USB HDD needs replugging?

[Indi]

Well, I've given up on this one.
It isn't as if I *have* to use this drive, and after spending so much
time searching and experimenting and getting nowhere it seems a far
more effective use of my resources to just take the time to format
another external HDD which is known to work and dd my data to it.
I'll just reserve the Seagate portable for use with other systems,
and in the future will be more careful when making these decisions.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to try to help.

-- 
caveat utilitor,
Indi