Hard Drive docking sation problem?

AVus3r · 14-01-2009, 3:55 PM

I have recently bought myself a new Max Value USB 2.0 / eSATA docking station from Amazon. The problem is I cant get it to recognise through Windows xp using my eSata connection. I also have tried to use the usb connection likewise no such such luck. Although when I turn the station on via the USB connection the computer recognises docking station, as the safely remove icon appears in lower conner. When I clink on this icon it describes a "Visualdisk usb device" attached, but when i plug my formatted hard drive in (powering on and off) it doesn't appear in Windows or through device manager. It didn't come with device driver cd and the hard drive works when I use it in separate caddy via usb and eStata. Any help and ideas would be appreciated.

Mr Lazy · 14-01-2009, 4:17 PM

Give the following a go:

In Device Manager click on Disk drives. Select Action->Scan for hardware changes.

AVus3r · 14-01-2009, 5:48 PM

Thanks for the reply, but scanning doesn't do anything. I leaning towards I have a faulty unit or somehow got to get a driver that will solve my problems.

Mr Lazy · 14-01-2009, 9:14 PM

I doubt very much you'd need a driver (especially with XP) for what is essentially a removable hard drive using a USB mass storage device interface (when plugged into USB of course). If that was the case I'd expect a yellow question mark to come up against it in Device Manager, but it sounds like it's not seen at the hardware level, so you might be right and it's faulty. You're trying it with just either the USB or eSATA cable plugged in, right, not both at the same time?

Have you looked in Disk Management (under Computer Management) to see if anything is seen there? Can't think of anything else right now. It's a SATA hard disk, right?

AVus3r · 15-01-2009, 10:46 AM

As it currently stands when i plug the usb station in I get the safely remove icon appearing in lower conner. When I clink on this icon it describes a "Visualdisk usb device" attached. I am thinking this must mean it is installed properly but when I go to plug any type of hard drive in into it nothing is recognised not even in device manager / disk management.