My computer freeze/hang/locked up when under USB 3.0 load solution

My computer freeze/hang/locked up when under USB 3.0 load solution

My computer which is running Win 7 64-bit OS was locking up/hanging/crashing when the USB 3.0 was under load such as coping large files to a USB hard drive. There was no blue screen, error logged into the windows event viewer or any other indication of what the problem was.

The monitor's image was locked/frozen in place, the keyboard and mouse were unresponsive and the hard drive activity light remained on.

My computer spec information:

Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit SP1
CPU: Intel Core i3 3240 @ 3.40GHz Ivy Bridge 22nm Technology
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V LK (LGA1155) Intel® Z77 Express Chipset
- ASUS USB 3.0 Boost technology supports UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol)
- DIGI+ VRM Digital Power Design
- USB: 4 x USB 3.0 (2 x ASMedia® and 2 x Intel® Z77 chipset USB 3.0 controllers)
- Installed latest BIOS available: P8Z77-V LK BIOS version 1402

I tried exclusively using the Intel and then later ASMedia USB 3.0 ports (two of each on the back of the computer) and both failed with the computer locking up when under load.

I installed a Rosewill PCI-E to USB 3.0 4-Ports PCI Express Expansion Card (PCIe Card) which uses the Renesas Chipset to see if that would stop the computer hang issue but it did not.

The good news was that I could recreate a computer hang/crash failure reliably by connecting two external hard drives to the USB 3.0 port and formatting one and error checking the second which would cause a failure in a short period of time.

I went into the BIOS and randomly started disabling different items until I found out what settings were causing me the problem.

In the BIOS go to Advanced -> CPU Configuration -> CPU Power Management Configuration

The default values were:

CPU Ratio: Auto
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep: Enabled
CPU C1E: Auto
CPU C3 Report: Auto
CPU C6 Report: Auto
Package C State Support: Auto

If the CPU C1E, CPU C3 Report or CPU C6 Report were enabled the computer would freeze under USB 3.0 load. Package C State Support being enabled didn't cause a failure when turned on and I left the Enhanced Intel SpeedStep disabled the entire time so I don't know about this one.

The settings I use to avoid my computer freeze under USB 3.0 load are:

CPU Ratio: Auto
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep: Disabled
CPU C1E: Disabled
CPU C3 Report: Disabled
CPU C6 Report: Disabled
Package C State Support: Disabled

I wanted to pass on this information encase someone else is suffering from this issue and may benefit from my blood, sweat and tears.

Thanks,
Delar