Help for a new Extrenal Hardriver owner?

[stayawake]

If anyone could PLEASE help or give advice, I'd appreciate it!
My husband bought us a new external mid-December onto which we transfered all my scrapping stuff and photos, as well as lots of other files, etc. Great. We now had loads of space. (It's a Western Digital 'my book' 1 TB drive)
Not great. For some reason, the computer only selectively recognizes that it's there, and it times out quickly (i.e. is not available unless I turn it off and then on again). In trying to finish a LO last night, after I had retrieved all the letters of an alpha I was using for my title, when I decided on a lowercase first letter rather than an uppercase - when I went to get it, I couldn't access any of my files and tried turning it off and then on again - still no recognition that the drive was there! FRUSTRATING. It's taking me twice as long at least to scrap.

My desktop stuff is on this drive too, so frequently I have nothing on my desktop.

WHAT is going on with this!? did I put the wrong stuff on my drive? If I need a different brand, what would you recommend? Does anyone else have trouble with their drive 'shutting off' all the time?

[lovely1m]

I have one I have been using for almost a year and I never have that problem. Sometimes it will be slow to show me everything, but never more than a few seconds. I wonder if somethings wrong with it.

[Sarah8914]

Well, I don't know since it's new! But I had problems with my old one after using it for awhile... the cord was bad so it wasn't staying fully connected. I hope you can figure it out soon!

[Jenn Barrette]

I think the WD EHD come with a one year warranty? I say get a new one, that shouldn't be happening.

[stayawake]

yup we got it just a month ago, from Costco when it was on special there... I was just wondering if this is a normal thing, or of it indeed is just broken! I am glad to hear I'm not crazy. (well, not because of this, anyway...)

[Leila]

Originally Posted by stayawake

yup we got it just a month ago, from Costco when it was on special there... I was just wondering if this is a normal thing, or of it indeed is just broken! I am glad to hear I'm not crazy. (well, not because of this, anyway...)

I had the exact same issues you're having with the Maxtor I got from Costco. I'm pretty convinced that Costco is getting "duds" when it comes to EHDs. I wound up returning the one I bought because I felt it simply wasn't reliable enough for my needs. (Well, that and the fact that a week after I'd put some files on it [and used them several times], it decided that the files were corrupt.)

[CA Dreamer]

What a nightmare! Check your USB cable. I have found that with some components, if I have a long-ish(yes, I am making up words, now..) cord, sometimes my components are not recognized as being there. And, if you are using a USB hub, then try connecting directly. HTH and good luck.

[roxyrenders]

I had a Simple Tech Portable hard drive that gave me the same issues. Wouldn't always be recognized when plugged in and would cut in and out. Called the company and they had me ship it out for a replacement becasue it was relatively new and could have jsut been a bad drive. The second one worked great. If possible would cross your finger that it connects- get stuffe copied to DVD or back to your computer and then call the company for support or return it to the store for another one.

[Joan]

Originally Posted by Leila

I had the exact same issues you're having with the Maxtor I got from Costco. I'm pretty convinced that Costco is getting "duds" when it comes to EHDs.

Me too. The WD I bought there just up and died a week after I bought it. I took it back and didn't bother getting a replacement.

Lindy, do you have your stuff saved anywhere else? Make sure you do.

All my scrap supplies are on an EHD and that's how I work. No problems whatsoever. I have a LaCie 1TB that's actually two RAID configured 500GB drives. It also has a firewire connection, which makes it signficantly faster than my other USB connected EHD. Whenever I buy anything, I save it to both EHDs. One I work from, the other is just backup.

[newfiemountiewife]

Originally Posted by Joan

Lindy, do you have your stuff saved anywhere else? Make sure you do.

^^^This

I have a brand spankin new Seagate so I"m not sure about the WD, but it doesn't sound normal to me. I hope you figure it out!

[kim21673]

I would take it back and get another one. Plus make sure everything is backed up!

I just got a Seagate and haven't had any problems with it. We also have a TB shared drive where everything is backed up.

[davec777]

That sounds remarkably like what my ehd did right before it died. I would return it for a replacement. I would do it directly with Costco. Trying to go through the company who makes them is a pain in the buns =( Good luck!

Stephanie