Why won't my computer recognize both of my new external hard drives?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a technical issue where a user is experiencing problems with their computer recognizing two external hard drives simultaneously. The scope includes troubleshooting steps, potential hardware and software considerations, and user experiences with USB connectivity.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that a driver may be needed for the external hard drives.
  • Another participant notes that USB drives typically do not require special drivers, questioning the necessity of a driver in this case.
  • A different participant mentions the possibility that the hard drives may need to be formatted if they haven't been already.
  • One participant inquires whether the drives are connected to on-board USB ports or a USB hub, highlighting potential limitations based on how USB support is wired by different manufacturers.
  • Another participant raises the issue of checking IRQ settings with the drives attached, suggesting a deeper hardware configuration consideration.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing viewpoints on the necessity of drivers and the potential need for formatting the drives. There is no consensus on the root cause of the issue, and multiple competing views remain regarding troubleshooting steps.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of information on the operating system in use and whether the drives have been formatted. The discussion does not resolve the underlying technical issue.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for users experiencing similar issues with external hard drives and those interested in troubleshooting USB connectivity problems.

blimkie.k
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I recently bought 2 - 1 tb external hard drives from tiger direct.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822111019

My computer and other computers I have tried them on will not recognize them both plugged in together. it only recognizes the one i plug in first then when i plug the other one in nothing happens. When i unplug them both then plug in the other one it recognizes that one but not the second one. This is really frustrating. I couldn't find any related issues on google so i figured id see if anyone here has any ideas why I'm having this issue.

Thanks.
 
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Maybe you need a driver? Just a thought, that's what I would be looking into...
 
Hmm, that's quite a strange issue for a USB drive.

This drive does not appear to have a special driver -- and I wouldn't expect it to, since USB support is a basic feature supported by the OS.

What OS are you using?
 
also need to format the hard drives if they haven't been already
 
Are you plugging these drives into on-board USB ports, or into a USB hub?

Due to different companies having their own proprietary way of supplying USB support, their capability is sometimes limited by how they are wired.

Have you looked at your IRQ settings with the drives attached?
 

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