[jds63]

Question about my USB 3.0 External HDD.

 

After a period of inactivity in Windows 8.1 my External Drive shuts off.

I know this is probably normal and saves the life of a mechanical HD always spinning if not in use.

 

WD My Book 3TB.

 

Only settings i can think that sets this is in the Advanced Power options screen, in Power Options in control panel.

 

I have a SSD for my main OS, no other Internal HDD.

 

Attached image shows where i am talking about, is this the correct settings for it and will it affect my SSD ?

Some say it might be the USB settings.

 

I could use WD Drive Utilities, it has same option to shut down drive after amount of time you set, when not active.

 

Now i ask this question because to awake the drive when needed seems to take a bit of time.

 

 

 

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Edited by jds63, 10 August 2014 - 08:01 PM.

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Hello!

I think I have mine set that way! My external does not shut off!!

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[donetao]

Hello!

I think I have mine set that way! My external does not shut off!!

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[Ztruker]

Power setting in 8.1 won't affect an external drive, at least I've never seen that. Is there something in the external drive itself?

 

What is the make and full model number of the drive?

[jds63]

Donetao,

 

Seems your is a Laptop, you have a balanced power plan, also using a sleep function.

 

Mine is a Desktop with High Performance Power plan,no sleep or hibernate functions set as enabled , i can see the difference in screen shots, yours and mine. Yeah 20 minutes seems to be the default.

TY Though.

 

Ztruker,

 

I had a feeling to that it will not use it for an external, then trying to figure out what shuts them down on there own and for how long, as said there is a Utility i can use from WD, but i do not have it installed.

WD Drive Utilities.

 

2  WD My Book 1230, Model #'s  WDC WD30EZRX-00SPEB0 and  WDC WD20EZRX-00D8PB0.

 

What do you mean by in ? Software, backups ? There do need to be plugged in.

Edited by jds63, 11 August 2014 - 03:00 PM.

[jds63]

Research is showing it must be something in Wndows 8.1 that might be doing this.

 

Now i read people who tried to in advanced power options to change settings in "turn off  hard disk after"

also try disabling USB Selective Suspend, none worked.

 

Some said to go to the USB Root Hub in Device Manager, tab for power management and uncheck " allow computer to turn off this device to save power".

 

No luck there either.

 

Guess i will have to live with it, until Microsoft changes it in future with updates or maybe they will never if this is a true Windows 8.1 issue.

 

Not a big deal, considering i do not run software from these external drives. It take about close to 10 seconds to wake them up if you want to access them, when they idle. Then computer becomes unresponsive at that moment..

 

Using Western Digital's Drive Utilities which does a couple of things, like sleep, most likely will not solve this.

Edited by jds63, 12 August 2014 - 10:03 PM.