Intermittent USB connection on Iomega hard drive
I use an Iomega 250 external hard drive for my backups. When I first bought it, all seemed to be working fine. Occasionally it malfunctioned, but since it’s a secondary backup drive, I didn't pay too much attention to it.
After six months, the drive (f:) letter wouldn't come up in my drive list, so I was unable to read or back up. If I removed and re-inserted the USB connection at the hard drive, it would sometimes work. Now after another few more months, that doesn’t work either.
I wasn’t sure if it was the drive malfunctioning or possibly a software issue. Both would be a big headache to diagnose, and I was becoming increasingly frustrated.
I saw an article in Popular Mechanics about a product called DeoxIT®, that would fix connection problems common in computer equipment and other equipment, and with all the connections in computers, even a small connection problem can cause tremendous troubleshooting headaches.
For $10, I picked up a DeoxIT® pen (I later bought the spray version), and followed the instructions to clean the USB connection. plugged in the USB connector and prayed! To my surprise, and amazement, the drive came to life instantly, and I have not had a problem with it since.
I now keep a pen and small can of DeoxIT® at my desk, and use it on all the electrical connections I can find.
Thanks CAIG for not only saving me from buying a new drive, but the time and headache of troubleshooting my system.
John M.
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