[SOLVED] External SSD randomly stops working and can't be detected ?

[Myth_alric]

So I got a new external SSD, I downloaded one game onto it, and everything works fine. I play the game from it several times, and there is no issues at all. Then randomly one time a few days after getting the SSD it starts to get much slower, then the game randomly crashes and I check and my computer says the USB port fail to detect it. I unplug it and plug it back in and it works briefly but then fails again. I think maybe it is the USB port, so I plug it into a different USB port and that fixes it. It works perfectly fine for like a week. Then the game is doing an update and it stops working and the computer says it can't detect it again. I plugged it back into the USB port it was in before and it works but was being really slow, so I plugged it into a new port and it was working fine again and much faster.

I have plugged other things into the USB port(like my mouse and keyboard and stuff) and they seemingly work perfectly fine. So it seems odd that all the USB ports I plug the SSD end up breaking after a few days/week(but only break for the SSD but still works for other thing). So I want to say it is the SSD's fault and something is wrong with it, but then why would plugging it into a new USB port it hadn't been in before fix that, even temporarily?(they are all the same red color USB port if it matters, though the cord, that came with the SSD is a blue one). I suppose it might just be a coincidence though, and the unplugging/plugging it in and out several times fixed it and it just happened to be when I plugged it into a new one. It is kind of hard to tell since it seems to be working most of the time, then randomly stops in the first place.

I am not really sure if this is a USB port issue, a plug issue, SSD issue, or something wrong with my computer issue(windows 11 if it matters).

 

[jojesa]

What's the brand and model of the external SSD?
Which USB type of port are you using (USB-A, USB-C)?
What are the USB port specifications (USB 2.0/ USB 3.0 /USB 3.1 )?

 

[Myth_alric]

It is HP P500 1 TB, USB 3.1 (Gen 2) Type C. Using the plug that came with it. The SSD is type C, computer is type A. I am not sure how to check the specifics for the computer, but it is one color coded red. Which if I google says could be USB 3.2 or 3.1 Gen 2, I am not sure which.

 

[geofelt]

Check on your power saving settings for usb ports.
It may be deactivating the port if there is no activity.

 

[Myth_alric]

I checked the power settings, and there is a "usb selective suspend setting" option currently enabled. No idea if that is the cause, but I will disable that just incase.

 

[urbanesmala]

I checked the power settings, and there is a "usb selective suspend setting" option currently enabled. No idea if that is the cause, but I will disable that just incase.

Tangent but if you’ve ever tried to update your iPhone from iTunes and it failed halfway it was because of that setting.

 

[Myth_alric]

I am still having the issue, so that doesn't seem to be the cause of it.

 

[Bob.B]

I am still having the issue, so that doesn't seem to be the cause of it.

In device manger look through the usb controller settings.
There is an option for turning off to save power.
Untic that.

 

[Myth_alric]

In device manger look through the usb controller settings.
There is an option for turning off to save power.
Untic that.

I found that option but it wasn't checked.

 

[Pounds]

I am still having the issue, so that doesn't seem to be the cause of it.

I once had this issue and the cable from the hard drive to the mobo needed to be replaced.

 

[Myth_alric]

I was watching it in task manager while it was struggling, and it spends long periods(like a few minutes) of time reading from it at 100's of kbps up to like 1-5mbps. When it does that some times it then disconnects, some times it starts working normally again after a while. When it is working normally it is at like 300-400mbps.

 

[Bob.B]

I was watching it in task manager while it was struggling, and it spends long periods(like a few minutes) of time reading from it at 100's of kbps up to like 1-5mbps. When it does that some times it then disconnects, some times it starts working normally again after a while. When it is working normally it is at like 300-400mbps.

I think you need to plug the ext into a different pc and see if the problem follows or rma the unit.

 

[Myth_alric]

I am going to return it and get a replacement, should be here tomorrow. That should settle if it is an SSD issue, or a my computer issue.

 

[Myth_alric]

Okay, I got the new SSD and I even plugged it into a different USB port from before. It was working great, for the first three days, no problems at all. Was using it this morning and it was being very slow again. It hasn't disconnected again yet, but it was definitely going very slow for some reason.

 

[Myth_alric]

So I eventually figured this out. I got two defective SSD from HP. Originally it was hard to test the SSD on another computer, since the trouble was intermitted but I kept the second SSD longer and it kept getting worse until it completely broke and wouldn't function at all(which made it very easy to test on another computer).

I ended up getting a third replacement but I got a samsung one instead. That one hasn't had any issues.

 

[harley9699]

I finally came to the same conclusion. Did all the stuff you did. The only HP, external, SSD I've ever used. Also, the last one I ever will use. Platter days were "Western Digital". SSD days have been Samsung.
It was all games that I lost... just don't which (Steam) ones they are yet. When I double-click and it tells me to install, then I know. Comp can't even recognize it one more time... to see what was on there.