X61T external drive issue - Not showing up??

[IBM_Nut]

Hello,

I have an X61T which is 32bit.

I need to run 64bit for a specific program. I have a spare Samsung SSD (250gbp) drive which I have tried to put into the usb and also the ultrabay dvd drive with a caddy but the drive does not show no matter what.

I have plugged into the usb on my IBM T30 and it picks it up fine.

Any ideas? driver or hardware issue?

[RealBlackStuff]

Check the BIOS/Startup/Boot settings, the USB-HDD might be disabled.

[IBM_Nut]

Sorry, where do I go to check that?

[IBM_Nut]

The only place it shows is in devices.

[RealBlackStuff]

Like I said, in the BIOS/Startup/Boot settings...
Press F1 at bootup to go into BIOS.

[IBM_Nut]

It shows the following:

USB BIOS SUPPORT: Enabled
ALWAYS ON USB: Disabled

[RealBlackStuff]

Read my instructions again...

[IBM_Nut]

Appologies...

Is this correct?

[RealBlackStuff]

Has that (USB) drive been initialized and formatted?

[IBM_Nut]

SSD formatted yes, initialised, not sure what that is.

It shows fine on my IBM T30 that's the odd thing.

[IBM_Nut]

With 250gb external SSD plugged into USB or disk drive slot -
This is on X61T - DOESN'T SHOW



With 250gb external SSD plugged into USB -
This is on T30 - SHOWS FINE

[IBM_Nut]

Will NOT show on EaseUS or in Disk Management either - On X61T

[RealBlackStuff]

Take that Samsung SSD out, put it in a USB enclosure, then plug it in a USB port.
Is it seen now?
Have you tried all three USB ports?

[IBM_Nut]

Take that Samsung SSD out, put it in a USB enclosure, then plug it in a USB port.
Is it seen now?
Have you tried all three USB ports?

Yes have tried all USB ports with SSD in the external enclosure but nothing. Wont even show when in the side drive on ultra base.

[RealBlackStuff]

Can you plug in a USB mouse, a USB CD-drive or anything else USB, like a printer?
Have you tried (re)installing USB drivers?
What OS are you running?
You may need a new motherboard if things don't improve.

[IBM_Nut]

I am running Window 7 32bit.

Tested USB 2.4G bluetooth wireless mouse and it works fine.

I have tried to update drivers on SSD enclosure when plugged into USB port but it fails, see photos. Not sure why or how to resolve.

[RealBlackStuff]

Click on the Drivers link above, go to X61 tablet and select the Storage drivers.
Install whatever you can find there.

[IBM_Nut]

Sorry, can you explain where you mean to go?

Update driver > 'Search Automatically for update driver software'

[RealBlackStuff]

Find someone else.

[axur-delmeria]

There's a "Drivers" link on the top of this forum page, just below the banner image. Look for the appropriate Thinkpad model and select the operating system currently installed on your laptop. As RBS mentioned, look under the "Storage" category.

[IBM_Nut]

There's a "Drivers" link on the top of this forum page, just below the banner image. Look for the appropriate Thinkpad model and select the operating system currently installed on your laptop. As RBS mentioned, look under the "Storage" category.

Thank you very much. Appreciate your instruction. Sorry I am new here, I had no idea where @realblackstuff was referring to.

If all else fails I will get a T430 which I might buy anyway as it will be a faster machine.

[IBM_Nut]

I have checkout out the drivers under "storage". Downloaded some that are relevant to 32bit window 7.
https://thinkpads.com/support/Thinkpad- ... /X61t.html

I have now clue how to install these. One took me to 'Run' when clicking but others don't do anything. Probably an easy job for someone who knows what they are doing lol

Anyone fancy helping with TeamViewer? I will send over PayPal beer tokens or donate to the site if anyone can have a look and resolve it. PM me if so

[pkiff]

Returning back to the question of whether the drive was "initialized", I wonder if in fact there is something about the drive architecture as it is currently built that is preventing access from your X61T.

Have you been able to access any other 2nd hard drive from your X61T? It may be a problem specific to this particular drive.

I would be inclined to use your T30 to wipe that drive and "reset" it, if possible. Like other SSD manufacturers, Samsung has specific Samsung-only software that is designed to help do this. Probably it is the Samsung Magician Software available here?:
https://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/m ... oad/tools/

Once you've reset it to factory state, then don't format it or initialize it in your T30 after that if you can help it: move it over to your X61T and try all your steps again.

I have had issues with various SSD's from time to time, including issues with drives not being recognized, but in my case, this was usually traceable to a formatting/architecture/initialization/password problem with the drive itself.

[IBM_Nut]

Hi pkiff. You are not wrong there! I remember having issue with a different Samsung SSD in this before and had to use the magician software from Samsung. This time I tried it on the Samsung magician software too and it didn't show. I did actually format it on the T30 and put it back in the X61T but nothing. Its odd how it shows on the Thinkpad T30 thou right?

I will try it again and let you know.

No I haven't actually tried another HDD as I only have Samsung SSDs here which are all mac ones, so would have to format them all. I did try one of them and it was the same.

[IBM_Nut]

This has become such a headache. It doesn’t allow me the option to initialize the drive in disk management on the T30. It simply doesn’t show.

I have tried RAW, NTFS and exfat. None of them show on X61t but show fine on the T30.

I have tried to download the Samsung Magician on T30 but the latest 6 version won’t install. Comes up with ‘Runtime error’ could not call proc.

I found a old 5 version, downloaded it opened it but says ‘the drive is not supported’ in the actual Samsung Magician program !!! None of the drive work on it. Must be too old this version and no longer works!?

I’ve lost the will now to be honest. I simply am no good at diagnosing such problem. May launch the thing out the bleeding window at the moment.

[pkiff]

That is a drag. I don't have other suggestions, sorry.

I once actually had to entirely turf a self-encrypted SSD drive from either Crucial or Samsung because it became unreadable. I ran into some kind of problem with the how one of my machines dealt with the Self-Encryption key and conflicted with the way the drive had been initialized. The problem may even have occurred in one of my X61T's. But I think it was probably more likely in my T60p. Regardless, in that case, it was definitely related to the self-encryption key. And from what I read at the time, there were all kinds of variations in how different manufacturer's implemented OPAL (or some partial version of OPAL!), and it also seemed tied to Windows software at the time. I think that SSD's have become a bit more standardized since then, but I suspect that some older laptops still have weird firmware/hardware issues with how they access SSD's.

And by "unreadable", I should really say "unrecognizable". Like the situation you describe, the drive simply was not recognized in my machine no matter what I did - not in the main HDD bay, not in a 2nd HDD adapter, and not in a USB enclosure. But unlike your case, the drive was not recognized in any other machine either, so I had to just throw the thing away.

[hopgarden53]

Sounds familiar ...

I have a Samsung EVO(?) 850 SSD (466 GB usable) as system disk at ThinkStation D10. Shows as "ATA SCSI DISK". Works OK but Samsung Magician can't find it either ...
Second story: Intel SSD 330 Series 120 GB is also "unrecognizable" on some USB enclosures on some machines. But works OK on other machimes/enclosures ...

Suggestion: try another manufacuter?