External HDD problems

[wiltshirejohn]

I've been using a Maxtor external HDD connected by USB2 as a backup device for some years now. Everything was fine until just recently.

Now when I switch the HDD on this machine slows to a crawl and then locks-up completely.  Unplug the HDD and hard reboot - everthing fine again!

As the printer, scanner, camera (all connected by USB) and sundry USB sticks all work fine I went and bought a replacement disk - 'Western Digital "My Passport" Essential SE'.

IT DOES THE SAME BL**DY THING.

The O.S. is a fully patched XP SP3.     I have also tried shutting off all anti-malware and firewalls etc. to no effect.

Phase 2:  I borrowed a Dell laptop with the same status O.S.  and found the same results. i.e. memsticks,cameras etc seem to be OK but the 500GB HDDs shut the system down.   

Does anybody know of any recent MS updates that might be the cause?

          Regards - wiltshirejohn

[Glenn]

Any help John? http://www.howtogeek.com/forum/topic/external-hard-drive-is-reallly-slow

[Rik]

Hi John

I've got four external USB HDs permanently connected to my main machine (XP) without any problems. Take a look in Device Manager and see if there are yellow exclamation marks showing, either on disk drives or USB. Also check the BIOS and make sure that it's not trying to boot from a USB device.

[Steve]

From Glenn's link

Go to
1. Control panel
2. System and Maintenance
3. Administrative tools
4. Run services shortcut
Once the services program loads find the services called Background intelligent transfer service and stop it
also right click on the same service and click properties then change the start value to manual or disabled this should also fix the network problem and USB copy and paste problem


May be worth a shot, it was the only odd one I found apart from checking usb voltage and reinstalling the disk via device manager

[wiltshirejohn]

Hi Rik
  I can't take a look at the Device Manager - the whole machine locks-up just after I plug it in 

Thanks Steve - tried that, same result but just a bit slower to slow down and stop

Oh well - I suppose I'll have to call Western Digital customer support 

  Regards - wiltshirejohn

[Rik]

Even after booting, John? That suggests to me there's a USB problem. Is the drive self-powered?

[Technical Ben]

Yep. Might be a power or hardware problem with the drive or caddy. If it turns out the caddy is broken, you might be able to transfer the HDD into a new housing. I had my old caddy blow up when I plugged the usb in backwards (oops!), but the HDD survived fine and is in this machine right now.

[Glenn]

But the problem is the same with 2 different drives

As the printer, scanner, camera (all connected by USB) and sundry USB sticks all work fine I went and bought a replacement disk - 'Western Digital "My Passport" Essential SE'.

[Rik]

I had my old caddy blow up when I plugged the usb in backwards (oops!)

How did you manage that,  Ben? 

[Rik]

But the problem is the same with 2 different drives

Which is why I'm interested if they are self-powered drives. It's possible the USB port isn't supplying enough current.

[Glenn]

I'd start by deleting all the USB hubs (first if possible plug in a ps/2 mouse) then reboot. Once the PC has found all the 'new' hubs try the drives again.

[Rik]

I wouldn't argue with that.

[Technical Ben]

Oh, sorry, I though it said it was tried on another pc and does the same thing. Reading fail. 

Oh, on second read, wiltshirejohn says even the new HDD now causes a reboot on a second laptop as well. Hence why I'm still thinking it's a power problem. As said, I had a caddy die when the usb got crushed (dropped the laptop with it plugged in ). In which case could a broken usb blow the power to both devices?

The new drive might need formatting, but it should not cause a reset/crash. 

[wiltshirejohn]

The original Maxtor drive has it's own psu (wall-wart). It WAS working and then the problems just started.
The new Western Digital drive is USB powered and factory formatted for Windoze.

In both, slight vibrations can be felt and the little lights go blinka blinka  so I don't think there's a power problem.

Bl**dy computers -  and now I can't find those pills...   GRUMP GRUMP ...  Where's the bl**dy hammer....

[Rik]

Is the drive, whichever one is in use, plugged into a hub or a motherboard port, John. If the former, try the latter (but I'm guessing you did with the laptop ).

[Technical Ben]

The original Maxtor drive has it's own psu (wall-wart). It WAS working and then the problems just started.
The new Western Digital drive is USB powered and factory formatted for Windoze.

In both, slight vibrations can be felt and the little lights go blinka blinka  so I don't think there's a power problem.

Bl**dy computers -  and now I can't find those pills...   GRUMP GRUMP ...  Where's the bl**dy hammer....

Just as a note, so did my caddy. When it was plugged in again, the motors/HDD all worked, lights flashed etc, but there must have been just one part that died. Perhaps one of the microchips blew on the caddy, thankfully not on the HDD though.

The only way I was able to confirm it was the caddy that died, was to remove the HDD and try it in another one or a pc. The HDD worked perfectly, but the caddy never did again.

[armadillo]

wiltshirejohn, just to clarify then:

You have tried the Maxtor mains powered drive in PC and laptop.
You have tried the Western Digital USB powered drive in PC and laptop.

Each drive has its own caddy?

