HD-GDU3

[GBlizzard]

My HD-GDU3 suddenly is not recognized.  I'm runing Win 8.1 with the latest update.  When I disconnect the USB, the computer recognizes that and also recognized when I plug it back in - but I get the USB device not recognized method.,

Any thoughts or ideas on how to perhaps fix this.  I've had the HD only since this winter and I'd hate to think it's already went sideways.

Thanks,

GB

[buffaloj]

I just spent HOURS trying to get mine to work -- same problem!  I'm on Windows 7, though.  Same with USB plugging, unplugging.  I have had one problem after another since I got this hard drive in spite of the rave reviews (the reason I bought it).  But this beats all.   There's no work-around because it isn't recognized by Windows.

I have done all this today:
Rebooted
restored Windows to how it was before today's update & rebooted (both with the drive unplugged and then plugged back in after reboot and leaving plugged in)
changed USB ports (front of machine to back for different bus)
did rebooting after changing ports
uninstalled last update (4/24) before today's, which is the last time I used the hard drive (and it worked then)
rebooted again, drive unplugged
tried to update firmware, but it won't because it says the drive isn't connected
windows says drivers are up to date

Might be more.  Some of the steps have been repeated.  I also spent over an hour on the phone with my brother, who is the IT guy with a large corporation.  He lives too far to come over, otherwise he would have opened up the drive and tried to find another way to connect it for me.

I hope someone has a solution to this quickly.  It doesn't help to have a backup drive you can't access!    

Thanks in advance.

[buffaloj]

Also, I'm sorry I don't have the last firmware version to give you because I can't access the device.  I bought the drive in August, and I did not do the most recent firmware update (February 2014).  I downloaded it yesterday when I started having the problems, but I can't update it now because it says the drive isn't connected since Windows doesn't recognize the device.

[Texturtle]

This is most likely a Windows problem, not a problem with the drive itself. Try following the steps here:

http://www.thewindowsclub.com/usb-device-not-recognized

[buffaloj]

Thank you for taking the time to post that.  I did all but the power saver yesterday.  I just did that, and it didn't fix it.

If anyone else has additional advice, I would be so grateful!

[Texturtle]

Is this a notebook or desktop computer?

[buffaloj]

Desktop

[Texturtle]

Have you tried going into device manager and uninstalling the USB root hub completely then doing a rescan and let Windows reload the driver?

[buffaloj]

You know, I'm not sure if we did that or not, but oddly enough, it is back!  We went through one thing after another, rebooting every time, of course.  Nothing did any good. 

Since nothing worked, including uninstalling the windows updates I had installed after the last time it worked, today I reinstalled them.  I rebooted, and the drives all seem to be working.  And I mean all.  A couple months ago, one of my internal drives "disappeared," and when I switched its location with another drive on the motherboard,  the other disappeared.  We figured that port had gone bad.  The weird thing was that when my Buffalo external went out, the internal missing drive came back.  Now they are ALL showing!

There's a poltergeist in my computer 

Thank you so much for your help.  I'm not sure why it decided to work again, but I'm glad it did.  Who knows what I'll run into next time I reboot!  haha

[Texturtle]

That's all some strange behavior. I'm glad everything is working for you now!

[buffaloj]

Once again, I am having problems with my same Buffalo external.  Now it is not even recognized in Device Manager.  I had reformatted the drive, and it worked at first, but then it went back to the same bizarre behavior.  I would have to change power settings, reboot, unplug power & replug, unplug USB & replug, etc.  I could never find the pattern that made it work.  It didn't seem to be the same thing consistently.  This morning, it gave me the message that the device was unrecognized, so I rebooted as usual, which had been solving the problem usually after one or two reboots.  This time, it didn't even recognize it in Device manager.  It's like the drive is completely invisible.  The drive itself powers up, but it won't show at all on the computer.  I went through all the steps over and over again.  I have rebooted about a dozen times already with various configurations (unplugged at reboot, plugged in, allow pc to turn off usb power, don't allow to turn off power, etc.)

I guess this is likely a Windows problem, but it sure is making me frustrated with the very expensive (for me) hard drive I purchased to back up my important files. 

[buffaloj]

OK, now it's showing under Disk drives in Device Manager, Buffalo HD-GDU3 USB Device, but it still isn't recognized in My Computer under my Hard Disk Drives (or anywhere else for that matter)

[davo]

Post a screen shot of Disk Management once its connected.

[buffaloj]

Attaching screen shots of device manager and disk management.  Thank you

I'm sorry I didn't reply sooner.  I kept refreshing the page and didn't see a response, and I never got an email.  Was checking spam folder, too...  :/

OK, I'm apparently not attaching screen shots.  I keep getting this error message:  "The upload folder is full. Please try a smaller file and/or contact an administrator."  I tried just the smallest attachment alone - 90kb - and still got the message.

[buffaloj]

I rebooted and am trying again to attach.  And a 3rd screen shot.  This time it's showing in device manager again. 

This is driving me crazy.

[attachment deleted by admin]