MyBook Essentials 2TB USB 3.0 Out of Sync with Booting PC

Without the external HDD connected the PC boots just fine, when the external HDD is connected USB it is touchy when booting I don’t know if it has something to do with the HDD not responding when the PC is booting or it slows down logging in because the HDD has to spool up. I didn’t manufacture the HDD but if it is common which I’m sure it is can it be fixed with firmware or drivers?

Is the description enough, basically logging in is errorless and fast without the HDD connected, when the HDD is connected it can either be really really slow, sometimes the HDD doesn’t initialize at all with Windows, when the HDD is connected some programs that load with Windows pop up errors, unrelated to logging on it can take an hour sometimes while Windows shuts down and the HDD stops reading or writing apparently.

Does anyone else have problems with logging in when the external HDD is connected or shutting down? 

One troubleshooting step that has helped to solve this has been waiting longer than usual after I see the log in screen. That is as far as I have gotten I am looking for a more reliable system of booting my computer because it is so touchy 70% of the time I have to shut it down again or fiddle with the HDD to successfully boot up. 

Do you have the same problem when the drive is connected to USB 2.0 port?

Joe

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Well it’s going to get more complicated from here, I tried USB 2.0 and no it did not struggle like it was with 3.0. But it did do these differences. When it was connected to USB 2.0 the quirky thing it did was take about 30 seconds after the log in screen appeared before the keyboard and mouse turned on. The quirky thing it always does when it is connected to USB 3.0 is the monitors will go to sleep before the log in screen appears. The monitors don’t go to sleep when it is connected to USB 2.0 and I logged in and out and shut down and booted up a few times with out errors.

So this is where it gets more complicated, I plugged it back into USB 3.0 and I am able to shutdown and boot up successfully as Windows is intended to do and as I would expect Windows to do. The complicated point I’m trying to make is it seems to me when the hard drive is warmed up it will behave as intended like this, I don’t know what troubleshooting I’m going to have do to have a reliable system if it is off all day though.

(which makes troubleshooting time consuming because I don’t know what it takes to get the HDD to cool down enough to be unreliable or if even that is the problem)

The other thing that USB 2.0 does is the HDD does not completely shut off when the computer is shut down.

It is at least reliable when connected to USB 2.0

The differences are:

  • USB 2.0
  1. It works with out crashing, freezing, or errors.
  2. The HDD doesn’t shut off when the computer is shut down.
  3. The monitors don’t go to sleep before the login screen.
  4. The mouse and keyboard are off about 30 seconds after the login screen apears before I can use them.
  5. Windows advises me to plug the HDD into a USB 3.0 port.
  • USB 3.0
  1. It freezes, takes hours to shut down, errors during login.
  2. The HDD does shut off with the computer when it is shut down.
  3. The monitor will sometimes go to sleep briefly before the login screen appears.

So in conclusion USB 3.0 needs to be fixed if I am going to use it. I am using these drivers here http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=19880

These are the most up do date drivers on USB 3.0 devices that is available. Apparently more than a few people are having problems with their USB 3.0 ports I understand.