Question on my external USB HDD enclosure

[Jethro]

I have this year-old external USB enclosure made for HDD and CD drive.
I am using it for a hard drive. I am running WXP PRO SP2.

Should it be hot? That is, since it has an on/off switch, shouldn't I
be able to turn it off and on and automatically connect to it? As it
is, it doesn't seem to want to do that. I have to shut down and
sometimes even jiggle some connectors and then boot up before WXP will
recognize its presence.

Anyone?

Thanks

Jethro

 

[John McGaw]

I have this year-old external USB enclosure made for HDD and CD drive.
I am using it for a hard drive. I am running WXP PRO SP2.

Should it be hot? That is, since it has an on/off switch, shouldn't I
be able to turn it off and on and automatically connect to it? As it
is, it doesn't seem to want to do that. I have to shut down and
sometimes even jiggle some connectors and then boot up before WXP will
recognize its presence.

Anyone?

Thanks

Jethro

Yes, you should be able to do that. I have three 200gB drives in
external enclosures that I use for backups and they all do. And I have a
CD/RW in an external and it does also. I don't have a firm idea about
what might cause your problems but it and similar problems seem to be
widespread if a Google search is indicative. There seem to be a number
of home remedies suggested and one of them may work for you.

One thing I've taken to doing with my removable drives is to assign each
of them the drive letter X: when it is installed. I figure that this
will prevent any conflicts with other hardware since the drives may be
used on several different computers each with a different number of
physical drives.

 

[Paul]

I have this year-old external USB enclosure made for HDD and CD drive.
I am using it for a hard drive. I am running WXP PRO SP2.

Should it be hot? That is, since it has an on/off switch, shouldn't I
be able to turn it off and on and automatically connect to it? As it
is, it doesn't seem to want to do that. I have to shut down and
sometimes even jiggle some connectors and then boot up before WXP will
recognize its presence.

Anyone?

Thanks

Jethro

The switch on the enclosure probably does not affect the power
feeding the USB part of the interface. The enclosure might look
like this. The "left side" of the USB bridge chip is bus powered.
The HDD is powered by the adapter. The switch is basically only
affecting the HDD.

+5V ----- USB to ribbon pwr /
D+ ----- IDE adapter ------- HDD -----x x--- Enclosure +5/+12
D- ----- chip inside power source goes
GND ----- enclosure to the drive

But the chip in the enclosure could potentially notice what is going
on, on the HDD side, and alert the computer. Just one of those
tiny design details.

A USB bus reset should also be a suitable event, to cause the
bridge to restart its sequence with the HDD.

I tried looking at the documentation for a TUSB6250 on www.ti.com,
and I don't see how the USB bridge detects that the drive is powered.
(I selected TI because I thought I'd get a good datasheet. Other
companies are more likely to be providing the chip used in your
enclosure, but aren't likely to hand out a datasheet on the web.)

What you got is the luck of the draw. Maybe another enclosure design
does it right.

If your motherboard has a USBPWxx jumper block, you could try setting
it to the +5V position, rather than +5VSB, for the USB stack you are
using. When the computer sleeps, that will remove power to the USB
side of the interface. And at least then, the USB bridge chip will
go through its initialization sequence, when it receives bus power.
For whatever that is worth. Note that really modern motherboards,
have removed that jumper block, and the user is stuck with a constant
supply of +5VSB on the USB plug. Treat this change in the jumper setting,
as an experiment, because there is no guarantee it'll work any better.
It is just something to try.

Paul

 

[meerkat]

I have this year-old external USB enclosure made for HDD and CD drive.
I am using it for a hard drive. I am running WXP PRO SP2.

Should it be hot? That is, since it has an on/off switch, shouldn't I
be able to turn it off and on and automatically connect to it? As it
is, it doesn't seem to want to do that. I have to shut down and
sometimes even jiggle some connectors and then boot up before WXP will
recognize its presence.

ALWAYS use the `Safely remove icon` in the systray, to
seperate your USB drive from the OS.
There is a chance you could corrupt the drive otherwise.

You will then be back here (tinh) asking how to fix
the drive.

Has the enclosure got a built in fan ?.
If so, is it running ?.

I use a `IcyBox` external, and it stays icy cold, and it
has no fan.
Some tho` do get fairly warm.

 

[Jethro]

Yes, you should be able to do that. I have three 200gB drives in
external enclosures that I use for backups and they all do. And I have a
CD/RW in an external and it does also. I don't have a firm idea about
what might cause your problems but it and similar problems seem to be
widespread if a Google search is indicative. There seem to be a number
of home remedies suggested and one of them may work for you.

