Hard Drive keeps Shutting Down Windows Explorer

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
R

RickBo

Prominent
Aug 1, 2017
3
0
510
I have an external video drive (2TB) that has encountered a serious problem: It has become inrecognizable by Windows Explorer, but is recognized by Device Manager from withing Windows Control Panel. This will happen if I plug the drive into USB when Windows is already running. And here's the thing: If the hard drive is already connected via USB before the computer is started, Windows will not start. If the hard drive is plugged into the computer after Windows is already started, all the drives already recognized by Windows Explorer are unrecognizable by Explorer and Windows ceases to function correctly. Thinking this might be a USB problem, I hooked it to my wife's computer, with the same result. I then took the drive from it's external case, and made it into an internal drive and attempted to boot from the SATA connections on the motherboard----tried them all with the same results. I've already booted to CD using Hiren's Boot CD and Mini Windows XP, but the drive is not recognized under Mini Windows XP, either. And if the hard drive is plugged in when booting from CD, the computer will not boot from CD.
Can you say 'frustrating'???
A utility came with my MSI motherboard. It's called Winki HDD Backup. When I open up the MSI BIOS and the utility, it does recognize the drive in question and the folders and files. But using the utility to back up the hard drive seems very complicated. There doesn't seem to be any instructions in the utility itself of on the MSI website or anywhere else on the internet. I called MSI today and talked to Tech Support, and even the tech I spoke to admitted he never heard of the utility---even though it's made by MSI. Anyone here heard of the Winki HDD Backup utility, and if so, can you tell me how to use it? And...can you tell me why my hard drive keeps shutting down Windows Explorer?
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
A

ArtPog

Admirable
Sep 17, 2014
2,951
3
8,965
If you don't mind, just one question before we, i.e., "I", get into anything else (depending upon your answer). Are you running a Win XP OS here? Is that what this is all about?

Well, maybe one other question...what is a "external (2 TB) video drive"? Are you simply referring to a secondary HDD in your system that contains your video (audio/video) files? Or is it some other kind of device?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
R

RickBo

Prominent
Aug 1, 2017
3
0
510
Oh, sorry...forgot to mention the OS I'm running is Vista Home Premium 64 bit. Booting in Windows Mini XP is one of the features of the Hiren's Boot CD. So, no, I am not running XP...just trying to use the abbreviated version of XP to see if the hard drive is listed on Windows Explorer using this method, based on the feature on Hiren's Boot CD.
The explanation of the drive being a video drive is just that: It just has video on it. It's not part of a RAID configuration or something similar. It's just a Hitachi 2Tb hard drive, off the shelf, with video on it.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
A

ArtPog

Admirable
Sep 17, 2014
2,951
3
8,965
Well I have to apologize as well in that I didn't add Vista to my response. I no longer respond to any queries in which the Win XP OS is involved, even when it appears the problem might have nothing to do with that OS. My expertise (such as it was) with XP makes me no longer comfortable to provide any suggestions/opinions re issues that might involve that OS. I do so only in an onsite hands-on experience.

To some extent I feel the same way with issues involving (or might involve) the Vista OS. In our experience that OS was (and is) such a dog and inherently prone to so many unexplained problems (it's the Win Me OS all over again IMO!) that I generally pass on providing any input arising with problems when Vista is the OS. I simply don't feel capable in doing so.

Anyways...

I suppose you've checked out the health of the problem HDD with the manufacturer's diagnostic program or some such diagnostic to determine if you're simply dealing with a defective drive.

I take it your primary objective is to access the video files on the drive and salvage whatever data you can.

Presumably you've taken the "usual" troubleshooting steps re a secondary HDD whose data cannot be accessed, e.g., connected the drive internally to a working PC, changing the USB cable/port if still connected as a USB external device, etc.

I have no knowledge of that "Wink Backup" program you've mentioned. Frankly I'm puzzled what possible role such a program could be in resolving the problem you're experiencing. If you desire to simply copy the total contents of the problem HDD presumably you could utilize a disk-cloning program of which there are many available on the net.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
R

RickBo

Prominent
Aug 1, 2017
3
0
510


If you re-read the original post, you'll see that I cannot start the OS when the hard drive is connected to the computer, so I probably can't use a diagnostic tool from Hitachi, as it probably won't locate the drive if windows explorer can't find it (especially if explorer won't start if the drive is plugged in!). The MSI Winki Hard drive backup utility, accessable from the the MSI BIOS, will list the contents of the drive and supposedly let me do a backup, but it is really hard to figure out how to use, and I cannot find instructions on the 'net how to do it. The tech rep at MSI didn't even know what the MSI Winki utility was, soooooo....you can understand how frustrating the whole situation is for me at this point.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom