External hard drive

[fergie7]

Hello,
my external 1tb hard drive is not showing up on my computer and when it does it takes at least 40 mins to find it. now after plugging it in the comp is not finding it and is now making a strange beep every few seconds, is there a way to transfer my files onto a new hard drive?

 

[jaguarskx]

There could be a few reasons that it is not functioning properly.

1. The USB port is not functioning properly. Try another USB port.

2. Or it may be the USB drivers are not functioning properly. Try the following solution from Microsoft.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Tips-for-solving-problems-with-USB-devices

3. The external hard drive itself may be the culprit. Try connecting it to another computer or two. If the same thing occurs, then the hard drive is very likely to be defective. If it is still relatively new (15 days - 30 days) you should be able to either a) exchange it for another, or 2) get a refund and perhaps try a different brand.