O.T. deleted bookmark, can't sign-on to FF

Mark Twain wrote:
I tried it and there's nothing the

http://i66.tinypic.com/2jwtnq.jpg

http://i64.tinypic.com/29wwtc3.jpg

Robert

OK, in the second picture, you have
a "USB Mass Storage" device with a yellow mark!

And your Disk Management doesn't show any Offline row.

So first you have to check out that yellow mark item.
There are two yellow marks. Your Teredo Tunnel has
a yellow mark (not important today). But the USB
Mass Storage device, you should have a look at that.

It means it may have been detected, and then
promptly disappeared.

Paul

Mark Twain wrote:
Since we can't access the drive at the moment
could you give me the link for USB Safely
Remove again so that I can at least remove
the drive and then we can deal with the icon.

Maybe use the Patriot Key to test it.

Thanks,
Robert

If the drive does not appear in Disk Management,
I don't think you can remove/eject it as such. It hasn't
been detected yet.

And if it is spinning at the moment, I don't know
how you can command it to spin down, if you cannot
communicate with it over the USB cable. It means
just using the power switch on the back.

*******

Copy/paste from previous post...

The developer site is here.

http://www.safelyremove.com

The developer download is here (presumably you get your
30 day trial from this). (The CNET one could have toolbars.)
Any time a program with a simple function, the file is
too big, I'm immediately suspicious.

http://safelyremove.com/exe/usbsafel...etup_5-2-3.zip

Paul

Finally got the drive out with the Safely
Remove program, thanks.

Here's the information on the USB Storage
Device with the yellow mark:

http://i63.tinypic.com/117cide.jpg

http://i64.tinypic.com/717045.jpg

http://i67.tinypic.com/1692ely.jpg

http://i66.tinypic.com/2jam1e8.jpg

http://i66.tinypic.com/2jam1e8.jpg

I'm not connecting the 2TB with that case again.

Robert

What do you think of the cases at the
bottom of the screen?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...=-1&isNodeId=1

Robert

Mark Twain wrote:
Finally got the drive out with the Safely
Remove program, thanks.

Here's the information on the USB Storage
Device with the yellow mark:

http://i63.tinypic.com/117cide.jpg

http://i64.tinypic.com/717045.jpg

http://i67.tinypic.com/1692ely.jpg

http://i66.tinypic.com/2jam1e8.jpg

http://i66.tinypic.com/2jam1e8.jpg

I'm not connecting the 2TB with that case again.

Robert

So the third image is telling you, that the 2TB
was Safely Removed ? That's what it seems to be
telling me. You've already requested it be safely
removed.

The third party program (which you're using a trial
copy), has this feature.

Return Device Back!

http://safelyremove.com/features.htm

So if the state if "47", and you have a copy of
that software, you can re-scan for it and make
it appear again. As long as it hasn't been unplugged
or powered off.

But as of the third picture, it is ready to be removed.
If you'd like to use it again, the "Return Device Back!"
works as long as the device is still connected and powered.

Paul

Mark Twain wrote:
What do you think of the cases at the
bottom of the screen?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...=-1&isNodeId=1

Robert

There's only one problem with the Sabrent product.

There are two versions with the same part number.

The old version.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...9SIA10V2GV5039

Convection cooling via "Swiss cheese" holes, no fan

External adapter uses four pin DIN, +5V/+12V from adapter,
meaning no need for a linear regulator inside the housing.

No reviews on Newegg, but Amazon reviews suggest old
version had a 1.5TB limit (won't work with 2TB drive).
This information is not listed in the advert.

The new version.

http://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-3-5-In.../dp/B003CJQ69A

No attention to cooling at all. No holes. No fan.

External adapter is the barrel type, +12V from adapter,
+5V via linear regulator inside the housing.

This new version may have a 3TB limit, so would work
with the 2TB WD Black.

And when this sort of thing happens (two products, same
model number), you really don't control what ships. It
could be either one, depending on stock level.

*******

I already showed you the one I bought, which does
not have a fan. I pulled the controller board
and situate air cooling over top of the drive.
So the housing does not get used at all. If
you wanted a concept like that, there is the
"dock" concept, which works like a toaster,
where there isn't an enclosure to get in the way.
I can tell you what I think of docks, by the
fact I don't own one. Many are made of plastic,
and are easy to tip over, slide off the table
and so on. If I bought one, I'd have to screw
a steel plate to the bottom to adjust the
center of gravity.

