Windows 7: USB 3.0 Ports don't work with my USB 3.0 external hard drive.

I have 2 USB 3.0 ports on my laptop, they used to work with my LaCie Minimus USB 3.0 external hard drive, but since a few weeks they just stopped behaving as USB 3.0 ports.
Every other USB 2.0 device works fine with it, and my hard drive works fine with the USB 2.0 port I have. I have tried installing latest drivers to no avail.
Can anyone help me with this, I've been trying for 3 days now.

Can you be more detailed about the change in behaviour, what sort of speeds are you experiencing against what you have known\expect ?

The change in behaviour is that my laptop doesn't see the hard drive at all when it's plugged into a USB 3.0 port. Not even in device manager.

What is the make and model of your laptop? Do you have all the current updates and drivers for it? Have you checked for any possible infections of your laptop...ie virus and/or malware - spyware that may be lurking on your system unknowingly?

I have a Sony Vaio VPCF22M1E.
I have all the current updates and drivers for it, I have not checked for spyware or malware yet. I will run a full system scan with Avast now.

EDIT
I ran a full system scan, nothing.

EDIT
I now did a factory reset, the problem is still there.

I've got the same laptop and the same problem. USB 3.0 doesn't work. But a usb 2.0 device does work on a usb 3.0 port.

I've heard that Sony knows about the problem but still nothing from theire side..

Hi All.
I have a (UK) Rock laptop - effectively a Clevo 570MTU laptop, running W 7 64-bit, with SP 1.
I recently installed a Startech USB 3.0 ExpressCard, with Renesas/Nec drivers updated to latest version.
The ExpressCard shows up in Device Manager as USB 3.0 Host Controller and USB 3.0 Root Hub, with no errors.
I purchased a Western Digital ("WD") My Book Essential 2TB USB 3.0 and 2.0 external drive for back-up of the laptop.
I have tried numerous ways to do this but, as yet, I have not been able to get the WD to be recognised on the laptop AT ALL through the USB 3.0 ExpressCard.
The WD Does show up, and work (slowly) when connected to the laptop's USB 2 port.
Likewise, USB 2 devices work when connected to the USB 3.0 ExpressCard.
This is madness and maddening - why will a USB 3.0 device not work with a USB 3.0 port???

Just to rule out the USB 3.0 interface, try to use a USB 3.0 flash drive instead of the WD external. If that works in USB 3, then I would look at the external drive for the problem. I have several of these USB 3.0 flash drives and they are getting pretty low in price.
I have read many feedbacks on NewEgg about this WD drive dissappearing with many saying there is a problem with the interface.
Just a thought.

Well.
I replaced the Startech ExpressCard with a Freecom ExpressCard - which comes with its own power adaptor.
After driver installation and insertion of the ExpressCard I connected the WD USB 3.0 and it was instantly recognised by the laptop - BUT I got the following message: "This device will perform faster if you connect it to a super speed USB 3.0 port".
2 steps forward...
Any ideas?

Wow, that is a new one. I was going to say to check the pins on the usb 3 port and see if there are any out of place pins or even bent. Since you have a new card, that shouldn't be the problem.

Did the Freecom ExpressCard come with a new USB 3 cable or do you have another one to try?