Every time I try to copy a massive 200GB folder from my PC to my 5TB WD Elements portable drive, the transfer gets about 40% through and then freezes, giving a “Device Unreachable” error. I’ve tried different USB ports. Could this be a cable issue or a drive fault?
A less obvious cause is USB power management, especially with Windows 11. Windows can temporarily suspend the USB port to save power, which can make an external WD drive disappear and then reconnect later even though the drive itself is healthy. In Device Manager > Universal Serial Bus controllers, check the USB Root Hub or Generic USB Hub power settings and uncheck “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.” Also try a different USB port and cable, since an aging cable or loose connection can cause the same intermittent behavior.
Wow, thank you! That Windows 11 USB power suspension theory sounds spot on for intermittent drops. I will definitely change those Device Manager settings and test a different cable tonight. Thanks for the solid advice!