The 80mm fan designs, only the one design seems
to be available, and that's the one you already own.
I haven't been able to locate a quality item to
compete with it. That's why this search is hard.

I even considered a dual enclosure, but they put
40mm fans in those (not 80mm), and the noise would drive
you crazy. That's one reason I don't really like
one of my older enclosures, is it has a 40mm fan
on board. And for some of the 40mm fan products,
sometimes they don't even put an exhaust vent on
the enclosure, so the fan has no where to move the air.

http://images17.newegg.com/is/image/newegg/17-182-144-Z04?$S640$

The hard drive enclosure industry is a lot like
the stereo industry. There are Chinese ODM factories,
a few big ones, who make lots of different models.
Three or four companies will take the one you bought,
and slap their name on it. And attempt to make
a profit from selling it. Stereo equipment used
to do this too - you could find a couple of "bitter
enemies" in the home entertainment business, whose
designs were coming off a common production line.
You could tell, by the "inspected by #73" stamp
on the printed circuit board.

(This is the case you own, with Rosewill branding on it...)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817182247

(And this case has a variable speed fan, and some customers
claim the fan speed control board fails on it... In the past,
with rheobus products, a kind of fan speed controller, only
a few companies knew how to design a proper speed control,
one that wouldn't fry. The rest cut too many corners when
doing the speed control.)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817182316

I can spot all sorts of problems with these things, which
is why you don't want to bring me on a shopping trip :-)
I've bought bad products before, so I kinda have a
laundry list of things to check. I think your average
customer is also becoming aware of the issues (like, "what
capacity of drive does it support").

The USB3 enclosure I bought, the plan was to fit
a fan to the outside of it. The metal case is
thicker than I planned on (can't use my nibbling
tool on it), and would be pretty hard to cut to
shape (to fit a low speed 80mm fan). So for the moment,
I use the USB controller board out on the table.
I would need to drill holes in the case
and use my jigsaw with a metal cutting blade,
to "modify" it. Maybe a project when I'm bored
this winter.

Paul

In reference to the third picture; when
I took these screen shots the 2TB drive
had not been removed.

I wanted to show you these images so
we could work on the Safely Remove
icon but I didn't want to keep the 2TB
plugged in where I couldn't power off
my computer without possibly damaging
the 2TB drive.

As I said I downloaded the USB Safely
Remove from the link you provided and
as soon as it gave me the message that it
was ok to remove I removed the USB plug
faster than you could blink.

I was actually looking at this one or is this
one of the Chinese products:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-023-_-Product

It seems to be a miniature computer case
with fan but I don't quite see how you
would mount the drive? I still have some
of those green tabs that attach to the sides
of drives if that helps.

I wouldn't want a docking external drive
just something that's reliable.

I didn't realize that about the stereo industry
although I will say I prefer vintage equipment
over the newer plastic junk.

I have a Yamaha A-1 integrated amplifier that
lasted 34 years and finally died. It meant allot
to me and was a cutting edge design in its day.
To last 34 years speaks for itself so I had it
repaired and its alive and kicking.

Here's a link to the design (not mine)

http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/6...images/541517/

I also have the matching T-1 tuner.

http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/T-1.jpg (not mine)


Robert

Mark Twain wrote:
In reference to the third picture; when
I took these screen shots the 2TB drive
had not been removed.

I wanted to show you these images so
we could work on the Safely Remove
icon but I didn't want to keep the 2TB
plugged in where I couldn't power off
my computer without possibly damaging
the 2TB drive.

As I said I downloaded the USB Safely
Remove from the link you provided and
as soon as it gave me the message that it
was ok to remove I removed the USB plug
faster than you could blink.

I was actually looking at this one or is this
one of the Chinese products:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-023-_-Product

It seems to be a miniature computer case
with fan but I don't quite see how you
would mount the drive? I still have some
of those green tabs that attach to the sides
of drives if that helps.

I wouldn't want a docking external drive
just something that's reliable.

I didn't realize that about the stereo industry
although I will say I prefer vintage equipment
over the newer plastic junk.

I have a Yamaha A-1 integrated amplifier that
lasted 34 years and finally died. It meant allot
to me and was a cutting edge design in its day.
To last 34 years speaks for itself so I had it
repaired and its alive and kicking.

Here's a link to the design (not mine)

http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/6...images/541517/

I also have the matching T-1 tuner.

http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/T-1.jpg (not mine)


Robert

I don't know how this showed up in an external HD case
search.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811353023

That's a regular ATX computer case. You could certain
mount drives in there (using the provided plastic sliders),
but then you have the problem of cabling that case over
to your existing tower. There is nothing provided with
that case to do such a thing.

