[pystryker]

I have a LaCie external 1TB drive that keeps disconnecting itself. I can leave my machine for a while and when I come back to it and try to access the drive, it tells me the folders are empty. It will not show anything until I kill the power to it and turn it back on.

I don't know how long the drive stays connected before it doesn't show on my computer anymore, but this is a daily occurence.

The drive is: 1TB LaCie Hard Disk USB2.0 U

It's malware free as I've run scans on it and it's clean. Any help will be appreciated.

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Hello pystryker

 

Have you backed up all important data from the drive as a precaution.

 

Due to the folder behaviour I am not sure if it could be this but some LACIE devices have three physical power switch positions which are Off - Auto - On, if the device is normally used with the switch in the On position (permanently active mode) but has been accidently switched to Auto (power saving mode) position it could explain the device disconnecting itself.

 

Checking the USB cables and ports** + trying the LACIE drive connected to another computer to see how it behaves would be a good starting point. 

 

** The computer that the drive is connected to could be losing/turning off the power to the USB ports, again as a power saving measure or as a result of a possible fault.

[phillpower2]

Hello pystryker

 

Have you backed up all important data from the drive as a precaution.

 

Due to the folder behaviour I am not sure if it could be this but some LACIE devices have three physical power switch positions which are Off - Auto - On, if the device is normally used with the switch in the On position (permanently active mode) but has been accidently switched to Auto (power saving mode) position it could explain the device disconnecting itself.

 

Checking the USB cables and ports** + trying the LACIE drive connected to another computer to see how it behaves would be a good starting point. 

 

** The computer that the drive is connected to could be losing/turning off the power to the USB ports, again as a power saving measure or as a result of a possible fault.

[pystryker]

Hello pystryker

Hi
 

Have you backed up all important data from the drive as a precaution.

In progress.
 

Due to the folder behaviour I am not sure if it could be this but some LACIE devices have three physical power switch positions which are Off - Auto - On, if the device is normally used with the switch in the On position (permanently active mode) but has been accidently switched to Auto (power saving mode) position it could explain the device disconnecting itself.

I checked the power switch and it's only a On/Off switch.
 

Checking the USB cables and ports** + trying the LACIE drive connected to another computer to see how it behaves would be a good starting point.

I've checked the cables and there doesn't seem to be any problem, but I'm going to hook it up to my laptop and see how it does for the next couple of hours.
 

** The computer that the drive is connected to could be losing/turning off the power to the USB ports, again as a power saving measure or as a result of a possible fault.

I'll post back and let you know how it did with my laptop and we can go from there.

[phillpower2]

Thanks for the update 

[pystryker]

Well, it seems to have done fine on the laptop. I'm going to reconnect it to my main machine, but in a different port and see what happens.

[phillpower2]

That is a good sign on behalf of the drive itself.

[robertd12]

Hello, go to device manager, find your disc and go into properties and look if there is power saving management.

If there is not try to localise the USB port the disc is connected into and turn off the power saving mode.

Edited by robertd12, 07 April 2014 - 02:29 PM.

[pystryker]

Hello, go to device manager, find your disc and go into properties and look if there is power saving management.

Hi

No joy there, no power saving management found for that disk.


After a few hours, the drive has disconnected itself. I've located the USB port, but do not see how to turn off power saving mode.

BTW, running 64-Bit Vista OS.

[phillpower2]

Hello pystryker

 

Have you made any progress with this.

 

NB: As a courtesy I held off chiming in again until Robert had had the chance to respond to your reply #8 

[pystryker]

Hi, yes I do. For some reason, Robert's post disappeared and it shows him as a non active member.

[phillpower2]

Most odd 

 

I suggest that we check the voltages first.

 

Download Speedfan and install it. Once it's installed, run the program and post here the information it shows. The information I want you to post is the stuff that is circled in the example picture I have attached.
If you are running on a vista machine, please go to where you installed the program and run the program as administrator.


(this is a screenshot from a vista machine)

 

Depending on the results we may need to run further software for comparison http://www.cpuid.com.../hwmonitor.html

[pystryker]

Here's a screenshot of the results.

[phillpower2]

Please download and run HWMonitor and then provide a comparison screenshot for us, details here

Your temperatures are not alarmingly high but they are high for a computer that is not under load, can I suggest that you keep either HWMonitor or Speedfan installed so that you can monitor your temps.

 

Please refer to the attachment below for how to keep the power maintained to the USB ports, uncheck them all and see how it goes, if the issue is resolved check the boxes one at a time until you identify the one that supplies the port that the LACIE device is connected to.

 

 

[pystryker]

Here's the shot, also, when looking at the USB ports, I checked all the ones that had the Power Management tab.  Some of them didn't have the Power Management tab.

 

[phillpower2]

Voltages are spot on 

 

Did you uncheck the USB options that were available, if yes all you can do now is see how it goes, if the issue still happens please try all available USB ports until each one has been tested.