Vista won't reconize external hard drive

So I just got a new computer, a HP Pavilion running Vista, and I have a
older hard drive that I want to copy data from. The hard drive came from
a system running XP. It's a older hard drive, a Seagate 80 gig IDE
connector hard drive, so I went out and bought a external hard drive
device bay -- you just put the hard drive into it and then plug it into
a USB port on my computer.

If I plug it in, all that happens is every 10 seconds I get a pop up a
message saying:

"You need to format the disk in Drive J before you can use it. Do you
want to format it?"

Of course I don't want to format it, I'd lose the data I'm trying to
copy!

If I click cancel it just keeps bugging me about it and I can't access
the HD.

HP wants $60 for a tech support call for this.

Help! How do I copy my data over?


--
SoulBlazer

"undisclosed" wrote in message
news:...
>
> So I just got a new computer, a HP Pavilion running Vista, and I have a
> older hard drive that I want to copy data from. The hard drive came from
> a system running XP. It's a older hard drive, a Seagate 80 gig IDE
> connector hard drive, so I went out and bought a external hard drive
> device bay -- you just put the hard drive into it and then plug it into
> a USB port on my computer.
>
> If I plug it in, all that happens is every 10 seconds I get a pop up a
> message saying:
>
> "You need to format the disk in Drive J before you can use it. Do you
> want to format it?"
>
> Of course I don't want to format it, I'd lose the data I'm trying to
> copy!
>
> If I click cancel it just keeps bugging me about it and I can't access
> the HD.
>
> HP wants $60 for a tech support call for this.
>
> Help! How do I copy my data over?
>
>
> --
> SoulBlazer

Try setting the external drive jumpers to CABLE SELECT (CS)..

--

Mike Hall - MVP Windows Experience
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/

"undisclosed" wrote in message
news:...
>
> So I just got a new computer, a HP Pavilion running Vista, and I have a
> older hard drive that I want to copy data from. The hard drive came from
> a system running XP. It's a older hard drive, a Seagate 80 gig IDE
> connector hard drive, so I went out and bought a external hard drive
> device bay -- you just put the hard drive into it and then plug it into
> a USB port on my computer.
>
> If I plug it in, all that happens is every 10 seconds I get a pop up a
> message saying:
>
> "You need to format the disk in Drive J before you can use it. Do you
> want to format it?"
>
> Of course I don't want to format it, I'd lose the data I'm trying to
> copy!
>
> If I click cancel it just keeps bugging me about it and I can't access
> the HD.
>
> HP wants $60 for a tech support call for this.
>
> Help! How do I copy my data over?
>
>
> --
> SoulBlazer



It is not as easy as just installing the old drive into an external
enclosure.

Did you read the instructions and set the drive jumpers correctly? Did the
enclosure come with a CD that installs drivers so that the drive can be
accessed? Did you install the drivers? Does the external drive have a power
supply and are you using it? Did you try to plug the drive enclosure into
another USB port?

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience

"undisclosed" wrote in message
news:...
>
> So I just got a new computer, a HP Pavilion running Vista, and I have a
> older hard drive that I want to copy data from. The hard drive came from
> a system running XP. It's a older hard drive, a Seagate 80 gig IDE
> connector hard drive, so I went out and bought a external hard drive
> device bay -- you just put the hard drive into it and then plug it into
> a USB port on my computer.
>
> If I plug it in, all that happens is every 10 seconds I get a pop up a
> message saying:
>
> "You need to format the disk in Drive J before you can use it. Do you
> want to format it?"
>
> Of course I don't want to format it, I'd lose the data I'm trying to
> copy!
>
> If I click cancel it just keeps bugging me about it and I can't access
> the HD.
>
> HP wants $60 for a tech support call for this.
>
> Help! How do I copy my data over?
>
>
> -- undisclosed-- I have similar project. Old Seagate HD removed from
my old computer running XP. If you find a solution, please post how you
did it and also what brand external bay device you used. Thanks.
lobem.

