The portable Seagate FreeAgent external drive is easy to use with Windows XP for data backup. It’s very easy to use with a plug-n-play mode for Windows XP. Anyway, it’s important to follow the Seagate FreeAgent Windows XP installation guide.

Seagate FreeAgent Windows XP Installation:

• Take your FreeAgent and cables out of the box and plug in the power adapter.
• Connect the USB 2.0 cable from the FreeAgent to the corresponding port on your computer. Wait about two minutes for your computer to recognize your FreeAgent drive.
• Wait for the Windows dialogue box to appear and follow the on-screen instructions to install the software (to do this, you will need administrative privileges).
• With your drive still connected, run the software and select the Backup option to configure your backup.

Data loss sometimes also happen with external drives like FreeAgent. Thus, to prevent data loss, it is always recommended to click the “Safely Remove Hardware” button down in the system tray (by the clock) before disconnecting the FreeAgent power cord and interface cable.

There are instances though that FreeAgent external drive is not detected. It does not show in computer with other Windows XP drives.

Just, go to Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> System -> Hardware -> Device Manager. Under the Disk drives check if FreeAgent is shown as a disk drive. If not then check the device list for any FreeAgent device. Double click and update the driver. If the driver could not be updated, uninstall the device, unplug the FreeAgent USB cable and reboot the computer.

During start up, plug-in the USB cord and Windows XP will hopefully find the new device. Open windows explorer and chances are you should see your Free Agent as a drive. If not then manually assign the drive letter. Your FreeAgent is now ready to store and back up your content.