USB HDD crashes VISTA

[Osprey]

Reasonably fast PC .. 2.4Ghz dual core with 4GB RAM with 2 x 300GB HD in RAID config

 

Initially run OK ... but seems to get slower week by week.

 

Also massive amount of HD activity, when no applications running, it's almost constant HD activity for first 30mins of power up.

I have turned off indexing - but no difference.

 

Disks are defragged ... adaware etc run to check for garbage.

 

It is now much slower than my XP laptop.

[Osprey]

USB HDD crashes VISTA

 

I have a PC running Vista Ultimate ... I use a USB 300 GB HDD for backup flestore etc.

 

All OK, until SP1 installed .... from that point on, if I switch on HDD ... Vista gives immediate Blue Screen of Death and crashes.

 

If it is switched at boot time ... Vista will not boot, and get BSOD

De-installed Sp1 .... HD works fine ....

Re-install SP1 BSOD crash ,....... every time.

 

Checked with manufcaturer - they say they do not issue driver as it uses VISTA standard OS driver .. they can offer no suggestion, they think it is OK on VISTA.

 

USB HDD works perfect on XP machines.

 

 

I logged a ticket with SP1 support with microsoft ... after dozens of hours on de-install, re-install SP1, changing drivers, reloading USB controillers, etc. .... they advise removal of SP1 ... and wait for SP2.

 

However I have little faith SP2 will fix it.

[Dalo Harkin]

Unfortunately if there is a specific problem with your type of HDD, go to the manufacturers website and download their Vista Driver anyway and try installing it with the drive unplugged and then try it.

Whats the make of the HDD and I will have a look and see what I can find for you.

[Dalo Harkin]

It depends on the type of RAID you are running:-

Raid 0 - Striping is much faster. (Performance)

Raid 1 - Mirroring is slightly slower. (Backup)

 

And unless you have a 64 bit OS then the 4GB of RAM will not be doing you any favours as the timings are slower with 4GB than they are with 2GB ;)

 

* I personally would not run a defrag on RAID disks *

[Osprey]

There is no driver - I opened a ticket with Manufacturer - their product just uses the standard USB 2 driver built into windows.

[Osprey]

It depends on the type of RAID you are running:-

Raid 0 - Striping is much faster. (Performance)

Raid 1 - Mirroring is slightly slower. (Backup)

 

And unless you have a 64 bit OS then the 4GB of RAM will not be doing you any favours as the timings are slower with 4GB than they are with 2GB ;)

 

* I personally would not run a defrag on RAID disks *

 

Disks are set for RAID 0 - Striping

 

To give you an idea on what I mean by very poor performance .... started PC, it took a long time before desktop items & side bar loaded.

Then opened Outlook express .. and when I saw email advising me of response here .. I clicked on link ... it took almost 3 minutes before an IE window opened and it showed me the response.

 

The initial window opens after about 30 sec .. but it is just white - no data ... it takes ages before it 'fills' ... Vista is just 'too busy' doing other things .... and no other applications open.

 

 

HDD actvity is flat out at this time, I can hear all the disks going nuts, and that continues for 13 minutes .. then abruptly stops, and PC performance then improves drastically.

 

 

 

If you try to open Task manager at that point ... it can take minutes before you get it reponding, and then it is often 'greyed' out on screen - with 'not responding' on top bar.

 

 

This is nothing to do with Internet as I have a laptop on same connection and IE responses is almost instant (8MB Broadband) - this is a Vista issue.

Edited July 15, 2008 by Osprey

[Dalo Harkin]

sounds more like you have 101 things running at startup to me.

type msconfig in a cmd window and then go to startup and post whats on in there.

[Osprey]

MSconfig 'startup' shows:

 

Windows Defender

CommonSDK (Sonic)

Macrovision FLEXnet Connect (ISUSPM.exe)

Macrovision FLEXnet Connect (issch.exe)

Groovemonitor utility

Acrotray - Adobe Acrobat Distiller helper

Java(TH) Platform SE 6 U5

Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center

RAID event Monitor

dsactivate (Dell)

hp digital imaging (HPWuschd2.exe)

F-secure Management agent

Quicktime

SupportSoftsprtcmd (Dell)

NVIDIA Driver Helper

NVIDIA Compatible windows 2000 Display driver

NVIDIA Media Centre Library

Microsoft Windows OS (sidebar)

Google Toolbar Notifier

Dell Support

Microsoft Windows OS (Media Player)

Creative Sync Manager

Adobe Acropbat Speed Launcher

HP Digital Imagaing (hpqtra08.exe)

Samsung NCPro

[Dalo Harkin]

MSconfig 'startup' shows:

 

Windows Defender

CommonSDK (Sonic)

Macrovision FLEXnet Connect (ISUSPM.exe)

Macrovision FLEXnet Connect (issch.exe)

Groovemonitor utility

Acrotray - Adobe Acrobat Distiller helper - (DISABLE)

Java(TH) Platform SE 6 U5 - (DISABLE)

Microsoft Windows Mobile Device Center

RAID event Monitor

dsactivate (Dell)

hp digital imaging (HPWuschd2.exe)

