Hardware Western Digital MyPassport not detected

[the_randomizer]

So, I've had this 500 GB HDD for about four years now that I've used for Wii/vWii homebrew, mostly Gamecube and Wii games, formatted in FAT32, never a single issue with performance or stability. However, lately Windows 7 on my desktop and laptop don't recognize it, yet it's getting power and I hear the disks spinning just fine, so it's obviously working, no clicking or grinding sounds. The drive is still operational, but something must have made Windows freak out to the point of where neither machine can detect it.

Is there any way, without formatting it (because i dont want to re-rip all the games or have to download them), would Smartware be able to detect it? I need help here and it's starting to piss me off.

Edit: Update, it's only my desktop that doesn't detect it, my laptop detects it perfectly, so something is jacked up, not sure how to fix it on this end.

 

[aaronz77]

I know you posted this a few weeks ago. But since it's your desktop that's not recognizing the Hard Drive I'm guessing that you're using the front panel USB ports? Did you try the ones on the Back of the computer? The ones on the actual motherboard may have a better chance of supplying the proper power to the HDD. Sometimes the front panel ones "flake out". Another thing I'd try is hitting the device manager and uninstalling the HDD. Reboot, hit the western digital website for the proper drivers and plug the HDD back in, install the new drivers. Strange that it works in one PC and not another. Either way, hope you got it fixed by now.