Japanese HDD in the UK

richardturnbullrichardturnbull
edited September 2005 in Hardware
Hello there

I recently brought my Japanese desk top and Buffalo 120GB external HDD back to the UK and have set it all up. I have got a step-down transformer to convert the power from 240V to 100V. All seemed to be working fine and I am now emailing from said computer.

My problem is with the HDD. At first it was fine, all files were still intact and I was able to view photos and play music stored on it. However, I am now experiencing many random errors - saying that the drive is not accessible, the parameters are not correct, some data has been lost while trying to write. It seems fine on start-up after rebooting, and will play one song, but then try to change the song and it freezes, the HDD that is, not the actual computer.

I am confused. Has anyone else experienced such a problem, and would anyone be able to give me a clue why this is happening?
Thanks in advance
Richard

Comments

  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited September 2005
    So is the hard drive specifically meant for japanese computers or something, although all parts should run together no matter where thyere from(i think?). maybe the hard drive is just corrupted and dying?
  • drasnordrasnor Starship Operator Hawthorne, CA Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    Seeing as all hard drives are made in Japan anyway that probably isn't your problem. Your step-down may be an issue though since I've had drive trouble before when the computer power supply isn't delivering good power. Try buying a UK power cable for your machine and flipping the switch on the back of your computer's power supply from 100-120V to 220-240V.

    -drasnor :fold:
  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited September 2005
    drasnor wrote:
    Seeing as all hard drives are made in Japan anyway that probably isn't your problem. Your step-down may be an issue though since I've had drive trouble before when the computer power supply isn't delivering good power. Try buying a UK power cable for your machine and flipping the switch on the back of your computer's power supply from 100-120V to 220-240V.

    -drasnor :fold:


    lol i was thinking about this post, and as soon as i came back to say buy a UK power cable and change the power supply in the back, you got it out before me. ;D

    It does seem like some sort of power issue.
  • richardturnbullrichardturnbull
    edited September 2005
    tmh88 wrote:
    lol i was thinking about this post, and as soon as i came back to say buy a UK power cable and change the power supply in the back, you got it out before me. ;D

    It does seem like some sort of power issue.

    hi there, thanks very much for your replies. unfortunately my computer does not have a flick switch to change the voltage, hence the step-down transformer set-up. the hard disk is a buffalo 120GB jobbie and connected to the computer by firewire.

    the strange thing is that it worked fine for the first few hours i had the system running, and then dropped out after. i downloaded some windows updates in that time (im running windows 2000) but i dont think that should affect it.

    the main computer, and its in built hard disk, is running fine through the same transformer. ive had varying messages, saying the external disk has invalid parameters, or that its not formatted. luckily i foresaw this happeniong and backed everything up onto disk before i left japan.

    do you think reformatting the disk will solve the problem? i have no idea what to do! help!!

    thanks
    rich
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    Are you sure you need the transformer? Lots of PC things have a flick switch on them that lets you select between 110 and 240, some/most are automatic.
  • richardturnbullrichardturnbull
    edited September 2005
    Enverex wrote:
    Are you sure you need the transformer? Lots of PC things have a flick switch on them that lets you select between 110 and 240, some/most are automatic.

    100%. there is no switch on the back. its 110V only.
  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited September 2005
    Its ususally a little red switch....if you didnt understand what everyone else was saying.
  • richardturnbullrichardturnbull
    edited September 2005
    tmh88 wrote:
    Its ususally a little red switch....if you didnt understand what everyone else was saying.

    THERE IS NO SWITCH!!! Thanks very much for replying, but there is no switch! I have a step-down transformer and the power to the PC is FINE! I am writing from the PC now. Its OK! I understand what people are saying, but the PC is about four years old, and doesn't have a switch.

    The problem is with the external plug-in hard drive. This is also running through the transformer and also doesn't have a switch. The power is running fine with it. The problem is with the interface between this external HD and the PC. It doesn't recognise it anymore.

    Does anyone have any ideas how I can get the PC to recognise the external HD?
    Thanks
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    On your external drive, Did you buy it as an external drive or put a standard drive into and enclosure? It really sounds like a power issue. If not you trans then maybe the power in the external drive box.

    My PSU doesn't have a switch, but it does have a lable saying that input voltage must be between 90V and 250V. It all goes to DC inside.
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    My guess is that it's unrelated to the power step-down. Did the external HD get roughed-up in shipping or anything? I wonder if a cable inside may have gotten disconnected.
  • SlydogSlydog Bristol UK Member
    edited September 2005
    seeing as you have backed up everything already, it cannot hurt to try formatting. it may help and doesnt involve buying anything or taking the screwdriver to it.

    i peeked at the buffalo website but couldnt immediately see much in the way of hard drive diagnostics in their downloads section. anyone know what oem drive is in there? maybe if we did, then you could get the diagnostics tool from the relavent manufacturers site and try that.

    has it been making any clicking or grinding noises since the move? maybe like Garg says, it got a little knocked during transit. i have had several external hard drives be fairly tempramental. lucky you had the sense to backup eh!
  • richardturnbullrichardturnbull
    edited September 2005
    cheers for your posts.

    true it could have got knocked about in the shipping.. it can by ship from japan! but the stranege thing is that it did work initially but then stopped. it was packed pretty safely, and it all looks ok (no dangly bits!), but i guess something could have had a spaz inside. no strange clicking or grinding noises. it still shows when i open "my computer" as a drive letter, but when you double click on it to browse, the HD LED comes on, but nothing happens.

    i'll try reformatting it and see what happens. ive been reading about different ways to format, ie FAT32 or NTSF.. err, not really sure which or how i would differentiate. also not sure if it will let me do it, seeing as it cant access it. any ideas??

    hmmmm....???????
  • rykoryko new york
    edited September 2005
    use ntfs...it is better/more stable than fat32.

    also it might be that your firewire interface got damaged during shipping, so that it might not be the hdd enclosure but where it plugs into on your pc...just a thought.
  • richardturnbullrichardturnbull
    edited September 2005
    i just tried reformatting it... it wouldn't do it with the FAT option.. it spent 2 hours with the NTFS option, only to decide at the end it couldn't do it, and then another 1 1/2hrs with the FAT32 option to decide, yep, it definitely didnt want to be reformatted.

    the lights are on, but nobodys home.

    you think leaving the firewire and connecting through USB may make a difference? thx, that will be my next step...
  • richardturnbullrichardturnbull
    edited September 2005
    plugging it in through a USB cord quite excitingly shows a different colour access light on the front (green as opposed to red), but alas does nothing else. still giving me no love... parameters are still incorrect. will try calling Buffalos UK technical line in the morning.
    cheers
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