How many USB cables have you tried?

[wiltshirejohn]

wiltshirejohn, just to clarify then:

You have tried the Maxtor mains powered drive in PC and laptop.
You have tried the Western Digital USB powered drive in PC and laptop.

Each drive has its own caddy?

How many USB cables have you tried?

Hi Armadillo

With the Western Digital I've only tried one - the one that came with it. This is because it has a USB3 type connector in it and that's the only one I've got.

With the Maxtor I've tried a couple - one of them brand new. Suppose I ought to dig out a couple more from the spares box.

BTW neither of these units has a 'caddy'. They are standalone desktop units. Well the Maxtor is anyway. The WD will slip into a pocket easily 

Thanks to all for these suggestions

[armadillo]

I can see why you are suspecting software. So far there seem to be the following possibilities:

1. The USB lead supplied with the new WD and both leads you tried with the Maxtor, including the brand new one,  have all suddenly become faulty;

2. The Maxtor developed a fault and the new WD is faulty and both faults have exactly the same symptoms;

3. The USB power in the new WD and the mains power supply to the Maxtor have both become faulty;

4. There is some software in both PC and laptop which has been updated and causes the problem in both machines for both drives.

1,2 and 3 look rather unlikely to me, though lightning does strike the same place twice and somebody wins the lottery jackpot.

You suspect 4. At the moment, so do I. I think it is unlikely to be a Windows update because either you would have found that culprit via Google or someone else on this board would have encountered it. I do not keep my XP SP3 fully patched so I cannot really be certain but I think it is unlikely.

The most likely culprit, IMHO, is a software firewall or other anti-malware.
You say you have disabled all of these.
Fair enough.
But how have you disabled them?
and is there any firewall or anti-malware common to both machines?

I have had problems in the past with Comodo firewall and PrevX anti-malware, both of which slowed various processes to a halt. Not saying they are not wonderful products for some folks.

I ask how you disabled them because some of them, both Comodo and PrevX for example, continue to operate even if you have disabled them via the programs' interfaces, i.e. clicked "disable" or some such on their menu.

It is usually necessary to find their underlying Windows services, stop them, and prevent them starting automatically when Windows starts. And also stop any processes they are running.

If there is no such software common to both machines, this is unlikely to be the cause. In that case, Windows itself would look more likely.

Can you restore either machine to a point well before the problems began?

Do you have a bootable  CD that you can boot from and see if you can then access the drives? You could probably use the Windows CD or (definitely) an Acronis True Image CD or probably a Linux boot CD. I just had a look at the instructions for Bart PE but it does not by default provide USB support and you need to jump through hoops to get it to support USB.

Sorry for a long post. Just trying to throw in some ideas.

[Technical Ben]

Hi Armadillo

With the Western Digital I've only tried one - the one that came with it. This is because it has a USB3 type connector in it and that's the only one I've got.

With the Maxtor I've tried a couple - one of them brand new. Suppose I ought to dig out a couple more from the spares box.

BTW neither of these units has a 'caddy'. They are standalone desktop units. Well the Maxtor is anyway. The WD will slip into a pocket easily 

Thanks to all for these suggestions

Sorry, I meant "caddy" as in casings. It's still a plain desktop/laptop HDD in the casing. All the box is is a power and usb adapter for the HDD. What I meant is, as I had fried my external box, I had to put the HDD in another one. In the end it ended up in this pc to put my backup partitions on.

Oh, and Armadillo. I have never heard of a cable ever breaking through software. I would think we can rule that out as a cause. The HDDs work, no matter what cable is used, I'd guess the cables are ok, but the fault is somewhere else.

Oh, and finally, more helpful than my last suggestion. Both HDD casings I have (one desktop sized, one laptop) have flashing lights and/or buzzers to tell you of faults etc. My little Laptop one will give a red light and a beep if it is not plugged into the external power, or if you unplug it without the "safely remove" settings.
The desktop case flashed red when it was damaged. Do the drives flash red?

[wiltshirejohn]

I have had problems in the past with Comodo firewall and PrevX anti-malware, both of which slowed various processes to a halt. Not saying they are not wonderful products for some folks.

We have Comodo on both machines and yes I only hit the 'disable' button.   More digging needed here I think.   Failing that approach I shall try booting from a CD.

    Thanks again - wiltshirejohn

[armadillo]

We have Comodo on both machines and yes I only hit the 'disable' button.   More digging needed here I think.   Failing that approach I shall try booting from a CD.

    Thanks again - wiltshirejohn

Ah! I shall eat my hat if Comodo is not the cause. You will need to find any Comodo services and processes and prevent them starting with Windows. If you have not found this before, Autoruns for Windows is a brilliant tool for doing such things safely and reversibly.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902

It has a funny history. It was written by an independent author who then sold it to Microsoft.

A boot CD would enable you to test the drives provided it has drivers that can see external USB. I am not sure what the Windows CD includes on boot.

Keep us updated. I am intrigued to know the final solution when you find it.

[Steve]

I've a sneaking suspicion your hat will be safe Armadillo.