USB-connected external HDD keeps disconnecting/reconnecting

[quicklime]

Hi,

I just bought a big fat 300GB Mactor SATA HD which I installed in my Windows XP Professional desktop computer to act as my D: drive (I already had a 74GB SATA Raptor as my boot drive). I also have an old 120GB IDE drive, an IBM Deskstar 120GXP -

http://www.hd4less.com/ibmdes1212ua.html

- which I want to set up in an external enclosure. The other two drives work perfectly, but the external drive seems to have a split personality. I bought a USB 2.0 enclosure for it, and when I plug the IBM drive's USB cable in my computer senses the new device... for a few seconds, and then it all of a sudden disconnects... for a few seconds, then it gets sensed again... for a few seconds... etc.

Obviously, this isn't useful to me. What is going on here?

I've set the jumpers so that they are on Master (16 heads), and I've been more successful plugging the external drive into another laptop (also running XP) where it doesn't play the in-and-out game. Any suggestions?

 

[paskuda]

This is pretty weird. I'm having the same problem with flash cards' reader. Initially, I thought that's some driver/OS issue, but I've heard people using Fedora linux complaining about it too. It's not only drive problem - also happens with joysticks, mices, drawing tablets using USB, which would suggest it's a USB problem. My guess was motherboard - yet some people experiencing it use MSI board, some have ASUS (like I do).
I'm trying to get some more info on that, if I do I'll let you know. Anyone, any ideas ?

Mike