undisclosed wrote:
> So I just got a new computer, a HP Pavilion running Vista, and I have a
> older hard drive that I want to copy data from. The hard drive came from
> a system running XP. It's a older hard drive, a Seagate 80 gig IDE
> connector hard drive, so I went out and bought a external hard drive
> device bay -- you just put the hard drive into it and then plug it into
> a USB port on my computer.
>
> If I plug it in, all that happens is every 10 seconds I get a pop up a
> message saying:
>
> "You need to format the disk in Drive J before you can use it. Do you
> want to format it?"
>
> Of course I don't want to format it, I'd lose the data I'm trying to
> copy!
>
> If I click cancel it just keeps bugging me about it and I can't access
> the HD.
>
> HP wants $60 for a tech support call for this.
>
> Help! How do I copy my data over?
>
>


If (as others have suggested) you make sure it's jumpered correctly

then it appears I am not the only one having a similar problem.

(I posted a similar question here and there was no solution, though I
got a lot of good help)


If you cannot get Vista to read the drive

pop it back in the original machine and just network the two
and copy the data over that way

On 9/21/09, the entity philo wrote this:
> undisclosed wrote:
>> So I just got a new computer, a HP Pavilion running Vista, and I have a
>> older hard drive that I want to copy data from. The hard drive came from
>> a system running XP. It's a older hard drive, a Seagate 80 gig IDE
>> connector hard drive, so I went out and bought a external hard drive
>> device bay -- you just put the hard drive into it and then plug it into
>> a USB port on my computer.
>>
>> If I plug it in, all that happens is every 10 seconds I get a pop up a
>> message saying:
>>
>> "You need to format the disk in Drive J before you can use it. Do you
>> want to format it?"
>>
>> Of course I don't want to format it, I'd lose the data I'm trying to
>> copy!
>>
>> If I click cancel it just keeps bugging me about it and I can't access
>> the HD.
>>
>> HP wants $60 for a tech support call for this.
>>
>> Help! How do I copy my data over?
>>
>>


> If (as others have suggested) you make sure it's jumpered correctly

> then it appears I am not the only one having a similar problem.

> (I posted a similar question here and there was no solution, though I got a
> lot of good help)


> If you cannot get Vista to read the drive

> pop it back in the original machine and just network the two
> and copy the data over that way

I must say that the new post gave me a sense of deja vu :-(

It's beginning to look like a Vista bug...

--
Gene Bloch 650.366.4267 lettersatblochg.com

"Gene E. Bloch" <> wrote in message
news:#...
> On 9/21/09, the entity philo wrote this:
>> undisclosed wrote:
>>> So I just got a new computer, a HP Pavilion running Vista, and I have a
>>> older hard drive that I want to copy data from. The hard drive came from
>>> a system running XP. It's a older hard drive, a Seagate 80 gig IDE
>>> connector hard drive, so I went out and bought a external hard drive
>>> device bay -- you just put the hard drive into it and then plug it into
>>> a USB port on my computer.
>>>
>>> If I plug it in, all that happens is every 10 seconds I get a pop up a
>>> message saying:
>>>
>>> "You need to format the disk in Drive J before you can use it. Do you
>>> want to format it?"
>>>
>>> Of course I don't want to format it, I'd lose the data I'm trying to
>>> copy!
>>>
>>> If I click cancel it just keeps bugging me about it and I can't access
>>> the HD.
>>>
>>> HP wants $60 for a tech support call for this.
>>>
>>> Help! How do I copy my data over?
>>>
>>>
>
>
>> If (as others have suggested) you make sure it's jumpered correctly
>
>> then it appears I am not the only one having a similar problem.
>
>> (I posted a similar question here and there was no solution, though I got
>> a lot of good help)
>
>
>> If you cannot get Vista to read the drive
>
>> pop it back in the original machine and just network the two
>> and copy the data over that way
>
> I must say that the new post gave me a sense of deja vu :-(
>
> It's beginning to look like a Vista bug...
>
> --
> Gene Bloch 650.366.4267 lettersatblochg.com
>
>

I had the same problem and jumpered it to CS. Thereafter, I had no problems.

