Question External USB drive not recognized when booting ?

[GeorgiaOverdrive]

I recently bought an external SSD to make my nightly backups on my Windows 11 desktop computer. I leave this SSD plugged in. If the computer reboots, it says "USB device not recognized" and the drive isn't found. I have to unplug it and plug it back in to get it to be recognized.

I contacted the maker (Silicon Power) and they just said to unplug it and plug it back in, which doesn't help me.

I've had more than 10 external USB drives, mostly HD but some SSD, and I've never had one that wasn't recognized when the computer boots before.

Should the SSD that is plugged into the USB be recognized when the computer boots, or is there something wrong with this Silicon Power one?

 

[Moonstick2]

What's the exact model of the external drive?

How long is the USB cable?

Is it plugged directly into a motherboard USB port, or a front port, or a USB hub? If the hub, where is that plugged into?

Does it show up in BIOS? Is the BIOS boot order set to boot from USB before the internal drive?

If you try some other external drive or flash drive in the same port, does the same thing happen?

 

[GeorgiaOverdrive]

Silicon Power Bolt 875, 4TB.

I'm using the short cable that came with it (about 10 inches, I guess).
It is plugged directly into the vomputer's USB. Right now I'm using the enclosed USB A to C adapter.
I haven't checked the BIOS.

Since I wrote the original message, I've tested it with four other external SSDs, and they are all detected when the computer boots.

Also, now I've run CrystalDisk mark and am getting some flaky results. One time it was writing about 10% as fast as it should be. My most recent test shows over 400 when it should be about 550.

 

[Moonstick2]

Looking into that drive, the only thing I can think of is it might be the Silicon Power Widget software, if you're using that; maybe some kind of loading order means it only works correctly if the drive is connected after the software has started.

If Silicon Power don't say that it should be recognisable on reboot, and given that other drives detect just fine, I guess your option would be to try and get a refund saying it's not fit for purpose if you need that functionality and buy some other make.

 

[GeorgiaOverdrive]

I'm not using the Widget software. Also, I did check the driver, and it has the latest one.

They are not saying that it should be recognized when the computer boots - they say to unplug it and plug it back in. But I want to have it plugged into the back permanently. Right now I have it plugged into the front, out of necessity.

 

[Moonstick2]

My point is that if they're not saying that it should be recognised when the computer boots, then there's no fault with it, it's just the way that drive is.

The argument then is that because:
(i) it wasn't advertised with that limitation;
(ii) keeping an external drive permanently attached to a computer that might be rebooted with nobody present isn't an unreasonable use;
(iii) it's not an unreasonable expectation that it would stay recognised since all your other drives do.

- with all that, you ought to be able to get a refund of the drive because it's not fit for purpose (at least depending on the laws regarding consumer goods where you are).

 

[GeorgiaOverdrive]

The 30-day return period has expired. But today I did a cold boot instead of a restart, and it WAS recognized.

 

[GeorgiaOverdrive]

I just tested both a cold boot and a restart, with the drive plugged in. It WAS recognized with the cold boot. On the restart, it was NOT recognized, and the computer gave a "USB device not recognized" message.

I have it to do a backup late each night. Besides the restarts I have to do, Windows updates could cause a restart, or at least they used to.