One thing I've taken to doing with my removable drives is to assign each
of them the drive letter X: when it is installed. I figure that this
will prevent any conflicts with other hardware since the drives may be
used on several different computers each with a different number of
physical drives.

That sounds like a good idea in any case. But so far this time around
it has been attached to just one machine - always same drive letter.

Thanks for response

Jethro

 

[Jethro]

The switch on the enclosure probably does not affect the power
feeding the USB part of the interface. The enclosure might look
like this. The "left side" of the USB bridge chip is bus powered.
The HDD is powered by the adapter. The switch is basically only
affecting the HDD.

+5V ----- USB to ribbon pwr /
D+ ----- IDE adapter ------- HDD -----x x--- Enclosure +5/+12
D- ----- chip inside power source goes
GND ----- enclosure to the drive

You may be right - I had not thought of the separation of power.

But the chip in the enclosure could potentially notice what is going
on, on the HDD side, and alert the computer. Just one of those
tiny design details.




A USB bus reset should also be a suitable event, to cause the
bridge to restart its sequence with the HDD.

I tried looking at the documentation for a TUSB6250 on www.ti.com,
and I don't see how the USB bridge detects that the drive is powered.
(I selected TI because I thought I'd get a good datasheet. Other
companies are more likely to be providing the chip used in your
enclosure, but aren't likely to hand out a datasheet on the web.)

What you got is the luck of the draw. Maybe another enclosure design
does it right.

I don't know what model enclosure I have - it is a few years old and I
seem to have mis-laid whatever documentation I had.

I have been thinking of buying another one just to see if problem
continues to happen.

If your motherboard has a USBPWxx jumper block, you could try setting
it to the +5V position, rather than +5VSB, for the USB stack you are
using. When the computer sleeps, that will remove power to the USB
side of the interface. And at least then, the USB bridge chip will
go through its initialization sequence, when it receives bus power.
For whatever that is worth. Note that really modern motherboards,
have removed that jumper block, and the user is stuck with a constant
supply of +5VSB on the USB plug. Treat this change in the jumper setting,
as an experiment, because there is no guarantee it'll work any better.
It is just something to try.

It is an older ASUS K8V SE DELUXE Socket 754 MOBO. I'll have to
examine the manual, plus maybe the ASUS to answer this one.

Thanks Paul

Jethro

 

[Jethro]

The switch on the enclosure probably does not affect the power
feeding the USB part of the interface. The enclosure might look
like this. The "left side" of the USB bridge chip is bus powered.
The HDD is powered by the adapter. The switch is basically only
affecting the HDD.

+5V ----- USB to ribbon pwr /
D+ ----- IDE adapter ------- HDD -----x x--- Enclosure +5/+12
D- ----- chip inside power source goes
GND ----- enclosure to the drive

But the chip in the enclosure could potentially notice what is going
on, on the HDD side, and alert the computer. Just one of those
tiny design details.

A USB bus reset should also be a suitable event, to cause the
bridge to restart its sequence with the HDD.

I tried looking at the documentation for a TUSB6250 on www.ti.com,
and I don't see how the USB bridge detects that the drive is powered.
(I selected TI because I thought I'd get a good datasheet. Other
companies are more likely to be providing the chip used in your
enclosure, but aren't likely to hand out a datasheet on the web.)

What you got is the luck of the draw. Maybe another enclosure design
does it right.

If your motherboard has a USBPWxx jumper block, you could try setting
it to the +5V position, rather than +5VSB, for the USB stack you are
using. When the computer sleeps, that will remove power to the USB
side of the interface. And at least then, the USB bridge chip will
go through its initialization sequence, when it receives bus power.
For whatever that is worth. Note that really modern motherboards,
have removed that jumper block, and the user is stuck with a constant
supply of +5VSB on the USB plug. Treat this change in the jumper setting,
as an experiment, because there is no guarantee it'll work any better.
It is just something to try.

I tried temporarily to connect the enclosure to my second machine and
it behaves identically. Different MOBOs. So the trouble must be in
the enclosure.

Thanks again Paul

 

[Jethro]

ALWAYS use the `Safely remove icon` in the systray, to
seperate your USB drive from the OS.
There is a chance you could corrupt the drive otherwise.

I see where you are going. I agree. Please tell me where the `Safely
remove icon` is in the System Tray? I don't see nor do I find the
term in the XP helps.
Jethro