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When I turn on external USB drive, Windows Explorer hangs


jeffw_00

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Now this is one I've searched on, and I'm surprised i can't find anything, as I expect the answer is easy. I suspect I'm not using the right search terms. 8-{

 

I just upgraded the HW for my XP system to a new Intel DH67CL motherboard + i5-2500. It's really fast! It works fine with all my HW (network notwithstanding, which I think was a prior issue).

 

One mild annoyance - I have an IDE external USB drive. When I have it plugged into a USB port (and I've tried all flavors on the machine -MOBO USB 2.0, MOBO USB 3.0, and my add-on PCI USB 2.0 card), and I turn it on, the machine -hangs- (I mean hit-the boot-button hang - almost forgot how to do it - it's been that long since this machine has hung).

 

If the USB drive is on when the machine boots, no problem. Also no problem disconnecting it using the systray icon.

 

When I turn the drive on - it knows it's there (i get the icon in the bottom right), but it never shows up in explorer, and it I right-click on the icon windows explorer hangs.

 

Any thoughts, pointers much appreciated - thanks!

/j

Edited by jeffw_00
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In computer management, can you see which drive letter is being assigned to external drive?

if that drive letter is already in use, you might get a hangup.

 

not already in use, and can't get that far (explorer hangs if I tried to open disk management)

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To determine whether the issue that you are experiencing is caused by one or more system files that are used by Windows, run the System File Checker tool. The System File Checker tool scans system files and replaces incorrect versions of the system files by using the correct versions.

 

To run the System File Checker tool, follow these steps:

  • Click Start, and then type cmd in the Start Search box.
  • Right-click cmd in the Programs list, and then click Run as administrator.
  • If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type your password or click Continue
  • At the command prompt, type the following line, and then press ENTER:

    sfc /scannow (note the space before the backslash)

  • When the scan is complete, test to see whether the issue that you are experiencing is resolved.

 

If errors are found, I recommend running the tool again, with another restart.

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Thanks Corrine, but this was an upgrade, so I just ran a repair install, followed by an SP3 upgrade (and then 97 more updates) over the weekend. No SW installs/re-installs, so the O/S is about as solid as it can be I think. Also _ I mucked with the USB-related BIOS settings (they had a 'legacy mode" that could be disabled). didn't help (sigh).

/j

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finally found intel's chipset/driver utility. Evaluated my system, installed new chipset, video drivers. Booted system with drive attached. Uninstalled drive, Uninstalled "USB MAss Storage" under USB Controllers, etc. Rebooted, let it re-install. It reinstalled USB Mass Storage device, and then hung trying to install drive. I gave it 5 minutes, just in case, and then re-booted.

 

Nothing's changed. Works great if drive is on when machine boots. If machine boots with drive off, and then I turn drive on, machine hangs.

 

(sigh)

 

Emailing Vantec (drive manufacturer) yielded nothing of value.

 

 

/j

Edited by jeffw_00
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So I tried uninstalling all the USB and letting it re-install with the new chipset drivers.

 

I also tried a VERY different external drive (I have a SATA toaster).

 

Results: Problem still there, and happens with -any- external drive (or, at least the 2 I tried).

 

So any time i want to connect an external hard drive, I need to re-boot the system.

 

This really shouldn't be - I have latest drivers, brand new MOBO, etc. (and no O/S related issues with this on the last MOBO).

 

The symptom is always the same. I see the drive appear in Device manager, and get the "safely remove hardware icon". and then I can still work as long as I don't nick windows for anything (i.e., try to open windows explorer, disk management, start menu, task manager, etc). Apparently it's stuck in some loop trying to bring the drive on-line.

 

anyone have -any- other ideas?

 

T H A N K S!

/j

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different USB ports?

 

quoting from OP

 

"I've tried all flavors [of USB port] on the machine -MOBO USB 2.0, MOBO USB 3.0, and my add-on PCI USB 2.0 card)"

 

/j

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Jeff, can you elaborate a bit about the ESET settings you're using in regard to scanning external sources, and how/when they are scanned if at all? Goretsky probably asks this tomorrow when he gets back on line. I have followed this thread a couple of days now and I think he might be on to something.

