How to connect an external hard drive

I have just bought a new Dell XPS computer. I have an external drive which has both the USB cable for data and the USB cable for power. I did not have to use the power cable on my old Dell computer but this new computer does not recognize either one of the cables. It does recognize my other external drive which has just the USB data cable.

How should I connect this dual cabled drive to my XPS?

Thank you for your time and attention to this.
Mike

 

Is it a Y-cable like this?

I have a portable DVD burner with a Y-cable. I plug the USB cables into two USB ports on my netbook.

 

A heavier duty single lead at both ends cable also works. I connect various configurations of optical and hard drives to my laptop without issue and use only one USB port for each one this way.

 

Yes it is. However plugging both cables into two USB ports does nothing. The machine does not open the drive.

Thank you for the reply.
Mike

 

I will look for such a cable today.

Thank you for the reply
Mike

 

In Windows 7 you look for the drive under Devices and Printers. Did you look there?
I don't know about Win 8/8.1/8.1U.

Also, what is the size of the external hd and are you running a 32 bit or a 64 bit OS? Those things can also have an effect on the outcome.