Iomega external drive - firewire works, usb doesn't

[3DPiper]

I have an external iomega drive.. I can hook it up via the firewire port on my notebook computer and it works fine..
I have copied data to it with no problems..

If I hook it up to my desktop via usb (no firewire on the desktop), it recognizes that hooked up a device ("ding dong!"),
but it doesn't assign a drive letter.. If I go into the drive manager, I see the drive listed but it says it is empty and only gives me the option to create a "new simple volume", which I assume will wipe the drive..

Why does it work via firewire, but no via USB?

Thanks

 

[phil22]

Have you tried to assign a drive letter manually?
Right-click the appropriate ribbon in Disk Management.
Choose "Change Drive Letter and Paths"
Click "New" and choose a letter from the drop-down alphabet.
Click 'OK'

Hopefully, it's description will then change in Disk Management and you'll be able to access it.

 

[3DPiper]

phil22

I do not even get that option.. All I can do it 'new simple volume'..

It is weird: with firewire I can read/write, but with USB it sees it as an empty new drive.. unplug it and hook the firewire back up and there's all my data!