Need help. Having trouble accessing HD

[KillSwitch_J]

I started having trouble today accessing the HD though the "My Computer" icon on the desktop. I can click the icon and it opens and it shows the drives but once I click the HD's icon to gain access all I get is the little hourglass as if it's doing it's job then nothing.

I can however still gain access to my files through "Windows explorer". The OP sys is XP-Pro Sp3. I only recently within the last month and a half did a full reformat and reinstall on this particular drive.

The Drive itself a 30 Gig "Seagate".

So can someone please tell me if this is something simple to fix; or am I going to have to do another reinstall on this drive?

[Herpy Derpy]

I've never experienced that problem before. But, right click the drive and hitting explore isn't too much work.

So, your choices here are: 1. Format or 2: One more click to get to your files. You decide.

[KillSwitch_J]

I've never experienced that problem before. But, right click the drive and hitting explore isn't too much work.

So, your choices here are: 1. Format or 2: One more click to get to your files. You decide.

I was actually waiting for someone to explain why it wont open the normal way, but I can deal with using explorer until then.

[KillSwitch_J]

Right click the drive and select Change Drive Letter and Path. Give the drive a letter and you are all set.

Are you saying, that if it isn't already showing a "C" for the drive letter, that this will fix it?

If the answer is yes. then I should tell you that the drive is already showing the letter "C".

[IIIII]

Go to Control Panel >
Administrative tools>
Computer Management>
Disk Management>
Then right click on the HD and choose to change drive letter and paths
Assign the drive a drive letter and you should be good to go

Let us know if this does the trick

[KillSwitch_J]

Go to Control Panel >
Administrative tools>
Computer Management>
Disk Management>
Then right click on the HD and choose to change drive letter and paths
Assign the drive a drive letter and you should be good to go

Let us know if this does the trick

Didn't work. I got this message: "Windows cannot modify the drive letter of your system volume or boot volume".

[IIIII]

OK if it is not the drive letter then look at this
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It sounds like a rogue autorun.inf file...

Try downloading Autorun Eater:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Secure-cleaning/Autorun-Eater.shtml
Click the 'Download' button on this page, and on the following page choose 'Softpedia Mirror (US)'.

Open the zip file and run the setup. After installing, Autorun Eater will launch and detect automatically any autorun.inf files that are not legit.

The app will run in your system tray (where Windows displays the clock) as an orange safety cone icon (familiar to users of VLC Media Player).
When your problem is solved and you no longer require Autorun Eater (or if Autorun Eater does not solve your problem), simply select 'Uninstall Autorun Eater' from it's Start Menu entry to completely remove the program.

http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php?topic=76173.0

[IIIII]

Didn't work. I got this message: "Windows cannot modify the drive letter of your system volume or boot volume".

Ok that is a valid windows response.

[LiquidIce]

Maybe try this:
Make a shortcut and in the path write "c:\windows\explorer.exe c:\".
It MIGHT just work, I've used it loads of times when I couldn't access my HDD or some USB drives.

[mrgoodbar]

run this program on it, you may have to torrent it

http://www.grc.com/intro.htm

[IIIII]

Maybe it is the HD.

Download the Windows version of TestDisk.

http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk


Unzip the downloaded file to your C: drive and open C:\testdisk-6.8\win > double click " testdisk_win" (the program doesn't have to installed).

TestDisk runs in a command window, so you use the keyboard to navigate, not the mouse.

A. Select the drive > Analyze > Press the "Enter" key.

B. When TestDisk has found the partition it will analyze it.

C. After the analyzing has finished it should say: "Structure OK".

[KillSwitch_J]

Nothing worked. I even started getting a warning that the recyclers couldn't be found so I went ahead and reformatted it and it seems to be doing ok so far.

[KillSwitch_J]

OK if it is not the drive letter then look at this
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It sounds like a rogue autorun.inf file...

Try downloading Autorun Eater:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Security/Secure-cleaning/Autorun-Eater.shtml
Click the 'Download' button on this page, and on the following page choose 'Softpedia Mirror (US)'.

Open the zip file and run the setup. After installing, Autorun Eater will launch and detect automatically any autorun.inf files that are not legit.

The app will run in your system tray (where Windows displays the clock) as an orange safety cone icon (familiar to users of VLC Media Player).
When your problem is solved and you no longer require Autorun Eater (or if Autorun Eater does not solve your problem), simply select 'Uninstall Autorun Eater' from it's Start Menu entry to completely remove the program.

http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php?topic=76173.0

I didn't see the link before I did the reformat IIIII, thanks for the link though.

You know come to think of it I ran a scan using "Malwarebytes Anti-Malware" and it did find something about a suspicious autorun file on my HD. It had it listed as a trojan. So I had it removed, or so I thought. I did another scan later but found nothing so I thought it was gone. Then I forgot about it.

It wasn't until two days later that things started screwing up.