external hd Seagate FreeAgent XTreme 1 TB won't install properly

Hello.

Mine is a brand new FreeAgent XTreme 1 TB external hd. I have two PC's, both Windows XP Home powered (operating system up-to-date).

On one of those PC's, where relatively few programs (including McAfee Internet Security Suite) are installed, this external hd installs properly and works fine. Both Windows and Seagate Manager see it, and its properties are what they should be.

:cryOn the other PC, which houses many programs (including McAfee Internet Security Suite, Lavasoft AdAware, Acronis True Image Home 2010) , this external hd doesn't install properly and so doesn't work at all. Windows sees it, but its properties aren't what they should be. Seagate Manager also doesn't see it. Here follows related information:

- (local disk's properties F) - file system = RAW, used space = 0, free space = 0
- (disk manager / properties of Seagate FreeAgent XTreme USB device) device status = working properly, volumes (disk / type / status ...) = all set to blank, driver Microsoft 1/7/2001 V = 5.1.2535.0
- (computer management) this hd doesn't show neither in removablestorage nor in disk management
- (system tools / device manager) USB mass storage device properties detail = USB\VID_0BC2_3101\2GER6MXR

Sometimes, when the external hd is plugged in, Seagate Manager sees it for about a second, displaying partition = unknown, model = FreeAgent Xtreme 1 Tb, free space = 0 bytes. Then switches and stucks to "no external drives were found, make sure your external drive is connected and turned on".

I have already tried:
- uninstall & reinstall Seagate Manager over and over
- reinstall Windows Installer 4.5
- disable my shield (McAfee) prior to installing and running Seagate Manager & external hd
- spent many, many hours searching for information over the web and Seagate forum
... and I'm still bogged down !

:crybabySo guess what ... I need help ! I'm far from being a computer wizard, so please speak plain english shall you answer me ...

My best regards.
Dilermando

 

this could be due to a few issues, first off your computer may only support usb 1.0 or 1.1 and the harddrive may require usb 2.0 run.....another issue may be that the plug and play option in the bios may be disabled?

hope this heads you in the right direction

 

Try going into device manager and updating the usb port drivers, I had this same problem with a WD external and that's how I resolved my problem.

 

Hello.

To those who forwarded me some advice: thank you very, very much.

My USB drivers (usbport.sys usbhub.sys hccoin.dll usbehci.sys) are all up to date (version 5.1.2600.5512), and all USB ports are 2.0 compatible.

By the way, I have a small Storex external hd (FAT32) which works properly when connected to my PC through 2 USB ports (it draws electrical power from USB).

My PC has 6 USB ports in the back and 2 on the front, totalling 8 USB ports.

:-D Today I amused myself desconnecting my 4 USB peripherals (2 printers, 1 scanner, 1 webcam) and testing my Seagate external hd. To my great surprise, it worked properly when connected to 5 out of those 8 USB ports.

Then I started reconnecting my 4 USB peripherals, one at a time. I operated each of them, simultaneously looking for anomalous behaviour of my external Seagate hd. Again to my great surprise, everything worked smoothly.

So, at the end, my external Seagate hd seems to work fine, provided it is connected through one of the 5 "good" USB ports.

:confused I would like very much to hear plausible explanations ... please tell me what do you think !