# can't see external hard drive [solved]

## curmudgeon

First of all, everything works fine with say usb flash drives:

```
Mar  7 00:00:00 system usb 1-4: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 4

Mar  7 00:00:00 system usb 1-4: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice

Mar  7 00:00:00 system scsi4 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices

Mar  7 00:00:00 system usb-storage: device found at 4

Mar  7 00:00:00 system usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning

Mar  7 00:00:06 system scsi 4:0:0:0: Direct-Access     Samsung  Mighty Drive     PMAP PQ: 0 ANSI: 0 CCS

Mar  7 00:00:06 system SCSI device sdb: 4062208 512-byte hdwr sectors (2080 MB)

Mar  7 00:00:06 system sdb: Write Protect is off

Mar  7 00:00:06 system sdb: Mode Sense: 23 00 00 00

Mar  7 00:00:06 system sdb: assuming drive cache: write through

Mar  7 00:00:06 system SCSI device sdb: 4062208 512-byte hdwr sectors (2080 MB)

Mar  7 00:00:06 system sdb: Write Protect is off

Mar  7 00:00:06 system sdb: Mode Sense: 23 00 00 00

Mar  7 00:00:06 system sdb: assuming drive cache: write through

Mar  7 00:00:06 system sdb: sdb1

Mar  7 00:00:06 system sd 4:0:0:0: Attached scsi removable disk sdb

Mar  7 00:00:06 system usb-storage: device scan complete
```

But I have an external hard drive (actually a box that I put a hard drive in), and the machine only partially recognizes it:

```
Mar  7 00:00:00 system usb 1-3: new high speed USB device using ehci_hcd and address 3

Mar  7 00:00:00 system usb 1-3: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice

Mar  7 00:00:00 system scsi3 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices

Mar  7 00:00:00 system usb-storage: device found at 3

Mar  7 00:00:00 system usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning

Mar  7 00:00:06 system usb-storage: device scan complete
```

Any suggestions? Thank you in advance.Last edited by curmudgeon on Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:57 am; edited 1 time in total

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## fangorn

Have you tested the drive internally?

You have to test if the controller is supported with linux. If the drive works internally it is the controller. If another disk / DVD drive works with the controller it is the disk. 

Have you setup your disk to be master (assuming that it is a IDE model)? Most controllers I know cannot handle cable select.

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## curmudgeon

 *fangorn wrote:*   

> Have you setup your disk to be master (assuming that it is a IDE model)? Most controllers I know cannot handle cable select.

 

Thank you for pointing out the obvious (that I missed). I just never considered a laptop hard drive set as cable select (but I should have).

Looking forward to SATA making IDE completely disappear.

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