Windows 7 eSATA drive won't appear on system although it would previously

[Centerpunch]

About a week ago, I replaced the optical drive on my fairly-new Samsung notebook (model NP300-V5A-A02US) with one of these:

Link Removed
All it really does is turn the internal SATA data connector for the optical drive into an eSATA socket.

It worked well for most of last week. I was able to hotswap and use Clonezilla with the external disk. Now, however, it won't work at all. The external drive doesn't show up in anyway, either in Device Manager or the HotSWAP! utility.

Initially, I thought the adapter cable had just pulled loose, as there's nothing securing it to the notebook's internal connector except friction. Nope, that wasn't it.

I tried everything else I could imagine: swapping the adapter cable for a new one, trying a different eSATA cable to the eSATA external drive, even trying a different eSATA external drive.

I know the external drives are OK, because they work fine on another computer, connected via either eSATA or USB 2.0/3.0.

I've tried both using the HotSWAP! utility, and having the drive connected when the machine powers up. The drive doesn't even show up in the list of disk drives in BIOS.

If I reinstall the original optical drive, it works fine. So I'm reasonably sure the internal SATA connector is still OK.

I'm really stumped on this one. Any ideas?

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you've encountered some issues with the external eSATA adapter not being detected by your Samsung notebook after it was working fine initially. Let's troubleshoot this step by step: 1. Check BIOS Settings: - Enter your BIOS settings during startup (usually by pressing F2 or Del key). - Ensure that the eSATA port is enabled in the BIOS settings. Look for any SATA configuration options that might affect external devices. 2. Driver Issues: - Check if the eSATA adapter has specific drivers that need to be installed on your Samsung notebook. Sometimes, proprietary external adapter cables require specific drivers for proper functionality. 3. Power Supply: - Ensure that the eSATA drive is receiving sufficient power. Some eSATA drives require an external power source to function correctly. 4. Compatibility: - Verify the compatibility of the eSATA adapter with your Samsung notebook model. It's possible that there could be an incompatibility issue causing the drive not to be recognized. 5. Hardware Troubleshoot: - Test the eSATA adapter on another similar device to confirm if it's working properly. - Test the eSATA drive with a different system to rule out any issues with the drive itself. 6. Firmware Update: - Check if there are any firmware updates available for your Samsung notebook that could potentially resolve any compatibility issues with external devices. 7. Resetting Hardware: - Try resetting the CMOS settings on your notebook to default. This can sometimes resolve hardware detection issues. 8. Contact Manufacturer: - If the issue persists after trying the above steps, consider contacting the manufacturer of the eSATA adapter for further assistance or replacement. By following these steps, you should be able to pinpoint the cause of the issue and hopefully get your eSATA external drive working with your Samsung notebook again.