Disappearing USB drive!

Has anyone had their portable hard drive suddenly not recognized by their computer in windows or True Image? I installed the True Image program and I was just starting to clone my Dell Inspiron 5100 40 Gig hard drive to my USB Edge DiskGo 160 Gig hard drive and suddenly it is not recognized. I tried rebooting the computer and disconnecting and reconnecting the USB drive. It had been recognized prior to starting the cloning.

 

Hello llesau,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

Firsts of all, please make sure that you use the latest build (903) of Acronis True Image 8.0 which is available at: http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/support/updates/

To get access to updates you should create an account at:
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/my/
then log in and use your serial number to register your software.

If the problem still persists after installing the update then please install the latest version of Acronis drivers with disabled logging.

If that does not help then please provide me with the more detailed information on the problem.

Tell me when exactly disk cloning process failed.

What exact error messages have you received?

What operating system you use?

Does Windows recognize your external USB hard drive?

Thank you.
--
Alexey Popov

 

Alexy,
Hi,
Thanks for getting back to me.
I tried to download your Acronisreport.exe per your first email response, but it would hang halfway into the download. I tried several times.
The SnapAPI.exe downloaded and ran the first time fine, but the problem does persist. I am trying to run the update again to enable logging as requested but this time it is hanging at the "Repair/Upgrade Acronis drivers" stage....... I had to reboot my computer again, after having rebooted upon completing the update installation. When I reproduce the problem (that is, try to clone my hard drive to my portable hard drive) I get an error message that says I have only one hard drive so cannot continue with the clone. So there is also no info in the log to send. I tried to do the logging again. This time I noticed the message that it could not complete the install because of an error, but also said to reboot to finish instal. Now I am really confused. The log is still empty. No, Windows no longer recognizes my portable hard drive. It did, up to the time I started the clone procedure. I remember choosing the 1st hard drive to clone, then the portable hard drive to send the clone to. Then something about some info. on the portable drive that would be erased if I proceeded. I chose to proceed knowing the info was just some advertaizing that i did not care to keep. Then things just seemed to freeze. I can't remember exactly what happened. I think I had to reboot to get past the freeze and then there was no more indication that my computer recognized the portable drive. I am running XP Pro on a Dell Inspiron 5100 laptop with a 40 Gig drive. The protable drive is an Edge DiskGo 160 Gig USB hard drive.
Laura

 

USB drives need there the proper voltage. It depends on the USB controller. Sometimes disks are not visible at all, sometimes they periodicaly disappear. So try to clone (to) your USB drive on another computer but the problem may remain. The best solution is to clone USB drives with the additional PCI USB controller.

 

Teo,
Thaks, I was going to attempt what you suggest, try to use another computer today. What do you mean "the additonal PCI USB controlle"r?
Thanks
llesau

 

Hello llesau,

Thank for all the provided information.

Please try the following workaround in order to resolve the problem:

- Go to Start->Run and issue the "regedit" command;
- Find HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\STORAGE\Volume in WIndows registry and grant the current user with Full Control in Permissions;

- Delete all sub-keys;
- Reboot the computer to let Windows find new devices (volumes);
- Reboot the computer to complete the workaround.

If that does not help then please do the following:

- Make a screen shot of Windows Disk Management;

Go to Start -> Control Panel -> Performance and Maintenance -> Administrative Tools -> Computer Management -> Disk Management;

- Create Acronis Report and Windows System Information as it is described in Acronis Help Post.

Please try to download Acronis Report Utility once more, as the link is 100% working;

Send all the collected files to support@acronis.com along with the link to this thread. We will investigate the problem and try to provide you with the solution.

Thank you.
--
Alexey Popov

 

Alexey and Teo,
Thanks for your kind assistance. I could not get my son's computer to recognize the USB drive either. Looks like a faulty drive so I contacted the manufacturer and they will be sending another one out to me.

Could you clarify something for me? If I remember correctly, the TI clone program said it was going to erase everything on the destination drive before it cloned my hard drive. Is that supposed to happen? In other words if I want to keep any other files on the portable drive in addition to the cloned info., like my digital pictures (assuming I can add files on the USB drive after I have cloned my harde drive?), then I could not clone my hard drive again at a later time or my son's hard drive also, without the program erasing everyting else on that destination drive, including the previously cloned info? Any info. you can share will help when I receive my new drive and use TI to clone. Or would Imaging be neccessary or better?

 

Hi, llesau

Yes, before it can clone it must have a clean drive [HDD].

The best thing for you to do is create an Image to the HDD, will not have to delete anything on the destination HDD [providing the is enough room for the Image].

Unless you are replacing a HDD or using one for Testing, an Image is the way to go.

Take Care,
TheQuest