WD My Passport 1TB - usb icon on taskbar flashing and not connecting

[onizukaeikichi]

Hi WD,

Hi,

My Passport 1TB harddrive suddenly couldnt be detected by the computer. The 'safely eject harddrive icon' constantly flashes on the taskbar from the moment I plug the hard drive in. I could not see the drive on disk management.

I can still get the option 'open device and printers and 'eject my hard drive' when I right click on the taskbar icon.

I have tried another external harddrive with no issues. I also swapped the usb cables but the same problem persist.

Please help. I could not find any solution or guide on this.

Edit: I managed to connect the hard drive but its from the back usb ports. It seems like the HDD was not getting enough power from the front ports? My other HDD works fine so I am confused. Is there a fix to this?

 

[YoAndy]

The hard drive could have been damaged and now can't be recognize by your operating system.

 

[YoAndy]

Are you using the right USB port? Some USB ports are 3.1 or 3.0 and the regular 2.0 and if your hard drive uses a 2.0 and you are connecting it to a 3.0 or vice versa it wont work.

 

[onizukaeikichi]

The harddrive is recognised by the back usb ports.

I have been using the front usb 3 port for this harddrive (usb 3).

The other harddrive I have tested with is also WD.

 

[YoAndy]

What windows software are u using?

 

[YoAndy]

Well not exactly knowing what type of a computer we are talking about here, I can only say, that what your are reporting is completely normal. Most computers I've ever touched have passive styled USB ports on the front of the computer, and aggressive USB ports off the back that can handle just about anything you can hook up to it.

So stop trying to connect that external hard drive off the front, not enough power and not enough data exchange rates. I would recommend that if you have all your USB ports off the back of the computer taken, I would start thinking seriously about an "amplified" 4 port USB HUB. Remember the HUB your looking for has it's own power source, and does not relying on the computer at all for it's power.

 

[onizukaeikichi]

What windows software are u using?

Windows 10. I think I just had an update recently.

I have also tried disabling power saving under power management for usb hubs. Still having the same issue. My other WD 2 TB harddrive is working fine.

 

[YoAndy]

Yes after this new update windows drivers are having all sorts of problems. I had some graphics problems with direct x.

 

[onizukaeikichi]

While I have read and experience odd issues with windows update, I have not encounter anything I couldn't fix myself. Do the next window update usually resolve these issues?

If anyone have an idea to get around this, please let me know.

 

[robert600]

My Passport 1TB harddrive suddenly couldnt be detected by the computer

am i reading this correctly? are you saying this drive used to work just fine from the front usb ports and now it does not?

 

[onizukaeikichi]

My Passport 1TB harddrive suddenly couldnt be detected by the computer

am i reading this correctly? are you saying this drive used to work just fine from the front usb ports and now it does not?

Yes.

Before this, the external hard drive worked perfectly from the front port. Just after the windows update (which I suspect might be the cause), this harddrive does not seem to be working (its connected, but only the usb icon on taskbar appears and its blinking as if it connecting and disconnecting).

However, I do not have this issue when connecting via the back usb ports. I manage to transfer files just fine from there.

I tested the front port with another WD external harddrive which worked fine.

 

[robert600]

I suppose the update might have installed a new driver for those usb ports. I'd be tempted to 'roll back the driver' but ... that wouldn't explain why another very similar drive still works ... or maybe it would? ... might be worth a try. There's also the restore point option - but I'd wait a bit and see what replies you get to your post. It does kinda sound like a not-enough power issue but ... why now and not before and why does the other drive work? Thinking of the power thing, my external blu-ray burner has a normal usb where it plugs into the drive but ... where it plugs into my laptop it does a Y thing and has 2 usb connectors that plug into 2 ports of my laptop (presumably to get more power) - i wonder if a cable like that would get your drive working on those front ports?

 

[onizukaeikichi]

I suppose the update might have installed a new driver for those usb ports. I'd be tempted to 'roll back the driver' but ... that wouldn't explain why another very similar drive still works ... or maybe it would? ... might be worth a try. There's also the restore point option - but I'd wait a bit and see what replies you get to your post. It does kinda sound like a not-enough power issue but ... why now and not before and why does the other drive work? Thinking of the power thing, my external blu-ray burner has a normal usb where it plugs into the drive but ... where it plugs into my laptop it does a Y thing and has 2 usb connectors that plug into 2 ports of my laptop (presumably to get more power) - i wonder if a cable like that would get your drive working on those front ports?

Thanks for the idea. I think I have one of those cables you mention around and will try the driver update and roll back. I just used that harddrive very recently and after the update, this happened. I knew that its not the front port issue as another external harddrive works. Neither its the harddrive if it works on the back ports.

 

[robert600]

Yes ... it seems to be the case that that update somehow subtely changed the way those front usb ports work... I'm always suspicious of new drivers.

 

[robert600]

i'm not sure if the double usb cable worked for you or not.

if not, i have another idea lol ... it's not a solution to your problem but maybe an acceptable work around - of course i'm not sure why you dont want to use the back ports.

Anyway ... you could quite simply run a suitably lengthed usb extension cable from a back usb port to the front of your computer (and clamp the female end of it to your case if desired). Then plug your external drive into that. It wouldn't look really pretty but it should work. Maybe after an update or 2, windows would resolve whatever issue it is with the front ports and you would no longer need the extension. I'd just plug the drive into a front port after every update and see if it suddenly starts working.

 

[YoAndy]

Sometimes is better to wait for the new drivers to fix the problem than messing with windows drivers because you could end up with bigger problems. Microsoft will be updating windows soon