Unexpected disconnection of external hard drive Solved

Question

Hello,  I’m posting my problem because even though I can probably find the answer, I really need step-by-step guidance to solve this issue.  I have two external hard drives: - Western Digital, 1.0Tb, SATA / 16Mb Cache, 3.5”. Dedicated to media. - Seagate Barracuda, 2.0Tb, SATA, 3.5”. Dedicated to work.  When I want to access one of my drives, I plug it into an AKASA DuoDock X - AK-DK03U3-BK, USB3 (http://www.akasa.com.tw/search.php?seed=AK-DK03U3-BK  When I turn on the dock, Windows recognizes my hard drives and the partitions, but after a while (about 10 minutes) my Explorer windows close and the hard drive disconnects and reconnects by itself... This is really problematic when I’m working on photo retouching or layout because my links no longer follow and I spend my time reopening my folders...  I also connected the dock to another PC, and there I don’t experience disconnection...  I’ve seen posts suggesting reinstalling motherboard or USB port drivers, but I’m unable to understand what needs to be done... I don’t even know where to find the reference for my motherboard and USB ports...!  So if someone would be kind enough to take the time to explain to me step by step how to solve this problem, it would be very nice of them.  I look forward to your help, Thank you!  P.S: I’m not sure I posted in the right section. I hesitated with “Windows”...  Configuration: Windows 7 / Firefox 41.0

tomafou · Accepted Answer

Hi Sannin,  thanks for your feedback.  The problem is that even when I ask it to, the Windows Explorer window closes. However, the hard drive is still spinning.  To quote you: under Windows 7: Control Panel > System and Security > Power Options > Change advanced power settings > Advanced settings > USB settings In this window, the "Enabled" box was already checked.  [EDIT] It is now "Disabled" following the Microsoft procedure. See below.  As for the USB ports: USB Root Hub => Power Management => Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. This will prevent the operating system from turning off the USB port intermittently. You could repeat the process for the other USB Root Hub entry. Not knowing which port this corresponds to, I unchecked all the boxes! ;)  For updating the motherboard drivers, I went to the ASUS website and found a bunch of drivers.... I don’t know which one to choose... https://dlcdnwebsites.asus.com/maintain/web/500.html I don't know if what I'm going to say is reliable, but in the USB section, there are 2 drivers: Version 2.5.0.19 and Version 2.0.0.100. I compared it with the properties panel of the "Intel(R) USB3.0 Root Hub," on the "Driver" tab, and for the driver version, I have the same line: 2.5.0.19 Does this mean I am up to date?  I took the opportunity to run a 'Disk Check': No problems. Then 'Disk Analysis' and 'Disk Defragmentation': completed.  And finally, I followed the procedures from the links you sent me.  I will test to see if the problem persists while waiting for your response. Thanks anyway talk to you soon

Sannin_WD · Answer

Hello tomafou :)  I'm sure you've checked the different possible solutions, but have you properly checked the connections? Is the USB cable good? Similarly, what about the USB ports... When you test it on another computer, do you always use the same USB cord to connect the dock to the PC?  Sometimes a power issue could be the cause... it happens that the ports on laptops don’t provide enough power. Is the problem occurring on a laptop or a desktop PC? If it’s a laptop, I would suggest testing with the laptop charger plugged in. Is it the same?  We could also try changing the power settings: Control Panel => All Control Panel Items => Power Options  A look at Device Manager (it allows you to adjust power settings for USB devices) wouldn't hurt: Root USB Hub => Power Management => Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.  By the way, are the motherboard drivers from the PC or motherboard manufacturer’s site up to date?  I'm keeping an eye on this, @tomafou! Let me know the results, please :)  -- ----- If you've found the answer to your question, feel free to click on Resolved to help other members with the same issue ;)

tomafou · Answer

Hello Sannin,  Thank you very much for your reply! It's nice.  My personal PC is a "desktop" PC, with a tower. And it's barely 1 year old. The second PC on which I did the test is also a "desktop" PC.  The dock is about 6 months old, and I'm using the USB cable provided with it. It's a USB3 cable because the connector is blue. And on the dock side, the connector type is "Double square" (http://www.akasa.com.tw/img/product/common/feature/00/AK-DK03U3_f0B.jpg The test was done in the same configuration. That is, with the same cable and with the same usage of the drives (opening/closing folders, working on certain files, and periods of inactivity).  I just carried out the various manipulations: Control Panel => All Control Panels => Power Options  When I access "Power Options", I'm not quite sure what to do to be honest....  Device Manager => Root USB Hub => Power Management How do I know which USB port corresponds to the one where I plug in the dock?  And finally, how do I know if my motherboard drivers are up to date?  Sorry for being so bad at computers... ;)

Sannin_WD · Answer

Hi tomafou :)  Normally, a hard drive will go into sleep mode if it is not in use:  under Windows 7: Control Panel > System and Security > Power Options > Change advanced power settings > Advanced settings > USB Settings  Regarding the USB ports: Root USB Hub => Power Management => Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. This will prevent the operating system from turning off the USB port intermittently. You could repeat the process for the other USB Root Hub entry.  As for finding an update for the motherboard drivers, I suggest just visiting the motherboard manufacturer's website, selecting your model, and if an update is published - download and install it.  Is the hard drive full? Have you recently defragmented it? If not yet, it would be a good idea to think about it ;)  I'm sending you two articles from Microsoft's knowledge base that discuss sleep mode or hibernation: https://support.microsoft.com/fr-fr/help/953367/how-to-troubleshoot-usb-device-problems-that-may-occur-after-a-pc-that and power management modes https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows?ui=en-US&rs=en-001&ad=US#1TC=windows-7 ... the ideas shared there could be helpful :)  I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Keep me posted :) Catch you later and have a great weekend!  ----- If you found the answer to your question, feel free to click on Resolved to help other members with the same issue ;)

Sannin_WD · Answer

Thank you for your feedback, tomafou :)  Apparently everything is OK at those levels ... Have you thought about testing the dock (and the HDD) on a USB 2.0 port?  By the way, when you tell me that you tried the HDD (the HDDs) on another PC where the issue does not reappear, could you specify if the same activities (photo editing or layout) were carried out?  If the extensive tests of the HDDs are good, it significantly narrows down the circle of suspects ... By the way, does the issue occur with only one of the HDDs or is the behavior of both impacted ... If you observe this only with one of the HDDs, consider swapping their places and putting the problematic HDD in the slot of the other HDD. Have you thought about testing the dock?  @tomafou, do you see any changes after making the settings regarding the power supply?  Keep me informed, please :) See you +  -- ----- If you found the answer to your question, feel free to click on Resolved to help other members with the same issue ;)

tomafou · Answer

Hi Sannin,  I think my problem is solved! Since I disabled the USB port power-saving feature, I haven't had any issues with the hard drives. I believe that's where the problem was.  In any case, thanks for your help, it's nice of you!  See you!

Unexpected disconnection of external hard drive

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