New
#1
USB hard drive keeps disconnecting/disappearing
Hello,
I have a WD "My Passport" external USB drive that I connect as a backup for my system. The problem I'm having is that the drive keeps disappearing randomly. Sometimes I have to unplug it and re-plug it in 3 or 4 times before my computer recognizes it. I've tried several USB ports, and still have the same problem. The hard drive itself doesn't have a shut off switch, so it takes its cues from the computer power management system. When I plug the device in, sometimes the drive doesn't mount, but the power light on the drive will turn on.
Why is it randomly turning on and off? And why do I sometimes have to plug and unplug the device several times before it correctly recognizes it as a hard drive (with all its data in tact)?
Though my other USB devices do not randomly disappear while running, they often take three or four plug ins and plug outs before they're recognized in the first place.
How can I fix this, as I need a reliable backup drive always hooked up.