F-secure Management agent

Quicktime - (DISABLE)

SupportSoftsprtcmd (Dell)

NVIDIA Driver Helper - (DISABLE)

NVIDIA Compatible windows 2000 Display driver

NVIDIA Media Centre Library - (DISABLE)

Microsoft Windows OS (sidebar)

Google Toolbar Notifier - (DISABLE)

Dell Support - (DISABLE)

Microsoft Windows OS (Media Player)

Creative Sync Manager

Adobe Acropbat Speed Launcher - (DISABLE)

HP Digital Imagaing (hpqtra08.exe)

Samsung NCPro

 

Disable the ones I have said and see how it goes - you need to keep an eye on whats running at startup there is still much more there that you may not use, that you could disable

[Tony D]

On the USB HDD - it's know that the USB drive is working on other machines, to the drive is OK. After installing SP-1, it no longer works on the Vista machine. Maybe a USB controller driver issue. Check with the system board manufacturer for USB driver updates.

 

By the way, do other USB devices work with the Vista machine?

[Osprey]

Other USB devices are OK ... even plugging USB HDD dircet into front of PC (rather than via hub) will crash.

 

I will ask Dell ....

[Dalo Harkin]

If you have a very weak PSU then that can cause crashes - there is a rail within the PSU that powers the USB devices on your PC and if its too low will crash the system.

[Osprey]

I would have thought that unlikely ... as it behaves OK when I remove SP1.

All other USB devices are OK.

I also use a powered hub ... so that does not draw power from PC for USB rails.

[Osprey]

Unfortunately if there is a specific problem with your type of HDD, go to the manufacturers website and download their Vista Driver anyway and try installing it with the drive unplugged and then try it.

Whats the make of the HDD and I will have a look and see what I can find for you.

 

There is no driver by manufacturer - they advise that they use standard Vista driver.

[Dalo Harkin]

Well it comes down to power or incompatibility issues and it looks like your device does not like SP1 - I would look at the release notes in terms of what SP1 offers that you think would be conflicting with the HDD

[Osprey]

On the USB HDD - it's know that the USB drive is working on other machines, to the drive is OK. After installing SP-1, it no longer works on the Vista machine. Maybe a USB controller driver issue. Check with the system board manufacturer for USB driver updates.

 

By the way, do other USB devices work with the Vista machine?

 

Have logged a ticket with Dell ... although response form them so far is

 

'if it's OK without SP1, and only a problem with SP1 then it must be Microsoft s/w fault '

[Dalo Harkin]

what make is the external HDD?

[Dalo Harkin]

There is no driver by manufacturer - they advise that they use standard Vista driver.

 

Thats not very encouraging :eek:

[Osprey]

The USB HD 'unit' is a Belkin USB2 F5U209 rev1

 

Inside is a Western Digital WD3200 (Caviar SE) 3.5" HD

model WD00JB - 22KFA0

Drive parameters LBA 625142448

 

This was originally in a Toshiba USB HD unit .. that died.

[Dalo Harkin]

That Enclosure is meant for Windows 98 :eek:

[Osprey]

Where did you find that information ?

 

If you can let me know - I'll go back to Belkin

 

It does work perfect on Vista without SP1 thought

[Dalo Harkin]

Belkin : Support : F5U209 User Manual

 

It may well work - but they should still have drivers for it - at the very least.

If it works on Vista without SP1 and doesn't with SP1 then Windows must have changed something in SP1 that is causing the problem - Microsoft or Belkin will know what you need to do, in order for it to function again.

 

This is a very specific issue and without specific knowledge of the contents of SP1 then I am afraid we can only offer suggestions.

[Osprey]

Belkin : Support : F5U209 User Manual

 

It may well work - but they should still have drivers for it - at the very least.

If it works on Vista without SP1 and doesn't with SP1 then Windows must have changed something in SP1 that is causing the problem - Microsoft or Belkin will know what you need to do, in order for it to function again.

 

This is a very specific issue and without specific knowledge of the contents of SP1 then I am afraid we can only offer suggestions.

 

I went through yesterday to Belkin Tech Support - they do not produce drivesr for this, they confirm it uses teh standard Windows driver as built in teh OS.

They also confirm this is supported on VISTA.

 

I'm stumped ... neither Belkin, Mircosoft or Dell can resolve this ...

[Dalo Harkin]

Regardless what they say - something is not working with Vista SP1 -

there can be a multitude of reasons for this:-

some people have had lots of problems with SP1 on Vista - I would just the drive out of the enclosure and use it in the PC as a second drive -

** It's up to BELKIN to provide the support as it's their product. **

or buy another enclosure - if your mobo supports it use firewire as it's much faster.

[Osprey]

>** It's up to BELKIN to provide the support as it's their product. **

 

 

I'd like it to be that way ... but reality is they say it is Microsoft and won't investigate further.

 

 

As the thing is only 2 months old I don't want to throw it away - and need it as external drive as I use it for backups for 4 different PC's ... other 3 are XPpro and they work OK