# usb hard drive disconnects WinXP



## Clutchcargo

I've got a 500 gb drive that live in an enclosure. This worked fine on my laptop but when I plug it into my desktop, the OS recognizes it and I can access it for a short while but always disconnects within a few minutes. Any ideas on what the problem is?
TIA


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## End Grain

What USB speed standard is the drive manufactured to? 2.0? 1.1? What are the USB ports in your desktop PC rated at? Most high speed peripherals will NOT work properly - or at all - backwards, i.e. faster technology towards slower throughput. It may be that your PC will require a high speed USB card to be added so that the drive can be used.


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## shimmy25

You might check your power management settings in the control panel.


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## Clutchcargo

Thanks, both the drive and computer are USB 2.0 and the power management settings say never to turn off hard drives.
I don't know what other setting to look for. WinXP is up to date as well.


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## End Grain

Clutch, try this. Leave the drive on and plugged in. After Windows disconnects it, open up the Control Panel and select Install New Hardware. Tell Windows to search for any new devices. See what devices, if any, Windows finds. Allow Windows to "install" and configure the new device(s). Let us know what happens.


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## DSallee

Does this happen on ALL USB ports on the PC or just one?

I had a Dell laptop that did this exact same thing and it was a bad USB port on the PC (Laptop)

Dave


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## Guest

You should also check power management in Device Manager for the USB hubs themselves.


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## Clutchcargo

I tried the "Install New Hardware" and was eventually led to the troubleshooting screens. I thought that would work, but nope.
It happens on all the USB ports.
Where do I check the power management for USB?


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## End Grain

Clutchcargo said:


> I tried the "Install New Hardware" and was eventually led to the troubleshooting screens. I thought that would work, but nope.
> It happens on all the USB ports.
> Where do I check the power management for USB?


Control panel, System, Hardware, USB controllers, select one of them, doubleclick and then go to the last tab, i.e. Power Management.


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## Clutchcargo

Thanks, almost worked it made it further than before. I'm trying to copy several gigs of video files from this drive and with the power management turned off it made it further but it still failed.
It works on my laptop with no issues, I don't know what the problem is.


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## End Grain

Clutchcargo said:


> Thanks, almost worked it made it further than before. I'm trying to copy several gigs of video files from this drive and with the power management turned off it made it further but it still failed.
> It works on my laptop with no issues, I don't know what the problem is.


Clutch, it may be your USB cable. If you have another cable at your disposal, try swapping it for the one that's presently connected to the drive.


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## Clutchcargo

Thanks, but that's the first thing I tried and they both work fine with my laptop. I'm going to poke around the bios to see of there is a setting that needs setting.


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## Snowdog

Clutch, try updating the drivers for your USB controller and external hard drive. Also what service pack are you using in Win XP? Run a Windows update to make sure it is current.


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## Guest

You could also try this update from Microsoft that is suppose to improve performance on USB devices under XP.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...c2-3b44-4d2e-9640-e0d21818763e&DisplayLang=en


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## Ash

Try to find a powered USB hub (one which plugs into electricity) and connect the drive thru it

Possibly the drive overloads the computer USB port untill it decides to shut down


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## KHouse75

I have a Western Digital My Book that does this on all Dell hardware. Servers, Laptops and Desktops. It works find on my home built PC and my IBM laptop. I've tried everything from a new cable to trying to redetect the hardware, etc.

I've been in the IT industry for over a decade and this one has just stumped me. I think it's a controller compatibility issue between the Dell usb and the drives. I have other My Books that work fine. It seems to just be this particular model of 500 GB WD My Book in my case.

Searching the internet turned up several others having problems with this same drive.


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## Guest

Could be a problem with the chipset in the Mybook enclosure. Not much you can do about that unless WD or the chipset manufacturer has a firmware update available. Sometimes that causes more harm than good.


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## Ash

It works in the beginning and then disconnects so to me it looks more like power problem than communication problem

Try to give this thing the 5 V from an external source instead of the computer's USB


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## Clutchcargo

Thanks, the HD has it's own power source. 
It's a full size disk. From my research in trying to fix this, I believe it's actually a SSI chipset compatibility issue with larger HDs.


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## Guest

I've had Bytec enclosures running Prolific chipsets with similar issues in the past. No mater what I flashed to it, I never got the problem solved.


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## Ash

Try to boot a linux CD and access it from there

Does the problem happen there too ?

If no then maybe try to upgrade the relevant drivers on the computer

CD download


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## Clutchcargo

080903k said:


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Thanks, that's what I was thinking too.


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