PCMCIA 4-port Nec USB 2.0 problem PLEASE HELP!

Compaq Presario 1200US
Windows XP sp1
all updates installed

devices in question:
NEC chipset 4-port PCMCIA USB 2.0 card
USB2 to IDE cable with 6gb Seagate attached (with external power supply)


I recently bought a 4-port NEC pcmcia USB 2.0 adaptor to upgrade my laptop (since 2 old usb 1.x slots). I also bought a USB2 to IDE cable so I can turn an internal hard drive that I had into an external one. I did a clean install of windows xp sp1 before installing the devices.

The drivers installed automatically for the USB card when I plugged it in. My problem is, when I plugged in the USB2 to IDE adaptor (with a Seagate hard drive attached to it) unto the new USB 2.0 card, my computer wouldn't recognize the hard drive. However, if I connect this same usb to ide adaptor to an older USB 1.1 port, the drivers install instantaneously, hard drive is recognized, and I can access the drive. What am I doing wrong? Can somebody please help me? I'm currently running Windows Pro SP1.


here are the links to the devices I bought:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3495135400

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=6701024571


This is the error message when I plug the USB2 to IDE cable:

"USB Device Not Recognized"

"One of the devices attached to this computer has malfunctioned, and Windows does not recognize it."

It is also listed as "unknown device" in the control panel.

Welcome to WD jcasti
Small note: USB cards are very very finicky.

anyone?

jcasti

Summarising the usb posts in the forum.... the cheapo usb2.0 cards do not provide enough power to run the hard drive.... if you don't have a separate powersupply for the usb hard drive, it's likely it won't work.

The thing is, I'm using an external power source to power up the hard drive, so shouldn't it technically work? And I plugged an external CD-writer to this same USB 2.0 adaptor and it worked fine. I'm just so completely lost here.

I wonder if it is to do with the age of the hard drive and usb 2 standards....

When you plug it into the the usb 2 does it show up in storage in computer management?

No, I don't see it in computer management either. And I've also tried several hard drives and none of them are recognized. Do you think this may be a driver conflict?

Hi, I have the exact same problem as you ..if i plug a dvd drive into a usb 1.1 port at the back of my laptop is reconise's it but cannont view the cd/dvd contents....i think it is cos its not fast enough , so i plug any device into my 2.0 USB cardbus 4 port...and usb2 to ide cable and it will not reconise ANYTHING...only 1.1 items!! and im using a seperate power cable for all items hdd's, dvd's, cd's....both items i bought came without instructions just a bunch of drivers..and i have tried them all.
The 4 port usb 2 has a nec chip,
A N Y H E L P W E L C O M E.
:(