hi all, I am using a external 'SUNGOO' USB HDD - works fine, no problems. A drive letter was asigned to this device and the device is used for backup and archive. Now someone gave me such a device, I am having now two of them, they are exactly the same brand and model. I am only able to use one at the same time. As soon as I switch on the second one, XP (SP3) does not see it. Assigned another drive letter to the second one ( S: ). So, depending which one has been switched on first, I see either R: or S: drive. Internal HDD with the same name 'ST3250410AS' showing up twice but for the external USB HDD I see just one 'SAMSUNG HD501LJ USB Device'. XP is apparently confused by the same name of externals HDDs Is there a workaround to use both at the same time? Thanks for any comment or reply Jedlesee
Maybe the problem is that the usb controller doesn't have enough power to start both HDD's? Cheap Chinese external HDD's for spin-up may use 2.5A, or even more By my thoughts problem can't be beacause of two same HDD's they have their own serial numbers, and device adressing is by port, not by device name.
Thanks for reply, this is not the problem The drives have their own power supply, they are connected to different USB ports on main board. The device manager shows the same drivers as the internal HDD. 'disk.sys' and 'PartMgr.sys'. It's just that the one (of the external USB HDD) that is switched on after the other one is not seen by the XP.
Both are connected to different rear USB ports of my motherboard. The one direct to an USB port of my motherboard and the other one on an active 7-port D-Link USB hub that goes to a second USB port of the motherboard. I don't think it's an USB port issue (?), because for each of those two drives XP sounds the 'ding-dong' sound after several seconds after power up of the USB HDD. And each can been seen, but just one, it's just a matter in what sequence I power them up. In device management I had this yellow '!' mark and a message besides the 'SAMSUNG HD501LJ USB Device', saying 'this driver is allready in use' ...? To my surprise, this is gone, it was seen when I started to find out what's up. The message does not show up anymore. As I said before - the in sequence second powered USB HDD makes the 'dong-dong-dong' sound (device connection failed) after power up and therefore does not show up in disk management or anywhere else ;-( Btw., connecting two or even more USB sticks into the D-Link USB hub works fine! But they are all different brands.
BINGO - thanks for that many replies .... it works! One day, I will write a book about the nodeterministic behavoir of deterministic systems.