**FIXED!*** USB External HDD - keeps disconnecting and connecting

I have an external HDD that I put in one of those cases - IDE. Now, on this laptop it works fine for hours. But on our desktop at home it keeps connecting and disconnecting by itself when plugged into the USB port. Like when I transfer data from it onto the PC, it stops and gives the 'write failed, data was lost' crap error, because it disconnected, along with that horrible XP disconnect sound. Then immediately it connects and runs autoplay.

Can anyone maybe give advice on this? I'm lost on this one.

Thanks once again.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/2010 11:43AM by Ho3n3r.

Does the drive have a dedicated power cable, or is it powered through the USB bus?

Yes it's got a dedicated power cable, and the drive itself is a 40GB Seagate Barracuda.

Oh well, bang goes that theory.

I presume you've tried the obvious things like changing the USB cable and using a different USB socket? Does the same socket work fine for all other USB devices for similar periods of time?

I had that problem with my External HDD.

The dedicated power cable was fine but the USB cable from the HDD to the PC was a little loose on the Enclosure side. Try keeping the usb cable by the enclosure pressed on it.

Thanks! Monza, it was almost the same, but it was on the USB port on the computer! Squeezed it a bit tighter, and problem solved.

Thanks again guys, your help is always appreciated...

Gav - on your last point, I knew it was something other than the USB ports as my keyboard and mouse never do it. But another cable didn't work either, so for some reason I decided to close the gap on the cable's USB end. It worked.