Re: HELP: External hard drive failure?

Anna wrote:

>>>"Rock" <rock@mail.nospam.net> wrote in message
>>>news:%23Vib9w9CGHA.2700@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
>>>
>>>
>>>>>Jonny:
>>>>>We are aware that Western Digital recently released an updated version
>>>>>(5_04f) of their HD diagnostic utility, however, we've had no luck with
>>>>>that utility in connection with detecting USB-connected drives. We've
>>>>>tried it with a number of WD drives in a number of different USB
>>>>>enclosures, but without success. We've jumpered the drives in every
>>>>>possible combination. BTW, we've been using (as we usually do) the
>>>>>bootable floppy disk version of this software.
>>>>>
>>>>>Have you *personally* had success with this diagnostic utility with
>>>>>respect to USB hard drives? Or were you just relying on the information
>>>>>provided by WD on their website?
>>>>>
>>>>>If anyone has used this WD diagnostic utility with success re USB
>>>>>drives, I certainly would like to hear about it.
>>>>>Anna
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>Anna,
>>>>
>>>>I just tried it on my two Usb/firewire combo drives. The smart status is
>>>>not available, but it otherwise ran on the drives for the quick test. The
>>>>extended test started but I canceled since it will take same time.
>>>>--
>>>>Rock
>>>>MS MVP Windows - Shell/User
>
>
>
> Anna wrote:
>
>>>Rock:
>>>Thanks.
>>>
>>>1. Are those combo drives connected as USB devices?
>>>2. And are they different commercial models? If so, could you let me know
>>>their make & model?
>>>3. Or are they enclosures where you've installed the WD hard drive(s)?
>>>Could you let me know the drive model(s)?
>>>4. When you used the diagnostic utility, were you booting with both the
>>>internal HD and the external devices connected? Or was only the external
>>>device connected during the boot (which the diagnostic detected)?
>>>Thanks for the info.
>>>Anna
>
>
>
> "Rock" <rock@mail.nospam.net> wrote in message
> news:%23Sofnq%23CGHA.1676@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>
>>1. Yes, connected to USB2 ports.
>>2. They are Western Digital packaged external combo drives.
>>3. See 2 above
>>4. I booted with the drives connected but not turned on, installed the WD
>>diagnostics, turned on the external drives and ran the the diagnostics.
>>
>>You're welcome.
>>--
>>Rock
>>MS MVP Windows - Shell/User
>
>
>
> Thanks again. Perhaps the key here is that you're working with packaged WD
> single-unit USB devices and there's some new capability built-in to these
> devices that allows them be detected by the new WD diagnostic utility. That
> might explain why we were unable to use the diagnostic with WD HDs installed
> in this or that USB enclosure. I'll do some more research on this.
>
> But I'm not clear on your response to Q4. I assumed you were working with
> the WD diagnostic utility on a floppy disk. Is that right? If so, how could
> you run the diagnostic if the USB drive wasn't connected at the time you
> booted with the floppy? Perhaps I misunderstand you.
> Anna
>
>

You're welcome. No it wasn't on floppy. I downloaded the .zip file,
extracted, ran the .exe file installer which installed the program to an
internal drive, then ran the .exe from inside windows.

--
Rock
MS MVP Windows - Shell/User