# Cannot access USB external HDD in NTFS (not visible in Explorer nor in Comp Mgmt)



## Chouf (May 2, 2008)

Hi All,

I recently reinstalled Win XP on a new SATA HDD.
Today I bought a Sitecom IDE-USB HDD case (http://www.sitecom.com/faq_result.php?groupid=15&subgroupid=46&productid=301) as I want to get some data back from the IDE disk. I've connected the IDE disk to Sitecom case and then plugged the USB in my Win XP PC.

Windows detects something (new drive detected), but the drive doesn't show up neither in Explorer, nor in Computer Management > Disk Management, nor in Removable Media snap-in.

I have a HDD and a CDROM drive also connected. When I removed the letter D: from the CDROM drive, I suddenly got again a detection balloon saying "Found new hardware" and then "Hardware installed successfully". But still the drive doesn't show up.

The IDE disk contains a NTFS bootable partition on which my old Win XP was installed.
Any idea why I can't access it with my USB case?


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## A Cheese Danish (May 2, 2008)

I know this sounds like the typical IT support...but is it plugged in and is it turned on? and make sure your cables are connected right and that it powers up


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## Chouf (May 2, 2008)

hi there, 
yep don't worry, it's plugged in and everything is connected (as I said, Windows does detect something... The power cable for the HDD is correctly in as well as the IDE flat cable.
I've also tried with the HDD jumper on Master or CS, but it made no difference


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## A Cheese Danish (May 2, 2008)

Try to keep refreshing and see if that will bring it up...and when it says found new hardware, check to see if it comes up if you try to stop it to safely remove it


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## Chouf (May 2, 2008)

I left it connected and hit Refresh many times, as well as "Rescan" in the Disk Management Snap-in, not luck


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