 

There's one other thought of me: A couple of weeks back I got an update through Microsoft Update which was something for USB, I can't remember exactly what it was; but what I do remember is that I uninstalled that one within 10 minutes. The reason was that my external keyboard and mouse got disabled, no matter what I did. (using a Lenovo laptop) The internal keyboard and touchpad on the laptop did work, the external keyboard and mouse ceased to function. After uninstalling that specific update the external hardware did function again.

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Hi Striker - I haven't touched the ESET settings. All defaults. No problems with keyboard/mouse (it's a desktop). The place I bought the HW from suggested a BIOS upgrade - so I will try that over the weekend. May seem obvious, but I've learned NOT to do BIOS upgrades without a reason and a blessing, but apparently the shop I bought from does them on these boards quite often without incident.

 

Come to think of it, I -think- i tried turning on the drive with ESET disabled. If not, that's an easy thing to try again.

 

thanks!

/j

 

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Alright Jeff, maybe the BIOS update will do it, but by all means: ask those guys at the shop what to do if the update fails or does not solve the issue. I'm not fond of BIOS updates either except when the manufacturer instructs me to do so.

 

In the main time I was able to get some more info about which USB update I talked about earlier (KB2529073) : it's one for Win7 and 2008 R2, so it's not applicable to your XP system. In other words, forget that, I was on the wrong track.

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Jeff, hi there,

 

I put together a little resume about the things we encountered so far:

 

booting machine + USB drive ===> no problem

booting machine + connecting USB drive after Windows loaded ===> problem

used main board: Intel BH67CL

CPU: i5-2500

problematic drive seems to be: IDE external USB drive

 

Is the above correct ?

 

I have this as an option at the moment:

 

What happens when you use a SATA hard disk drive in an USB enclosure? I don't know if you have that hardware at hand, or maybe you can temporarily borrow it from a friend, neighbor or colleague at work?

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Hi Striker - thanks for the interest.

 

Yes - note that it fails on multiple external USB drives. Note also that it fails

- on both of the MOBO USB 2.0 controllers (there are 2)

- on the MOBO's USB 3.0 ports (different driver (suppled by Renesias).

- on the USB 2.0 ports on the PCI card I have plugged into a PCI slot.

 

So it's "above" the individual USB port drivers.

 

Also - turning the drive -off- after it's detected doesn't return the system to a stable state - it acts as if the drive was still on and eventually hangs.

 

I don't have any ESATA drives, they would connect in through a different controller. I suppose if there was a problem with ESATA that would indicate that the problem was located in whatever common driver/OS-sw is used to 'connect' drives when the machine is running, whereas if if there was no problem it would isolate the problem to USB drivers (in-between the common code and the USB port drivers).

 

Note that I CAN connect USB memory sticks, and my Blackberry, to a running system with no problem and they are both mounted as drives without issue. So I would already say the problem is limited to whatever code mounts specifically USB external drives. It actually makes sense that it should be a lower-level issue as opposed to a more-general issue since I didn't have the problem on my prior MOBO.

 

 

Hope I'm making sense.

/j

Edited by jeffw_00
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Yep, but esata is not the same as SATA and not what I meant.

 

The USB enclosure you have contains an IDE interface and uses USB connection.

What I mean is an USB enclosure with build in SATA interface (which concurrently needs a SATA hard disk drive) and connects through USB.

 

If that would fail also I suspect a driver issue or a loading issue/timing issue of the driver loading.

If it doesn't fail, I suspect the build in interface from the USB enclosure with IDE interface.

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Alright. When that happens - when the drive fails - but before it hangs:

- is there anything in noteworthy in Device Manager which reveals something

- is there anything mentioned in Event viewer

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Alright. When that happens - when the drive fails - but before it hangs:

- is there anything in noteworthy in Device Manager which reveals something

- is there anything mentioned in Event viewer

- no - it adds the drive to the list of Disk Drives, but right-clicking on it to do anything causes a hang

- no - nothing recorded

 

thanks

/j

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