USB 3.0 connection randomly stops working

txakura

New Member
Messages
10
Location
Salinas, California
I have a 1/2-Tb drive using a USB 3.0 connection to my computer. Over the last three or four months, the connection will stop working in more-or-less random times. I can turn off the power to the drive, wait for about a minute, turn power back on and restart the computer, and that will get the connection back. I'm worried about this "fix" not working one of these times and me losing the use of the drive. Anyone have a clue on how to fix?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 10 pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    home built
    CPU
    i5-4400
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    8Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    buiilt-in
    Sound Card
    built-in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S24C450
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 1/2-Tb internal, WD 1/2-Tb USB 2.0, Seagate 250-Gb USB 2.0
    Cooling
    fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech K250 wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech M705 wireless
    Internet Speed
    2.82x.51 Mb
    Browser
    firefox or chrome depending
    Antivirus
    Vipre
I don't know what kind of drive you have, but I had the same problem with a WD external USB 3. I called WD and they said to go in Services and change Computer Browser and UPnP Device Host to automatic instead of manual. That fixed mine.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio XPS 9100
    CPU
    intel i7 920 @ 2.67 GHz
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    24 Gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 5670
    Sound Card
    Internal
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Flat Screen HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 850 250 GB SSD
    2 Seagate internal 1TB
    WD external 3TB USB 3
    WD external 2TB USB 3
    PSU
    550-W
    Case
    Mid
    Cooling
    Fans
    Keyboard
    US USB
    Mouse
    USB
    Internet Speed
    3.84 Mbps Download .44 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    MS Defender
    Other Info
    Liteon DVD wrighter
    Liteon BD drive
    Monoprice Tablet
I'm afraid I'm going to sound like a real dunce, but how do I "go in services?" I'm sure I've probably done it before, but I don't use the computer a whole lot anymore. I spent what seems to me to be a long time working on computers in one form or another (mostly writing business applications and building my own home computers) for close to 30 years, and now there's not a whole lot of enthusiasm left for them.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 10 pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    home built
    CPU
    i5-4400
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    8Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    buiilt-in
    Sound Card
    built-in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S24C450
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 1/2-Tb internal, WD 1/2-Tb USB 2.0, Seagate 250-Gb USB 2.0
    Cooling
    fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech K250 wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech M705 wireless
    Internet Speed
    2.82x.51 Mb
    Browser
    firefox or chrome depending
    Antivirus
    Vipre
I'm afraid I'm going to sound like a real dunce, but how do I "go in services?" I'm sure I've probably done it before, but I don't use the computer a whole lot anymore. I spent what seems to me to be a long time working on computers in one form or another (mostly writing business applications and building my own home computers) for close to 30 years, and now there's not a whole lot of enthusiasm left for them.
On the desktop Click on Control Panel. Then AdministrativeTools >Component Services >Serveries(Local) >Double click on Computer Browser >In Start up Type >ChooseAutomatic >Check apply then OK. Then restart computer. Do the same thing for UPnP Device Host. Hope this helps.
Browser.png
UPnP.png
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio XPS 9100
    CPU
    intel i7 920 @ 2.67 GHz
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    24 Gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 5670
    Sound Card
    Internal
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Flat Screen HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 850 250 GB SSD
    2 Seagate internal 1TB
    WD external 3TB USB 3
    WD external 2TB USB 3
    PSU
    550-W
    Case
    Mid
    Cooling
    Fans
    Keyboard
    US USB
    Mouse
    USB
    Internet Speed
    3.84 Mbps Download .44 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    MS Defender
    Other Info
    Liteon DVD wrighter
    Liteon BD drive
    Monoprice Tablet
Thanks, that was pretty easy. One thing... when I reached the point where I could do something with "Start Up Type", I could only choose what was available in the drop-down list (I chose "Automatic") - for both Browser and UPnP. I hope I went to the right place.

