USB HDD keeps dropping off and returning to WinXP?

[Julian Milano]

I've setup a standard IDE WD 120GB HDD in an external case connected to
WinXP SP1 via USB (direct). I get an icon in the Task Tray labelled "Safely
Remove Hardware", which when double-clicked shows the USB HDD.

This icon keeps "dropping off", indicating that the USB HDD has been
disconnected and then re-appears again, indicating that the USB HDD is now
connected. This happens continuously, every, say, 5 minutes, sometimes more
often.

But if I connect the USB HDD to another PC running Win2000, it runs fine.

So what's the problem with XP?

 

[John McGaw]

I've setup a standard IDE WD 120GB HDD in an external case connected to
WinXP SP1 via USB (direct). I get an icon in the Task Tray labelled "Safely
Remove Hardware", which when double-clicked shows the USB HDD.

This icon keeps "dropping off", indicating that the USB HDD has been
disconnected and then re-appears again, indicating that the USB HDD is now
connected. This happens continuously, every, say, 5 minutes, sometimes more
often.

But if I connect the USB HDD to another PC running Win2000, it runs fine.

So what's the problem with XP?

Is the drive REALLY becoming unavailable when the icon disappears or are you
just assuming that it isn't working because the icon isn't there? I've seen
more than one instance of disappearing tray icons which had no relationship
to the actual state of the computer.
--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]

Return address will not work. Please
reply in group or through my website:
http://johnmcgaw.com

 

[Julian Milano]

I hear the USB disconnection sound play, then the external HDD shows disk
activity and the Autoplay dialog starts scanning the drive and asking me
what I want to do with the new connection!!


--


Julian Milano

I've setup a standard IDE WD 120GB HDD in an external case connected to
WinXP SP1 via USB (direct). I get an icon in the Task Tray labelled "Safely
Remove Hardware", which when double-clicked shows the USB HDD.

This icon keeps "dropping off", indicating that the USB HDD has been
disconnected and then re-appears again, indicating that the USB HDD is now
connected. This happens continuously, every, say, 5 minutes, sometimes more
often.

But if I connect the USB HDD to another PC running Win2000, it runs fine.

So what's the problem with XP?

Is the drive REALLY becoming unavailable when the icon disappears or are you
just assuming that it isn't working because the icon isn't there? I've seen
more than one instance of disappearing tray icons which had no relationship
to the actual state of the computer.
--
John McGaw
[Knoxville, TN, USA]

Return address will not work. Please
reply in group or through my website:
http://johnmcgaw.com