB port. Hogwash! Without the external
power supply to plug into a wall outlet the drive is totally dysfunctional.

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"cjdudley" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> Hello, I am having this weird problem. My laptop won't allow me to open
> my Western Digital "My Passport" external hard drive. I am using a Vista
> 64bit home edition. It shows up in "My Computer", but when I attempt to
> access it, I get this message:
>
> Location Not Available
> F:/ is not accessible.
> Thefile or directory is corrupted and unreadable.
>
> I got this one just once: The parameter is incorrect.
>
> The funny thing is, my desktop PC sees it correctly, with the WD logo
> instead of a silly "Local Disk (F:/)" and I can access it and work fine.
> Just my laptop is being a pain. The desktop is using Windows XP though.
>
>
> Can anyone please help me?
>
>
> --
> cjdudley

cjdudley <> wrote:
>
>
> Hello, I am having this weird problem. My laptop won't allow me to open
> my Western Digital "My Passport" external hard drive. I am using a Vista
> 64bit home edition. It shows up in "My Computer", but when I attempt to
> access it, I get this message:
>
> Location Not Available
> F:/ is not accessible.
> Thefile or directory is corrupted and unreadable.
>
> I got this one just once: The parameter is incorrect.
>
> The funny thing is, my desktop PC sees it correctly, with the WD logo
> instead of a silly "Local Disk (F:/)" and I can access it and work fine.
> Just my laptop is being a pain. The desktop is using Windows XP though.
>
>
> Can anyone please help me?



Some USB supports supply more electric current than others. With my
computers, my IBM/Lenovo laptops, and an older computer, supply enough
current on the USB ports to power a 2.5" external drive. Two newer desktop
and server computers I have do not.

You usually get a USB lead with two connectors on the end, with external
2.5" drives, like this:

http://www.bixnet.com/5vps2powercord.html

Connect both ends to USB ports on computers that are not powering up the
drive, and it will then work. Otherwise, you will have to use an external
power supply unit with it.

ss.

I couldn't find any information about disabling autorun on the externa
HD, but i did on the laptop, and still having problems. I updated som
drivers, did more research, looked all over WD's support website. Stil
NOTHING

Can anyone help? =

--
cjdudley

I got a WD usb power booster. it has 2 usb port plugs meant to get mor
power to the external HD.

that won't work either

can anyone else help? is there anything I can go

--
cjdudley

What model laptop do you have

--
Tepid