I figure I should wait about a week to be sure if the fix takes. I'll be sure to let you know - and mark this solved.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 10 pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    home built
    CPU
    i5-4400
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    8Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    buiilt-in
    Sound Card
    built-in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S24C450
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 1/2-Tb internal, WD 1/2-Tb USB 2.0, Seagate 250-Gb USB 2.0
    Cooling
    fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech K250 wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech M705 wireless
    Internet Speed
    2.82x.51 Mb
    Browser
    firefox or chrome depending
    Antivirus
    Vipre
Thanks, that was pretty easy. One thing... when I reached the point where I could do something with "Start Up Type", I could only choose what was available in the drop-down list (I chose "Automatic") - for both Browser and UPnP. I hope I went to the right place.

I figure I should wait about a week to be sure if the fix takes. I'll be sure to let you know - and mark this solved.
That was the correct thing to do. What kind of drive do you have?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio XPS 9100
    CPU
    intel i7 920 @ 2.67 GHz
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    24 Gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 5670
    Sound Card
    Internal
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Flat Screen HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 850 250 GB SSD
    2 Seagate internal 1TB
    WD external 3TB USB 3
    WD external 2TB USB 3
    PSU
    550-W
    Case
    Mid
    Cooling
    Fans
    Keyboard
    US USB
    Mouse
    USB
    Internet Speed
    3.84 Mbps Download .44 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    MS Defender
    Other Info
    Liteon DVD wrighter
    Liteon BD drive
    Monoprice Tablet
Wowsers! Fantastic illustrations, Clint!

I note I see this complaint all the time - with as many solutions as complaints which may or may not work. I am really curious if this one holds. How long ago did you apply this fix, Clint? And are you connecting this USB3.0 drive to a USB3.0 port?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Wowsers! Fantastic illustrations, Clint!

I note I see this complaint all the time - with as many solutions as complaints which may or may not work. I am really curious if this one holds. How long ago did you apply this fix, Clint? And are you connecting this USB3.0 drive to a USB3.0 port?

I have been using this for about a year. I do have it plugged in a USB 3 port. There are a couple of other things you can do that may fix it.
In Device Manager> Universal Serial Bus controllers> Intel USB 3.0 eXtensible Host controller-1.0 (Microsoft)> properties>Power Management tab> uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
And Universal Serial Bus controllers>USB Root Hub (xHCI)> properties>Power Management tab> uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
This is a link to the same problem with a lot of good info. Help! After installing Windows 8.1, my USB drive disappears or file transfers stop unexpectedly
If you have a Western Digatl external HD, Run the Smart Ware program that came with it and under settings. sleep timer> choose never.
Hope this helps.
Screenshot (55).png
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio XPS 9100
    CPU
    intel i7 920 @ 2.67 GHz
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    24 Gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 5670
    Sound Card
    Internal
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Flat Screen HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 850 250 GB SSD
    2 Seagate internal 1TB
    WD external 3TB USB 3
    WD external 2TB USB 3
    PSU
    550-W
    Case
    Mid
    Cooling
    Fans
    Keyboard
    US USB
    Mouse
    USB
    Internet Speed
    3.84 Mbps Download .44 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    MS Defender
    Other Info
    Liteon DVD wrighter
    Liteon BD drive
    Monoprice Tablet
Yeah, I have seen those other fixes suggested and for some they work, some they don't. And for some they work for awhile then stop. So a year is very encouraging.

TBH, I have been very discouraged with USB altogether. While getting faster and faster with each new version sure is nice, USB2.0 was also supposed to fix all the problems (including these connection issues) USB1.0 had, but didn't. Then USB3.0 was supposed to fix all the problems USB2.0 had, but didn't. People report problems all the time of lost devices and USB ports no longer working, or this USB3.0 device not really compatible with that USB2.0 port (or the other way around) and more. Maybe there are just too many cooks involved in setting up the new protocols each time. I don't know. And again, faster speeds/more bandwidth is great but at this point, I would like to see a new USB revision where everything just worked like it is supposed to. That is, a truly "universal" serial bus. What a concept, huh? :sarc:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
what happened to firewire? or whatever APPLE uses was pretty darn good..

