PC Pals Forum
Technical Help & Discussion => Self Building, Upgrading & General Hardware Help => Topic started by: thfcmad on February 10, 2005, 19:14
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Hi, firstly to anyone that reads this and offers advice thankyou!!
I have a 120gb external hard drive connect to my PC by USB 2 cable. I am running windows XP.
I have turned my hard drive on today and as normal it powered up and started humming as normal, then a little thing came up in the corner of my PC saying "USB DEVICE NOT RECOGNISED, one of the USB devices attached has malfunctioned and windows does not recognise it".
I dont know what to do, the hard drive is still under warranty so i can easily get it replaced but what about all the data i have stored on it. Am i going to lose it? Is there a way i can get the data off the external drive back onto my internal one?? I have alot stored on it that i really dont want to lose. The external hard drive is a maxtor 120gb.
If anyone can help me i will be very greatful.
Thanks to all in advance.
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Hi thfcmad and :welcome:
Is your external HDD removable?
I mean: Did you buy it already enclosed inside the external box,
or you've bought an empty external box, and then you fixed the HDD inside it?
If you've fixed it manually inside the external box, you may remove it and fix it inside your coputer case to try it there, and see whether the HDD is falty or the external box.
I don't like to discourage you, but I have to tell the truth: I'll never buy again an external HDD. I lost last year about 130 GB of data. It destryed comletely two HDD, and I saved the third on time before it was too late. :(
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How did that happen Joudi? I was thinking of getting one myself!
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Just a thought thfcmad, have you tried plugging it into a different usb socket? I used to get that with my printer more than often and there was nothing wrong with the printer. :)
Changing the usb connection sometimes does the trick.
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Well, Clive, I don't know :-\
Maybe I wasn't lucky,
Maybe there was a fabrication problem in the external box (inside which, I myself fixed the HDD manually).
The first HDD which was inside was working correctly. I sent it to a friend, who told me that the HDD is not working at all.
I replaced it with a new bigger one. Just a month or two after that, it stopped working.
I sent it to Maxtor to get a new one. few weeks after that, the new one started to give a strange noise, (exactly what my friend told me about the first HDD). I understood then that it wasn't problem in the HDD, but in the external box.
I couldn't get the replacement for the external box (another society). They didn't care. They just told me that there's now another model if I like to buy. :curse:
useless to say that I lost all that data, and, neither Maxtor nor any other HDD fabrication take it on their responsibility to get you back your lost data. You have to send the HDD to a special society to get your data back. In that case, you have to pay them a considerable amount of money if you don't like to loose it eternally. :(
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That's not a very good advert for them is it? I may have to reconsider my plan to buy one!
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Loosing data in that way is not really a good experience. I don't wish it to any.
Fortunately, most of my lost data was coming from downlods. It was for me a matter of patience again to download most of it again. Now , I'm ok, but learned the lesson.
Of course that may happen even to internal HDD too, but I think, by that experience, that the external one is more fragile.
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That's not a very good advert for them is it? I may have to reconsider my plan to buy one!
I was in a shop today Clive, and the seller told me that the external drive is not made to run continuously. He said that you can run it few houres each day (maybe four or five houres), but not all time.
If you're still thinking to buy one Clive, I even suggest that you use it even less than that. My opinion is to use it only as a storage media, when you need things from it.
It seems that my precedent problem with mine (which I use no more) was because of running it as long as the PC is switched on, not because of the encloser model, (according to that seller, if I must believe him).
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Thanks for that information Joudi. I must say that I have decided not to go ahead with buying one anyway. I've just been away for the weekend and borrowed my son's Sat Nav system which I fell in love with. I now have to buy one for myself (naturally!) and my aim is to get the best possible deal on one! :laugh: FYI Cammy, it's a Tom Tom GO I'm after. Amazon have it for £399 with a UK memory card. But Staples have it for £369 with a 16 country memory pack. Unfortunately you have to actually go to a store to get one as Staplesonline are not participating in this deal. I will be near one on Friday but I somehow smell a rat and doubt if they actually have any for sale! :cry:
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That is a very good price Clive and i'd go woth that if you can get it :wink:
Just remember they are launching a updated "GO" range next month :whistle:
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:lol: In which way are they being updated Cammy? That suggests that the current model is about to be given away in corn flakes packets. :laugh: I was very pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to use and how accurate it was.
