USB Device not recognized?

[Powerstroke2000]

I have an odd issue here, in that for the last couple of days my external WD hard drive has not been showing up. I checked in the "Computer Management" window (thanks to someone on this forum explaining this) and is not showing there either.

My external hard drive is my backup drive, and has worked flawlessly to this point, and I thought a reboot would fix the problem, but I've done this a few times now, with the same result.

I then thought...well, perhaps it's the USB port it's plugged in to, so I unplugged it, and tried a different port...and got the message I chose for the title of this thread...that being "USB Device not recognized"??

When holding the HD in my hand, it's obvious it's running, as the blue light is on, and a slight vibration can be felt. There are no odd noises or sounds, and I'm thinking the HD is a year or two old at this point, and as mentioned, has worked great up to this point.
On this particular external HD (Western Digital) it has 3 buttons. The top button starts the HD, and at this point I'm unsure of what the other two buttons do, as to my memory, I've never had to use them!

I'm hoping someone will have an answer as to why my external backup HD is acting as it is, and what I might need to do to get it back on line.

Thanks in advance!

[glc]

Try it in a different computer. If it doesn't work there, either the drive itself or the interface card in the housing is faulty - either way, you have to break it open to possibly get your data and that will void the warranty.

[Planefreak]

I second that. You might also want to try a different USB cord. I've had strange things happen before with cords. If they are too long the device may not work...