- and their USB ports/drivers/host controllers are pretty darn fast.. faster than my windows PC usb 3.0.. and I have a $1000 laptop..

I used to have a MacbookPro laptop that I used Bootcamp on just to use Mac Hardware with Windows ha.. now I'm back to PC but I remember having no problems or speed issues with the mac hardware running windows.. funny yah..


oh and Clint, do you know the specifics on why "turning off power saver" is the trick? why isn't that just turned off on everything when I choose "high performance plan" in power settings or something..

ah Microsoft..
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo g750
    CPU
    i5
    Motherboard
    Some Chinese Crap..
    Memory
    8
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia 755
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Funny: I see mention of a quote reading "Help, after installing Windows 8.1..." My problem started (I think) when I installed Windows 10 over Windows 8.1. I suspect the specifics of the issue have to do with something being different when installing one Windows over another. No hard evidence, just curious.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 10 pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    home built
    CPU
    i5-4400
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    8Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    buiilt-in
    Sound Card
    built-in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S24C450
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 1/2-Tb internal, WD 1/2-Tb USB 2.0, Seagate 250-Gb USB 2.0
    Cooling
    fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech K250 wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech M705 wireless
    Internet Speed
    2.82x.51 Mb
    Browser
    firefox or chrome depending
    Antivirus
    Vipre
what happened to firewire? or whatever APPLE uses was pretty darn good..
It was good, but it was pretty much a proprietary thing for Apple and Sony (called i.LINK by Sony) - meaning if you wanted to use it, you had to buy Apple or Sony branded devices (or other brand devices with licenses to include the interface). This, as all proprietary things do, meant higher prices and fewer choices for consumers - something we consumers generally don't appreciate.

Now Apple has replaced Firewire (IEEE1394) with their new Thunderbolt interface, a PCI Express and DisplayPort hybrid, the latest version of which uses the new USB Type-C connector.

Funny: I see mention of a quote reading "Help, after installing Windows 8.1..." My problem started (I think) when I installed Windows 10 over Windows 8.1. I suspect the specifics of the issue have to do with something being different when installing one Windows over another. No hard evidence, just curious.
Don't try to correlate the two, other than noting that the problem started after upgrading to a new operating system - noting that new operating systems typically need new hardware drivers.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
It only lasted three days and I'm back without the USB connection to the drive. Since I didn't remember what the drive was within the case, I pulled the case apart. It is a Western Digital WD5000AAKX (Caviar "Blue") drive and it is 500Gb, as I originally stated. The case is a NexStar-HX with a combination USB 2 and USB 3 connector - which, I think is the standard, and allows for either USB 2 or USB 3 connections to be used. The connector on the computer case is also USB 3, and the cable is a USB 3 as well. The problem started after I had been using the drive for well over a year. And, I still think it has something to to with my upgrade to Windows 10, since the failure started around the same time as the upgrade.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 10 pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    home built
    CPU
    i5-4400
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    8Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    buiilt-in
    Sound Card
    built-in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S24C450
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 1/2-Tb internal, WD 1/2-Tb USB 2.0, Seagate 250-Gb USB 2.0
    Cooling
    fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech K250 wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech M705 wireless
    Internet Speed
    2.82x.51 Mb
    Browser
    firefox or chrome depending
    Antivirus
    Vipre
Turns out that firmware update wants to have nothing to do with my drive. When I couldn't get it to work, I called WD support and was told "This drive is for use within a computer case, and is not supported as an external drive within a case from another manufacturer." So, that's that.

