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Question

Confused by HDD

Jan 28, 2012 8:57AM PST

I bought a 2TB Caviar Green drive to use with an external enclosure. I cannot get any computer to recognize the drive. I tried it with a Windows 7 PC, Windows XP Pro, and a Mac. To make sure the enclosure wasn't the problem, I swapped it into an enclosure that had a working Seagate 2TB drive in it, and put that drive into the enclosure I bought for the Caviar Green drive. The Seagate works, and the WD still doesn't work, aka both enclosures work fine.

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
Basically...
Jan 30, 2012 3:06AM PST

You need to visit the WD support website and review whatever docs or guide they have the product model#. Be sure to look over any "jumpers/setting" that may allow operation. If none then it should have worked, provided if connected correctly. Otherwise, as you stated in a the post, the HD just maybe toast/bad. Also, improper handling as in ESD damage is possible from static. Regardless, of what type HD it is, I found ADA-2020 product useful in testing and/or quick access to any HD installed. This adapter or similar is found from nay vendors if you care to go that route. As for the HD itself, if you find it continues not to be accessed , start the warranty process, you don't what to be stuck with it and/or act quickly with the vendor if less than 15days(typical seller warranty) if you don't want to deal with the manufacturer, otherwise you will need to.

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Answer
With Win 7 use disk management to partition the
Jan 28, 2012 11:14PM PST

drive (allocate the space), format the partition (or partitions) and then and only then you can assign drive letter(s). Try it.

Are you 100% sure the USB enclosure (not identified) is designed or will allow you to access/use the drive's full 2TBs ?

Let us know.

VAPCMD

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Disk Management
Jan 29, 2012 3:48AM PST

I just plugged it back in to check, and it doesn't show in disk management for me to format/partition/assign a drive letter. All I see in there is my hard drive, blu-ray drive, sd card slot, and memory stick slot.

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One more thing
Jan 29, 2012 5:36AM PST

I tried to eject the storage device from device manager, and left the computer up. A while later I checked it and it said it couldn't eject the device because "another program is using it".

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(NT) Did you try connecting the bare drive as an internal ?
Jan 29, 2012 7:32AM PST
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Can't
Jan 29, 2012 9:26AM PST

Only laptops here. Not sure I can say if I know anyone with a desktop these days.

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Contact Thermaltake
Jan 29, 2012 11:59PM PST
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You probably missed the Advanced Format section
Jan 30, 2012 9:27AM PST

of the WDC page. That's what makes it different from other makers' HDDs. Read the support statement from WDC about 3rd party USBs.

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Not sure which enclosure you're referring to but last one
Jan 29, 2012 10:07AM PST

I inquired about by Rosewill their tech said only up to 1.5TB for one of their better enclosures. Needless to say....I was very very disappointed because they don't include that info in their specs and it didn't sound as if they'd be adding it to their posted specs either. Personally I find that very unsat as if there's a known capacity limit....it should be included in the specs so buyers can be informed vs. disappointed.

Good Luck on getting this resolved.

VAPCMD

PS...Does the laptop have an eSata port ?

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Enclosures
Jan 30, 2012 7:29AM PST
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I can only say I communicated
Jan 30, 2012 10:50AM PST

with the mfg and asked:

'Please advise the
max usable capacity for a drive in the subject enclosure (RX-358 V2 BLK)......1TB, 2TB, 3TB or ???'

The response from mid 2011 said:

'The RX-358 V2 BLK
will support a 2TB hard drive.'


Might be time to see if the WD drive is defective. Have you contacted WD ?? I'd take it somewhere or find a friend with an esata port with power connector or a full size PC that you could connect it to and test it on.

Sorry I can't help more.

VAPCMD