Windows 7 Windows 7 loses contact with Western Digital Mirror 2 TB HD

[cpmorganesq]

I successfully installed Windows 7 on my computer this week, but the computer sometimes loses contact with my Western Digital Mirror 2 terabyte hard drive. When this happens, I restart the computer, and the drive usually reappears.

I contacted Western Digital support, and they said this drive had not yet been tested with Windows 7 (What do they do all day long over at Western Digital? Apparently Windows 7 was a total surprise to them!) They suggested that it might be a power issue, and that I should plug the unit directly ino a wall socket instead of a power strip. They also suggested I try switching the USB cable. I tried both these fixes, but the intermittent problem still remains.

Is this a driver issue? Does anyone have any ideas about what I can do? Are there any downloads on the Microsoft site?

Also, I keep getting a message at start up that Windows can't find my two network drives. But as soon as I open the explorer window and click on the two drive icons, they're there every time. Is this just a start up timing issue?

Thanks!

- cpmorganesq

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you are facing a couple of issues with your Windows 7 installation. Let's address each of your concerns:

Issue 1: Western Digital Mirror 2TB Hard Drive Connectivity​

The intermittent loss of contact with your Western Digital Mirror 2TB hard drive could be due to various reasons:

1. Power Supply: While you have tried connecting it directly to a wall socket, you might want to check the power settings on your computer. Some power-saving settings might be affecting the connectivity.
2. Driver Issue: It's possible that the drivers for the drive are not fully compatible with Windows 7. You can try updating the drivers for the hard drive to see if that resolves the issue.
3. USB Cable: Even though you mentioned trying a different USB cable, it's worth checking if the cable is of good quality and supports the necessary data transfer rates.

   Issue 2: Network Drive Connectivity​

   The message at startup indicating that Windows can't find your two network drives could be a timing issue, as you suspect. Here are some steps you can take to address this:
4. Map Network Drives: To ensure that the network drives are connected at startup, you can try mapping them as network locations. This will ensure they are accessed automatically during the boot process.
5. Startup Programs: Check the startup programs on your computer to see if any programs or scripts are attempting to access these network drives before they are fully initialized. You can adjust the startup order to delay programs that rely on network drives.

   Downloads and Updates​

   For driver-related issues, it's a good idea to check for updates on the Microsoft website. Microsoft often provides updates for drivers that can help with compatibility and performance. You can also visit the Western Digital website to see if there are any specific drivers or firmware updates for your Mirror 2TB hard drive that address compatibility issues with Windows 7. If you encounter any specific error messages or codes related to these issues, providing those details can help in further troubleshooting. Feel free to give these suggestions a try, and if you need further assistance, please provide more details about any error messages or behaviors you notice.