Since I can't get it work any other way, I'm just going to be satisfied to use it as a USB 2.0 drive. ...unless someone has a solution that works.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 10 pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    home built
    CPU
    i5-4400
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    8Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    buiilt-in
    Sound Card
    built-in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S24C450
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 1/2-Tb internal, WD 1/2-Tb USB 2.0, Seagate 250-Gb USB 2.0
    Cooling
    fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech K250 wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech M705 wireless
    Internet Speed
    2.82x.51 Mb
    Browser
    firefox or chrome depending
    Antivirus
    Vipre
This may help.
Control Panel > Power Options > Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings. In the window that opens, scroll down to USB settings > USB selective suspend setting. Here, change the default value of
Enabled to Disabled.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro 64 bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Studio XPS 9100
    CPU
    intel i7 920 @ 2.67 GHz
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    24 Gig
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Radeon HD 5670
    Sound Card
    Internal
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Flat Screen HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 850 250 GB SSD
    2 Seagate internal 1TB
    WD external 3TB USB 3
    WD external 2TB USB 3
    PSU
    550-W
    Case
    Mid
    Cooling
    Fans
    Keyboard
    US USB
    Mouse
    USB
    Internet Speed
    3.84 Mbps Download .44 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    MS Defender
    Other Info
    Liteon DVD wrighter
    Liteon BD drive
    Monoprice Tablet
Having made ALL the changes suggested, I can honestly say I'm not certain which made the difference, but, since I waited the time it would usually take for the drive to have cycled off between each, I have to conclude the last tipped the balance. I have had the drive connected for over a week, and it seems to be able to continue.

Thanks to all of you who provided assistance. It was worth the effort to make the drive usable again.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 10 pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    home built
    CPU
    i5-4400
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    8Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    buiilt-in
    Sound Card
    built-in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S24C450
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 1/2-Tb internal, WD 1/2-Tb USB 2.0, Seagate 250-Gb USB 2.0
    Cooling
    fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech K250 wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech M705 wireless
    Internet Speed
    2.82x.51 Mb
    Browser
    firefox or chrome depending
    Antivirus
    Vipre
i know there have been problems with USB 3.0, especially Intels USB 3 controller it seems. Im always hearing of issues where connections just stop all together, or a device will keep on connecting then disconnecting in an infinite loop. I had this issue on my toshiba laptop and never was able to get it to work, after trying all the suggestions that are listed here. This was a good while ago, but still.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 @ 3.3-3.7 Ghz
    Motherboard
    MSI Z77-G41
    Memory
    16 GB Kingston HyperX Beast DDR3-1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GT 730
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dual 20 Inch Dell
    Screen Resolution
    1680*1050
    Hard Drives
    Western Digital Caviar Blue 500 GB
    Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB
    PSU
    Thermaltake 550W
    Case
    Antec Nine Hundred Two
    Cooling
    Arctic Freezer i30 CO
    Keyboard
    Logitech K330
    Mouse
    Logitech M215
    Internet Speed
    60 Mbps
    Browser
    Comodo Chromodo
    Antivirus
    Comodo Internet Security Premium
Kinda glad someone responded to this thread after me. About two days after I posted last, I found the drive had again disconnected. I have my calendar (one of two, for obvious reasons) on the drive, and when it didn't show up, I knew the drive had quit again. I just cycled the drive off and on, restarted, and it was back. (Now that I've mentioned it, I have a Restart icon on my desktop just for that.) Fortunately for me, the calendar does another job than just reminding me of things to do, it also lets me know when to cycle the drive! Unless someone else has (another!) solution, I guess I'm just stuck with this remedy.

Come to think of it, the mention of the Intel controller makes me wonder. Has anyone tried another controller? Any success?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 10 pro x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    home built
    CPU
    i5-4400
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    8Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    buiilt-in
    Sound Card
    built-in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung S24C450
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 1/2-Tb internal, WD 1/2-Tb USB 2.0, Seagate 250-Gb USB 2.0
    Cooling
    fan
    Keyboard
    Logitech K250 wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech M705 wireless
    Internet Speed
    2.82x.51 Mb
    Browser
    firefox or chrome depending
    Antivirus
    Vipre
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