Hello, experts!
My Athlon XP 2200 computer with XP home developed a series of faults which ultimately led to it's freezing. While attempting to waken it I must have inadvertently started some unknown process as a brief message was shown on the screen saying something like "to continue will render drive K (my external USB HD) inaccessible and this is not reversible". Regrettably I did not stop the process ( don't know if I could have) and I now cannot access the HD.
Thinking this had to do with the computer I connected the HD to my laptop - I had used it regularly to back-up files from both computers - to my surprise and dismay the laptop no longer reads the HD either.
The external USB HD is a Maxtor. Model: Personal Storage 3200
Hope that I haven't lost some valuable data and that there is an easy fix.

Ishmael,

The unknown process may have disabled the USB drivers. My first suggestion would be to go under the laptop's setting and verify that the USB ports are "Enabled". Next, I'd check the Maxtor website for an updated driver for the disk. If there isn't a new driver, then I would reload the Maxtor set up software.

The laptop's OK as I use other USB items on it. As for Maxtor setup software, I did not get any with it - it was a simple "plug and play" setup. I cannot find a Maxtor driver on their site, but will look again. Thanks for your time.