*******

They do make multidrive bays. But at the two-bay
level, it's still a 40mm fan on the back.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817707337

They make a four bay version as well. The fan gets bigger (80mm),
once the drive housing is taller. But the price is $160.
They just take the one-bay price, and multiply by four.
You get a nice power adapter by doing that, but even in
my richest moment, I don't think I'd pop for $160.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817707364

I could find a cheaper one for $120, but the reviews
were poor.

Paul

I didn't realize it was a full case because
as you pointed out how did it get included
with a external drive search?

I guess we'll have to keep looking. I would
pick the one you picked if it only had a fan.

Since we can't seem to fine a good one with a
fan, what do you think of this one? It has a
heat sink and air holes versus a fan.

Ideally I would prefer a fan but since I would
only be using the drives for creating backups
it wouldn't be on long.

Thoughts/suggestions?
Robert

p.s. after the performance of my Star Tech
I don't think I would consider buying another
Star Tech product even though I see allot of
them when searching.

As for reviews, I take them with a grain of salt
because I have bought things in the past based
on them and each time I did so I was disappointed.

Robert

Whoooooooooops! forgot to put in the link:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other...A4LhoCD1nw_wcB

Robert

Mark Twain wrote:
Whoooooooooops! forgot to put in the link:

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other...A4LhoCD1nw_wcB

Robert


OK, that's a 2.5" enclosure. I actually watched the
installation video, before they started talking
about 2.5" and SSD as their example installation.

That unit, the metal bottom pokes through the plastic
and functions as a heatsink. So the design isn't as bad
as I first thought. There were on the order of 14 screws
to install.

*******

Now, I visited that site yesterday, as I used to do business
with them back in my Macintosh days. And I located only two
enclosures using their search.

However, if you navigate by the categories they have in
some of their menus. there are actually more enclosures.

This one is a USB3 enclosure for 3.5" drive. It is
convection cooled, and there is no fan. The drive slides
into the SATA connector, then four screwed seated in
rubber grommets, secure the drive to the tray. I would
use this one, without the outer enclosure put back
in place. So the step where you slide the "sleeve" over
the drive and affix the two screws, I wouldn't bother
with that. The drive will still get pretty warm, even if open
to the air seated in that thing. $80.

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/ME3UHKIT0GB/

http://images.macsales.com/downloads...epu3ch_r2w.pdf

The extra USB connector on there, is for daisy chaining.
A favorite Mac passtime, suggested by the daisy chaining
capabilities of Firewire boxes. So they decided to
include that as a feature (basically a USB hub on the
circuit board). There would be a limit of around
three or four drives daisy chained, as the USB architecture
has a limit on the number of "hubs in a row".

*******

You can see more enclosure choices by scrolling
down here. Many are a little too expensive for my
tastes. I don't mind paying $80 for an enclosure,
but it better have "one sweet fan" on it :-) It
would have to be a perfect enclosure, to make
it worthwhile paying that much. And the example 3.5"
above is really no better than the one I bought for
$40, where I have to leave the cover off it for cooling
reasons.

http://eshop.macsales.com/Search/?Ntk=Primary&N2=6775&Ns=P_Popularity|1&Ne=5000&N=6 775&Ntt=usb3+enclosure

Paul

I searched through all of the enclosures
and none had fans and the prices of some
were pretty steep on some.

So like you said were stuck with only a
few brand names.

So at present:

1. we need to find a new enclosure with fan
that works
2. I need to re-establish the Safely Remove icon
so that its functional again.
3. Once we have a secure 2TB connection I need
you to walk me through back-ups, and whatever
else you think I need so this situation never
happens again.
4. purchase Seagate 2TB HD as backup-replacement
and case.

Robert

Mark Twain wrote:
I searched through all of the enclosures
and none had fans and the prices of some
were pretty steep on some.

So like you said were stuck with only a
few brand names.

So at present:

1. we need to find a new enclosure with fan
that works
2. I need to re-establish the Safely Remove icon
so that its functional again.
3. Once we have a secure 2TB connection I need
you to walk me through back-ups, and whatever
else you think I need so this situation never
happens again.
4. purchase Seagate 2TB HD as backup-replacement
and case.

