Fellow tech geeks... I'm finally stumped. Help with USB 2.0 re:ext hdd please???

[BushMogulMaster]

I rarely come upon a tech problem I can't successfully troubleshoot, but this one's got me stumped at the moment. Too tired to think about it anymore tonight, so figured I'd post it here (and on a tech forum) for the night, and get back at it tomorrow. Here's the deal:

I have an older model WD My Book Essential 320gb external. It's the "green ring" button version. It is a USB 2.0 capable device. It is plugged into a USB 2.0 port on the motherboard (Biostar TA790GX A3+) in my home-built beasty. Operating system is Win7 Business x64. USB 2.0 is properly setup in BIOS.

Other USB 2.0 devices are operating properly at Hi-Speed, but the hard drive will only work at "Full Speed" (USB 1.1). I have tried every port, I have tried different cables, I have uninstalled/reinstalled all USB drivers, and I'm running out of ideas! Transfer speed is quite slow (800-900 kb/s), which is absolutely brutal when trying to transfer large files. A search of the Western Digital knowledge base is unhelpful, as were my google/forum searches. I've found others with similar problems, but no working solutions as of yet.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. The idea of waiting 5-6 hours for a few gigs of data to transfer isn't pleasant!

 

[SkiDork]

did it ever work at 2.0 speed? Does it work now on another motherboard at 2.0 speed?

 

[mlctvt]

Try another cable?

Edit: sorry I see you already tried that. I'm stumped too

 

[dmc]

It probably was never USB2 compatible..
Check it on another PC to be sure..

I bought a couple USB2 devices in Taiwan... Was surprised to see that they were not USB2 4gb drives as advertised.. But USB and at lot less space...

 

[ctenidae]

You need to prep the fetzer valves with some gauze pads and 3-in-1 oil. Have some ball bearings and antifreeze handy. Preferably Prestone. No, make that Quaker State.

 

[SkiDork]

You need to prep the fetzer valves with some gauze pads and 3-in-1 oil. Have some ball bearings and antifreeze handy. Preferably Prestone. No, make that Quaker State.

There's a lot of MUCK on these windows...

 

[BushMogulMaster]

It probably was never USB2 compatible..
Check it on another PC to be sure..

I bought a couple USB2 devices in Taiwan... Was surprised to see that they were not USB2 4gb drives as advertised.. But USB and at lot less space...

Sorry I didn't mention -- it did work before at Hi-Speed. Worked on my old HP laptop, and it seems to me that it worked on the desktop before. I'll check it on another machine this morning. I think I have USB 2.0 ports on the other desktop.

 

[BushMogulMaster]

You need to prep the fetzer valves with some gauze pads and 3-in-1 oil. Have some ball bearings and antifreeze handy. Preferably Prestone. No, make that Quaker State.

Ah-ha! That's what I didn't do! I'll get right on it!

 

[drjeff]

You need to prep the fetzer valves with some gauze pads and 3-in-1 oil. Have some ball bearings and antifreeze handy. Preferably Prestone. No, make that Quaker State.

Ah-ha! That's what I didn't do! I'll get right on it!

And if that doesn't work, just kick it REALLY hard a few times and see if that does the trick! :lol:

 

[SkiDork]

or get a bigger hammer

 

[Puck it]

Try this if the hammer does not work.

 

[BushMogulMaster]

Thanks for all of the, uh, advice. However, I have opted for an unorthodox solution. I simply [forcibly] removed the drive from the enclosure and installed it as an internal drive. My need for it as a portable drive is no long extant. Works much faster now! :lol:

 

[dmc]

Thanks for all of the, uh, advice. However, I have opted for an unorthodox solution. I simply [forcibly] removed the drive from the enclosure and installed it as an internal drive. My need for it as a portable drive is no long extant. Works much faster now! :lol:

well played...

 

[mlctvt]

Windows 7 issue? What operating system did you use before when it worked?

 

[dmc]

Windows 7 issue? What operating system did you use before when it worked?

I'm guessing not MAC or LINUX...

 

[BushMogulMaster]

Worked with Vista, and I think it used to work on this machine in Win7. Also worked fine in Kubuntu, on the laptop, IIRC. But no worries... it's working great as an internal drive.

 

[bigbog]

Along with others....it's(was) definitely something within the system OS/board/port(adapter?) setting...SW(security?).
File system?..having to do something extra with each write...checking..etc..y/n?(not acquainted with Win7...guess I'd better..LOL).

 

[mondeo]

I wonder...you say it's an older model. Older than Win7? Maybe something funky with the drivers/firmware that downgrades to the older standard due to non-complete compatibility? Are your other OSs 64 bit?