--

Mike Hall - MVP Windows Experience
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/

On 9/21/09, the entity Mike Hall - MVP wrote this:
> "Gene E. Bloch" <> wrote in message
> news:#...
>> On 9/21/09, the entity philo wrote this:
>>> undisclosed wrote:
>>>> So I just got a new computer, a HP Pavilion running Vista, and I have a
>>>> older hard drive that I want to copy data from. The hard drive came from
>>>> a system running XP. It's a older hard drive, a Seagate 80 gig IDE
>>>> connector hard drive, so I went out and bought a external hard drive
>>>> device bay -- you just put the hard drive into it and then plug it into
>>>> a USB port on my computer.
>>>>
>>>> If I plug it in, all that happens is every 10 seconds I get a pop up a
>>>> message saying:
>>>>
>>>> "You need to format the disk in Drive J before you can use it. Do you
>>>> want to format it?"
>>>>
>>>> Of course I don't want to format it, I'd lose the data I'm trying to
>>>> copy!
>>>>
>>>> If I click cancel it just keeps bugging me about it and I can't access
>>>> the HD.
>>>>
>>>> HP wants $60 for a tech support call for this.
>>>>
>>>> Help! How do I copy my data over?
>>>>
>>>>
>>
>>
>>> If (as others have suggested) you make sure it's jumpered correctly
>>
>>> then it appears I am not the only one having a similar problem.
>>
>>> (I posted a similar question here and there was no solution, though I got
>>> a lot of good help)
>>
>>
>>> If you cannot get Vista to read the drive
>>
>>> pop it back in the original machine and just network the two
>>> and copy the data over that way
>>
>> I must say that the new post gave me a sense of deja vu :-(
>>
>> It's beginning to look like a Vista bug...
>>
>> -- Gene Bloch 650.366.4267 lettersatblochg.com
>>
>>

> I had the same problem and jumpered it to CS. Thereafter, I had no problems.

Yes, this thread is about an IDE drive...

That ruins my deja vu, however, since the other thread (philo's) was an
eSATA, IIRC, so he won't be changing the jumper.

Also - I suspect (from experience) that different IDE enclosures have
different requirements with respect to jumpers. Some require CS, others
Master, others no jumpers, and others don't care. Oy.

--
Gene Bloch 650.366.4267 lettersatblochg.com

"Gene E. Bloch" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On 9/21/09, the entity Mike Hall - MVP wrote this:
>> "Gene E. Bloch" <> wrote in message
>> news:#...
>>> On 9/21/09, the entity philo wrote this:
>>>> undisclosed wrote:
>>>>> So I just got a new computer, a HP Pavilion running Vista, and I have
>>>>> a
>>>>> older hard drive that I want to copy data from. The hard drive came
>>>>> from
>>>>> a system running XP. It's a older hard drive, a Seagate 80 gig IDE
>>>>> connector hard drive, so I went out and bought a external hard drive
>>>>> device bay -- you just put the hard drive into it and then plug it
>>>>> into
>>>>> a USB port on my computer.
>>>>>
>>>>> If I plug it in, all that happens is every 10 seconds I get a pop up a
>>>>> message saying:
>>>>>
>>>>> "You need to format the disk in Drive J before you can use it. Do you
>>>>> want to format it?"
>>>>>
>>>>> Of course I don't want to format it, I'd lose the data I'm trying to
>>>>> copy!
>>>>>
>>>>> If I click cancel it just keeps bugging me about it and I can't access
>>>>> the HD.
>>>>>
>>>>> HP wants $60 for a tech support call for this.
>>>>>
>>>>> Help! How do I copy my data over?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> If (as others have suggested) you make sure it's jumpered correctly
>>>
>>>> then it appears I am not the only one having a similar problem.
>>>
>>>> (I posted a similar question here and there was no solution, though I
>>>> got a lot of good help)
>>>
>>>
>>>> If you cannot get Vista to read the drive
>>>
>>>> pop it back in the original machine and just network the two
>>>> and copy the data over that way
>>>
>>> I must say that the new post gave me a sense of deja vu :-(
>>>
>>> It's beginning to look like a Vista bug...
>>>
>>> -- Gene Bloch 650.366.4267 lettersatblochg.com
>>>
>>>
>
>> I had the same problem and jumpered it to CS. Thereafter, I had no
>> problems.
>
> Yes, this thread is about an IDE drive...
>
> That ruins my deja vu, however, since the other thread (philo's) was an
> eSATA, IIRC, so he won't be changing the jumper.
>
> Also - I suspect (from experience) that different IDE enclosures have
> different requirements with respect to jumpers. Some require CS, others
> Master, others no jumpers, and others don't care. Oy.
>
> --
> Gene Bloch 650.366.4267 lettersatblochg.com
>
>

