USB hard drives should be treated with extreme care. Sandisk Cruzers are especially bad for this. USB flash drives can fail for no apparent reason. If you checked and fixed anything there and still have issues then check your hardware from CONTROL PANEL / SYSTEM / HARDWARE.Īny exclamation marks by hardware need fixing before you investigate any further If you dont do this there is a very strong chance that any files you transfer may not be there when you plug into another computer. For FLASH DRIVES you should ensure that the device is set for 'quick removal' using the drive control panel properties or use the USB 'Safely Remove Hardware' option. This can be especially true if you move a HUB to another portĦ. If switched they may want to install software / drivers again. Some devices do not like being switched about. Always use the same port for connecting your devices. 12V 500mA anything rated below that would not work properly.ĥ. Use ONLY the power supply that came with it if it has an external power supply Don’t use any other unless you know it has both the same voltage and current rating e.g.

Do not connect through an external USB HUB unless that hub is USB 2.0 AND has its own power supply.Ĥ. Not all USB cables are equal even though they should be)ģ. Use only the cables that came with it NOT one that fits that may have been lying around or is longer.

Ensure it is connected directly to the computer to a USB 2.0 port not a USB 1.0 port as this can have effects on performance and reliabilityĢ. One or more of the hints below will probably sort out most USB problems with most USB portable / external hard drives and OTHER devices (though not always)Ī few things to check but assumes USB and Windows for other interfaces / operating systems (mac/ Linux) similar steps may be adapted to suit.ġ.

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