External Enclosures: While trying to start USB 2.5

Problem:
"The drive is hooked up correctly but does not seem to be working. "


Answer:
There are several reasons that this may occur. Below are a list of issues that may stop the unit from working, and what may be done.

1. Improper connections: Some USB ports do not supply the standard power of 5V 500 mA. When this occurs it will not be enough to power the unit.

If your enclosure has multiple USB cables use them. Draw as much power as you can. Make sure that the power is connected first, then the Data.

Use a Power Adapter, if available.

Use a Powered Hub (these typically supply full power to each port).

2. If you are using IDE drives, make sure they are set to Master, or Primary. Some of the older drives will have switches to change this.

3. Make sure your drive format is accessible by the system. Some drive formats are not readable by others.

4. Look into device manager, see if the enclosure is getting installed as a USB Mass Storage Device.

If it is not, then something may be wrong with the enclosure and should be returned.