External HDDs disconnect/reconnect on certain USB Port

[zKs]

Hey there!

the tl;dr is that external hdds keep disconnecting/reconnecting when connected to a certain usb port. the story below might help you guys help me as it kinda shows what I've tried already and when the problems started

when it started/system backstory:
I seem to be having problems with a certain usb port. I have a lenovo y500 laptop with 2 usb ports on the left side, and 1 on the right. I'm not sure if they all support usb 3, but at least one does (I'll look up the specifics on this later/if relevant).

I own several external hdds (some usb2, some usb3) and up until recently, have never encountered any problems with hooking more than 1 up to my laptop. I recently purchased another WD My Book 4TB, and proceeded to hook that one and one of the same type that I already owned (and that has/had worked flawlessly since I bought it months ago), up to my laptop. Everything seemed fine. However, the next time I started up my laptop, with the 2 drives still attached, the new drive attached to one of the left usb ports, started acting up right away. Constantly disconnecting/reconnecting. Which it hadn't done at all the previous day/night, when I had used it for quite a lot of hours.


what I've tried already:
Since I found a lot of IO errors in the event log, I figured it was probably the hdd dying. However, when I hooked up another external hdd today, one that I have fully checked less than a week ago, and it started to do the exact same thing, I figured it was probably something with the usb port. I had my suspicions and thus have been avoiding using that usb port to check new external hdds since the initial problems, turns out I was probably right.

I have tried uninstalling all the usb devices with generic names, and this seems to have helped somewhat, but the problem persists (albeit with a much much lower frequency).

I have also already looked at the power settings and disabled usb selective suspend.

NOTE: All of the external hdds mentioned are externally powered.


Please help me fix this, it's so so annoying.

 

[popeye]

Most likely a power problem. The rated power of 500ma isn't much and can easily be overloaded. The power circuit to the port in question may be going bad. If so it won't make any difference if the drive is externally powered.

 

[zKs]

Most likely a power problem. The rated power of 500ma isn't much and can easily be overloaded. The power circuit to the port in question may be going bad. If so it won't make any difference if the drive is externally powered.

this makes sense.. when I hooked up a mouse I had 0 problems at all. is there any way to test this theory?

 

[popeye]

I have a MyPassport drive which is totally USB powered by a single port and works fine. Only easy way I know of is to test with a drive that is solely USB powered.

 

[zKs]

I have a MyPassport drive which is totally USB powered by a single port and works fine. Only easy way I know of is to test with a drive that is solely USB powered.

But how will that prove or disprove anything? I do have one of those, but if I hook that one up, and it does the same thing, nothing has changed, but also nothing has been proven. And besides, how would removing drivers make a difference to the functioning of the usb port though? If it is the usb port that's dying, why would function improve when I removed all those generic drivers? That makes no sense :s

 

[popeye]

I give up, just trying to help.

 

[zKs]

I give up, just trying to help.

No reason to get offended, I'm just honestly wondering how what you suggested would prove or disprove anything. I sincerely don't see how it would..