Now I know this is storage related, but I recently was given a WD portable drive that a friend has stored all of her family photos and various other items on.

 

I plugged it into 2XP desktops, 2XP laptops and a pogoplug that runs linux hoping it would be able to read it. So far all I get is a notice saying that a WD portable has been plugged in and you hear a little whirl like the drive is trying to spinup and then nothing.

 

Wall power is sound and the two lights on the front of it are let. I'm guessing either the drive has decided to crap out or I have 4 of the worst machines at home possible.

Try taking the drive out of the enclosure and see if you can get it to be recognized.

It may not be getting enough power from the USB port.

 

Try plugging in to a powered hub, or if you have a "Y" USB cable that delivers more power handy, use that.

http://www.amazon.com/USB-Power-Adapter-Y-Cable/dp/B000JIOHDE

 

Or if you can sacrifice the housing, break it open and connect the drive directly to a SATA port and SATA power.

I had to do that with one of my WD Passports that was intermittently working. It works fine in my PCH C-200 now...

Its one of those Larger USB drives that has its own exterior power supply.

 

Odd thing is when you plug it into any of my PC's you here it attempt to spin up then it just stops. Kinda weird.

 

I can't remember, but are these drives formatted Fat32 or something else?

Its one of those Larger USB drives that has its own exterior power supply.

 

Odd thing is when you plug it into any of my PC's you here it attempt to spin up then it just stops. Kinda weird.

 

I can't remember, but are these drives formatted Fat32 or something else?

Many times it is the power supply and not the drive itself.  I'd try to take the drive out of the enclosure and connect ti it directly.

 

Joe L.

If you still can't read it after connecting it directly to the motherboard, GetDataBack is the best data recovery software I have used.  It is a pretty good value too ($80, if I recall correctly).