It is a Nexxstar that I have.. worked in XP and Vista 32-bit set as master..
Vista 64 didn't want to know it until I set it as CS.. same enclosure..

--

Mike Hall - MVP Windows Experience
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/

On 9/21/09, the entity Mike Hall - MVP wrote this:
> "Gene E. Bloch" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> On 9/21/09, the entity Mike Hall - MVP wrote this:
>>> "Gene E. Bloch" <> wrote in message
>>> news:#...
>>>> On 9/21/09, the entity philo wrote this:
>>>>> undisclosed wrote:
>>>>>> So I just got a new computer, a HP Pavilion running Vista, and I have a
>>>>>> older hard drive that I want to copy data from. The hard drive came
>>>>>> from
>>>>>> a system running XP. It's a older hard drive, a Seagate 80 gig IDE
>>>>>> connector hard drive, so I went out and bought a external hard drive
>>>>>> device bay -- you just put the hard drive into it and then plug it into
>>>>>> a USB port on my computer.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If I plug it in, all that happens is every 10 seconds I get a pop up a
>>>>>> message saying:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "You need to format the disk in Drive J before you can use it. Do you
>>>>>> want to format it?"
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Of course I don't want to format it, I'd lose the data I'm trying to
>>>>>> copy!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If I click cancel it just keeps bugging me about it and I can't access
>>>>>> the HD.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> HP wants $60 for a tech support call for this.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Help! How do I copy my data over?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> If (as others have suggested) you make sure it's jumpered correctly
>>>>
>>>>> then it appears I am not the only one having a similar problem.
>>>>
>>>>> (I posted a similar question here and there was no solution, though I
>>>>> got a lot of good help)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> If you cannot get Vista to read the drive
>>>>
>>>>> pop it back in the original machine and just network the two
>>>>> and copy the data over that way
>>>>
>>>> I must say that the new post gave me a sense of deja vu :-(
>>>>
>>>> It's beginning to look like a Vista bug...
>>>>
>>>> -- Gene Bloch 650.366.4267 lettersatblochg.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>
>>> I had the same problem and jumpered it to CS. Thereafter, I had no
>>> problems.
>>
>> Yes, this thread is about an IDE drive...
>>
>> That ruins my deja vu, however, since the other thread (philo's) was an
>> eSATA, IIRC, so he won't be changing the jumper.
>>
>> Also - I suspect (from experience) that different IDE enclosures have
>> different requirements with respect to jumpers. Some require CS, others
>> Master, others no jumpers, and others don't care. Oy.
>>
>> -- Gene Bloch 650.366.4267 lettersatblochg.com
>>
>>

> It is a Nexxstar that I have.. worked in XP and Vista 32-bit set as master..
> Vista 64 didn't want to know it until I set it as CS.. same enclosure..

Worse than I thought :-)

It never occurred to me that it would also depend on the computer+OS in
use!

So our future advice is to try all combinations at random and hope for
the best...

--
Gene Bloch 650.366.4267 lettersatblochg.com