Robert

1. So I take it you are rejecting the enclosure you've
got, because of the Safely Remove problem ?

I tried to reproduce your problem here, by using my
clone drives (new_Win7, old_Win7), with System Restore
enabled on each drive separately. And the Safely Remove
always works for me. The light stays on, but the dialog
says it is safe to remove. If I do an OS shutdown, the OS turns
off the light, just before the ATX power goes off (by a
couple of seconds). I think the USB Safely Remove may be
able to alter the spindown policy when ejected, but I don't
think this one has it. This is free, and is supposed to do
Safely Remove too.

http://uwe-sieber.de/usbdriveinfo_e.html

Of course, no Safely Remove method (builtin or third party)
can work, as long as System hogs the drive and is looking
at some files on the drive. Which is where that stupid
Offline thing comes to the rescue. And I wasn't able to
tangle up my two drives, even though the VolumeID values
are the same on both hard drives. There is only a disk
identifier of some sort, and the OS must have sorted that
already. As I can go Offline or Online with no complaints.

So I still don't have a solution for your problem (busy drive).
Even if the enclosure is changed, I don't think it will change
what is happening, since the errant information is stored
on the drive somehow.

2. Windows 7 has a Hide Icons box in the notification area.
A limited number of icons appear plainly enough, in full view.
The Safely Remove icon on my Win7 Pro machine is inside
the Hide Icons icon. It's an "upper pointing triangle"
to the left of the speaker icon.

In there, you can find the "lower class" icons. And
a Customize button.

This would be the same as the item in Control Panels.

Control Panel
Notification Area Icon
Select which icons and notifications appear on the taskbar
Windows Explorer Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media

You can modify the setting in each pull-down menu for each
item in the list. Mine is actually set to "Only Show Notifications",
which is probably why it lives in the lower class icon area.

In addition to that, I checked the Registry, and see this entry.

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Exp lorer\HotPlugNotification

Default REG_EXPAND_SZ
%windir%\system32\hotplug.dll,HotPlugSafeRemovalDr iveNotification

I think what that does, is tell Explorer (the desktop GUI) to
add that icon to the list of icons. If that registry entry was
missing, maybe that would cause it to disappear entirely.

I found another reference, that suggested checking the Bluetooth
service in services. Now, mine isn't running right now, and is set
to Manual start, and that doesn't seem to be stopping mine from
working.

And you can always try

control hotplug.dll

to make the dialog pop up and present the list of devices. You
could make a shortcut or a bat file out of commands like that,
if need be.

3. Backing up the 1TB C: partition to the 2TB USB external should
be straightforward with Macrium.

Using a modern browser, start on this page. (Otherwise the page
could remain almost blank...)

http://knowledgebase.macrium.com/dis...r +partitions

Starting the Image Wizard
Setting the Image destination
Adding and Editing the Backup Plan
Displaying the Image settings
Saving the backup definition

In the "Edit the plan for this backup", you can select
None if you don't want any fancy backup features.

In terms of the partitions to backup on the 1TB drive, there is
the Recovery partition (the one marked Active), any tiny OEM partition,
and the C: partition. Those are the ones I'd capture for sure.
The Recovery on the Dell is dual purpose - it has 12GB of files
for reinstalling windows, and it has less than 100MB of /boot files.
And the only reason for capturing this partition, is to keep the
/boot files.

The OEM partition is usually small (35MB) and since I don't understand
how it gets triggered, I would capture that one as well.

4. Purchasing the Seagate 2TB drive, is probably the simplest
operation in your list.

Paul

1. Well, I don't want to have this Safely Remove
problem every time I use it. If we can get it to work
properly then I'll use it but if not why bother?

In passing I put in a Cruzer key in the same USB slot
I put the 2TB to test the Safely Remove icon:

http://i68.tinypic.com/25i4zr8.jpg

http://i65.tinypic.com/5mlqbl.jpg

2. I have checked out the hide icon button etc and
nothing worked previously. Ad I said we had to go
into Disk Management to change it previously but
for some reason the drive was grayed out this time.

http://i66.tinypic.com/2rghyk4.jpg

I did try Control hotplug.dll but the icon didn't appear
which is when I asked you for the USB Safely Remove
link so we could at least get the 2TB off the 8500
and then address the icon problem.

3. Backing up should be straight forward and you
make it sound simple but I struggle sometimes
with the terminology and concepts. I'm not a tech guy
but I'm trying to keep up and understand. That's why
I say I need you to walk me through the process but I
would like to have it set up the way you think is best.

4. Agreed but also with a case.

Thanks,
Robert