Is USB Less Reliable Today Than, Say, Two Years Ago?

[(PeteCresswell)]

I've been big on external USB drives for quite awhile now - using them for both
data and rotating backups.

Seems to me like a year or two ago I never had any problems with them at all:
rock solid.

Now, over the last year, I've been getting intermittent problems. It's not
always the same drive... stuff like the wrapper being recognized, but the drive
not mounting; "permission" problems when doing backups; drives not mounting
yesterday but mounting today; drives not mounting on machine A, but mounting
just fine on machine B; devices coming up with the yellow exclamation point and
needing tb reinstalled... and so-forth.

I've removed and trashed a USB2 card or two - just on general principles - but
am not sure if it made any diff.

Can't recall whether all this was pre- or post-XP.

Anybody else?

 

[E. Barry Bruyea]

I've been big on external USB drives for quite awhile now - using them for both
data and rotating backups.

Seems to me like a year or two ago I never had any problems with them at all:
rock solid.

Now, over the last year, I've been getting intermittent problems. It's not
always the same drive... stuff like the wrapper being recognized, but the drive
not mounting; "permission" problems when doing backups; drives not mounting
yesterday but mounting today; drives not mounting on machine A, but mounting
just fine on machine B; devices coming up with the yellow exclamation point and
needing tb reinstalled... and so-forth.

I've removed and trashed a USB2 card or two - just on general principles - but
am not sure if it made any diff.

Can't recall whether all this was pre- or post-XP.

Anybody else?

I don't know about 'previously' but recently I purchased an external
USB hard drive that gave me nothing but trouble; I returned it and
they gave me another brand; same inconsistency in operation, so I took
it back and added another internal drive; no problems and much faster.

 

[Jonny]

I've been big on external USB drives for quite awhile now - using them for
both
data and rotating backups.

Seems to me like a year or two ago I never had any problems with them at
all:
rock solid.

XP has been out for 5 years.

Now, over the last year, I've been getting intermittent problems. It's
not
always the same drive... stuff like the wrapper being recognized, but the
drive
not mounting; "permission" problems when doing backups; drives not
mounting
yesterday but mounting today; drives not mounting on machine A, but
mounting
just fine on machine B; devices coming up with the yellow exclamation
point and
needing tb reinstalled... and so-forth.

I've removed and trashed a USB2 card or two - just on general principles -
but
am not sure if it made any diff.

Can't recall whether all this was pre- or post-XP.

XP has been out for 5 years.

I never jumped on the commercially driven USB bandwagon. Have been using
firewire hard drive enclosure for some forms of backup. But, are not used
on other PCs, except one laptop other than the one PC.

I have noticed one USB Sandisk 1GB thumbdrive does present problems when
used on other PCs using XP w/SP2, then brought back home for use again. Its
not XP w/SP2 here though, its 98SE that has access problems at that point.

The other difference in my usage is I use both above as removable only
drives. They are never connected before booting up, or when turning off the
computer. Externally connnected USB storage devices seem to have users that
never disconnect them in daily usage by my readings at this newsgroup.
Which goes against the concept of external storage.

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

I've been big on external USB drives for quite awhile now - using them for both
data and rotating backups.

Seems to me like a year or two ago I never had any problems with them at all:
rock solid.

Now, over the last year, I've been getting intermittent problems. It's not
always the same drive... stuff like the wrapper being recognized, but the drive
not mounting; "permission [snip]

I've removed and trashed a USB2 card or two - just on general principles - but
am not sure if it made any diff.

Can't recall whether all this was pre- or post-XP.

Anybody else?

Have been using USB since it first became available on Win95. Have had
XP installed since the first week it became commercially available
(Oct. 2001?), have all the updates installed and have yet to have
anything other than great performace with USB (cheap 4-port card and a
powered hub).

I'm currently operating a USB webcam, printer, scanner, mouse,
external hard drive, flash drive, a memory card reader and an iPod -
all rock solid on a nearly 6-year-old home-built machine.

 

[Leythos]

I've been big on external USB drives for quite awhile now - using them for both
data and rotating backups.

Seems to me like a year or two ago I never had any problems with them at all:
rock solid.

Now, over the last year, I've been getting intermittent problems. It's not
always the same drive... stuff like the wrapper being recognized, but the drive
not mounting; "permission" problems when doing backups; drives not mounting
yesterday but mounting today; drives not mounting on machine A, but mounting
just fine on machine B; devices coming up with the yellow exclamation point and
needing tb reinstalled... and so-forth.

I've always found that USB devices, since the start, have being mostly a
PITA. Yes, you can get it working reliably most times, but when it comes
down to a crunch or when you want to make money off a client, just get
them a laptop with only USB ports for all the devices and you'll make a
mint off the clients problems.

I use FireWire for removable drives and never seem to have problems.

 

[q_q_anonymous]

I've always found that USB devices, since the start, have being mostly a
PITA. Yes, you can get it working reliably most times, but when it comes
down to a crunch or when you want to make money off a client, just get
them a laptop with only USB ports for all the devices and you'll make a
mint off the clients problems.

I guess you fixed the problems then, what kind of problems and
solutions?

if your solution is "ooh it works now!" and it only lasts for 2 days,
then the client will be mad!

<snip>