Can't shut off power on my external HD

[RScotti]

Hi,
I just did a clean install and now when I shut down my Western Digital 500 GB external HD through Safety Remove Hardware
the drive demounts but the power stays on.
I have to either pull the plug or shut down in order for the drive to go off.
This never happened before the clean install.

I checked the Properties/Hardware/Properties/Polices for the drive and it is set of Optimize for Performance.
Is there anything I can do for this or am I missing something?
Have a good day!
Rich Scotti

My Specifications:
HP Windows XP MCE 2005
PentiumD 820 (S) DC 2.8 GHz
Socket 775 Chipset Intel 945P
Asus Motherboard Name: P5LP-LE
Memory Installed 2 GB (2 x 1 GB)
Hard drive 250 GB SATA 7200 rpm
Western Digital External HD 500 GB
16X DVD(+/-)R/RW (+/-)R DL LightScribe drive
Nvidia Video Graphics GeForce 7300LE 256 MB
Sound/Audio Integrated High Definition audio
Realtek ALC 882 chipset Supports up to 8 audio channels Dolby Pro Logic II compatible

 

[Ted Zieglar]

You have a question for Western Digital technical support.

 

[Anna]

Hi,
I just did a clean install and now when I shut down my Western Digital 500
GB external HD through Safety Remove Hardware
the drive demounts but the power stays on.
I have to either pull the plug or shut down in order for the drive to go
off.
This never happened before the clean install.

I checked the Properties/Hardware/Properties/Polices for the drive and it
is set of Optimize for Performance.
Is there anything I can do for this or am I missing something?
Have a good day!
Rich Scotti

My Specifications:
HP Windows XP MCE 2005
PentiumD 820 (S) DC 2.8 GHz
Socket 775 Chipset Intel 945P
Asus Motherboard Name: P5LP-LE
Memory Installed 2 GB (2 x 1 GB)
Hard drive 250 GB SATA 7200 rpm
Western Digital External HD 500 GB
16X DVD(+/-)R/RW (+/-)R DL LightScribe drive
Nvidia Video Graphics GeForce 7300LE 256 MB
Sound/Audio Integrated High Definition audio
Realtek ALC 882 chipset Supports up to 8 audio channels Dolby Pro Logic II
compatible

RScotti:
Are you certain that your WD external HDD actually powered off when the
Safely Remove Hardware icon was clicked? I haven't worked with that
particular model, so I may be wrong, but it's been my impression that while
some of these WD units have a power-saving mode that kicks in when the unit
hasn't been used for some time, it can automatically be powered off *only*
when the computer is powered off. As I say, I may be wrong about this and if
I am, please let me know.
Anna

 

[Ted Zieglar]

As it happens, I have a WD external HDD ("My Book"). It powers off by
itself after the 'Safely Remove Hardware' process.

The power off sometimes takes a minute, because the drive will continue
to write from its cache even after 'Safely Remove'. When the green
indicator on the front of the drive stops lighting, the power cord can
be safely disconnected.

 

[RScotti]

Hi,
Mine is also a My Book Premium and it just stays on all the time NOW both with the USB and Firewire 1394. Before I did
the clean install it would shut off.
My daughter just came with her Dell Notebook and it did the same thing to hers. I guess I have to write to WDC Support.
I can't understand why this is happening only after the clean install. I did that cause I had a new HD installed.

As it happens, I have a WD external HDD ("My Book"). It powers off by
itself after the 'Safely Remove Hardware' process.

The power off sometimes takes a minute, because the drive will continue
to write from its cache even after 'Safely Remove'. When the green
indicator on the front of the drive stops lighting, the power cord can
be safely disconnected.

Have a good day,
RScotti

remove "nospam" in order to email me.

 

[RScotti]

Hi Anna,
No it didn't power off it just unmounted from the safety remove hardware the light was still on so I pulled the plug.
Guess I have to keep doing it that way. HP wanted me to do another clean install but no way. This took 9 hrs to do after
all the programs and updates.

RScotti:
Are you certain that your WD external HDD actually powered off when the
Safely Remove Hardware icon was clicked? I haven't worked with that
particular model, so I may be wrong, but it's been my impression that while
some of these WD units have a power-saving mode that kicks in when the unit
hasn't been used for some time, it can automatically be powered off *only*
when the computer is powered off. As I say, I may be wrong about this and if
I am, please let me know.
Anna

Have a good day,
RScotti

remove "nospam" in order to email me.

 

[Anna]

As it happens, I have a WD external HDD ("My Book"). It powers off by
itself after the 'Safely Remove Hardware' process.

The power off sometimes takes a minute, because the drive will continue to
write from its cache even after 'Safely Remove'. When the green indicator
on the front of the drive stops lighting, the power cord can be safely
disconnected.

Thanks for the info Ted. But if the device is powered off following clicking
on the Safely Remove Hardware icon why is there a need to disconnect the
power cord? Or is this just an (optional) additional safety factor that a
user may desire? You're sure then that the device doesn't just go into a
"sleep" mode or such following the SRH invoking?
Anna

 

[Ted Zieglar]

"But if the device is powered off following clicking on the Safely
Remove Hardware icon why is there a need to disconnect the power cord?
Or is this just an (optional) additional safety factor that a user may
desire? You're sure then that the device doesn't just go into a "sleep"
mode or such following the SRH invoking?"

There is no need to disconnect the power cord. I do so because I use the
drive strictly for backup, and so store it away from my computer.

Perhaps other models of WD external HDDs or other manufacturer's
external HDDs go to sleep, but mine is out cold after SRH. ;-)