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This site will help you and the info you need is about 3/4 way down..>>> :thumb: (http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/menu_gpsincarsystems.php)
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Oh that's good Cammy! It looks as if current models can be upgraded for free. :D
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I called into Staples in Cardiff at 9 am this morning and they had plenty of Tom Tom's in stock. But the price was £419 which was £50 more than the offer. When I asked a sales assistant about it he smugly told me that they had gone back up again today! He refused point blank to do a deal with me even when I told him I could get it cheaper elsewhere. :laugh: Looks as if I will have to go to Amazon after all.
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Well in that case you can pre-order the new one for £369.99 inc Vat here..>>>
http://www.superetrader.co.uk/tomtom-go-300-p-285.html (http://www.superetrader.co.uk/tomtom-go-300-p-285.html)
Or Dixons have the current model and a £35 off any order over £350 code making it £361 :horror:..>>
Code: cantbarsed35350
Dixons tom tom go (http://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/store/dix_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1685744532.1112276255@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccddaddeemikljjcflgceggdhhmdfhm.0&page=Product&sku=203018&category_oid=-21740&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null)
The thing with the Dixons one is they only stock a few in the morning each day so you gorra be quick to get one :wink:
This is a review of the new range..>>
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/tomtom-go-new-hardware.php (http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/tomtom-go-new-hardware.php)
I hope one of these deals works for you Clive :thumb:
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Wow!! I am awed Cammy! You are indeed the King of Bargains! Thank goodness I haven't acted in haste and placed an order with Amazon or anyone else. I'll let you know how I get on! 8)
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Well read this thread before you decide to buy now or wait for the new one ...
http://pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=17747 (http://pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=17747)
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I've ordered it with supertrader since the new 300 model is worth waiting for. It now has postcodes and other useful additions. Staples did me a big favour this morning! :hatoff:
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Reading that forum thread, it seems that my son will be able to upgrade his version from my software card. 8)
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Without wishing to pi$$ on anyone's chips, I think these Satnav devices are more dangerous than using mobile phones, when driving. I have a mate with a BMW, which has a nice computer screen built into the dashboard. He is forever fiddling with the bloody 'I-Drive' control, and it cannot fail to distract your concentration from the road ahead. They are a gimmicky toy, and dangerous to use while driving, in my opinion, and should automatically be disabled when moving at more then 5 mph. At least while you are holding a mobile phone to your ear, your eyes are still on the road, and it's no more of a danger than talking to a passenger. :tony:
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I don't think you are supposed to be fiddling with it whilst driving Simon! You tell it where you want to go before you set off and listen to the voice commands. It shows you the road layout ahead but you don't even have to look at the screen if you don't want to. I must say that I will find it extremely useful and now wish I had had one installed when I bought my car.
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Just to prove that nobody ever gets a bargain from PC World, I notice they are advertising the Tom Tom on TV at £469 which is £100 more than I paid 3 months ago. I do hope that not too many people fall for this scam.
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Hi Clive,
I in no way enjoy purhcases from PC World :D (think they rip you off), but the tom tom go at £469 is the tom tom go 400.
They do sell the lower model tom tom go 300 for £363.89
Just thought I'd clear it up.
Been thinking about buying one for a while now, not sure if I could justify the price though. Any comments on its use? is it easy to see the screen (reflections?) and whats the battery life like.
Cheers
DJ
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Oh right, that makes more sense but I wonder why they upgraded so soon? :? It's exceptionally easy to use as all you have to do is punch the postcode in. There is no problem seeing the screen either. Battery life is claimed to be 4 hours but you plug it into the cigar lighter anyway so it's not important really. I suppose it all depends whether you have a use for it. Very handy if you are going somewhere strange for the first time but I have to confess that I've used mine far less than I anticipated. I'm very glad I bought it all the same.
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Why do you all need a Tom Tom, do you not know how to read a street map. :D
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We boys like our toys Lona! :laugh:
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We boys like our toys Lona! :laugh:
I suppose that makes you a Toy Boy then, Clive. :wink:
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:lol: