USB 2.0 HDD enclosure driver error.

**docpan** · October 21st, 2004, 10:58 AM

Hello everyone..
For the last day I've been tirelessly trying to get this hdd enclosure to work properly. I have triple checked to make sure everything was connected correctly, but each time I let windows re-install the USB Mass Storage driver the following occurs:

"Found new Hardware
USB Mass Storage Device"

Minutes later:

"A problem occurred during hardware installation. Your new hardware might not work properly." I tried to use it anyways to see if it would work... It doesn't.

The specific model of the enclosure is CompUSA 3.5'' USB 2.0 HD Enclosure (SKU 312100). I'm running Windows XP with Service Pack 1.

The CompUSA drivers site (fmi.compusa.com) does have a driver for it, but it is intended for Windows 98 only, as XP is supposed to do it automatically.

I don't know what to do.
Thanks in advance for the help.

**Archer** · October 21st, 2004, 11:12 AM

What size drive have you installed in the unit?
Have you tried the contact manufacturer link ?

**docpan** · October 21st, 2004, 11:22 AM

I put in a 3.5'' IDE drive

EDIT:

I've already sent them a tech support e-mai. Perhaps this page would be more efficient. Thanks.

**Archer** · October 21st, 2004, 11:58 AM

I actually meant how many Gigabytes is the drive in size?

**docpan** · October 21st, 2004, 12:05 PM

Oh, oops. Sorry.

It's a 160 gb Seagate drive.

**Archer** · October 21st, 2004, 02:59 PM

Are you sure the enclosure supports this size of drive?
The reason I ask is the model I purchased recently specfically stated in its manual that it only supported a drive up to a certain size [think it was 120GB of hand]?

**NooNoo** · September 29th, 2005, 01:22 PM

Welcome to Windrivers Axxisman

The usb may be powering down - check the properties of the hub/controller.

**Axismann** · October 2nd, 2005, 03:00 AM

I checked the properties but there isn't alot there for the USB storage adapter, just a signle setting. The setting is a check box that says Hide Device from Icon in task bar. I guess that means the icon I click to disconnect the devide before removal.

On the general tab, it says the device is operating properly.

The root hub and open host controller look ok too. They both report operating properly.

**NooNoo** · October 2nd, 2005, 03:56 AM

I cannot remember 98 usb hub and controller properties in device manager, but there should be some sort of power management tab. It was the hubs and controllers properties (not the device itself) I wanted you to take a look at.

**Platypus** · October 2nd, 2005, 06:08 AM

Interestingly enough there's a comment here:

http://www.toad.com/gnu/sysadmin/#usbpower

that links to this thread, and observes that enclosure may not provide adequate power for some drives. It didn't produce the symptoms mentioned here, but could be worth looking into.

To further NooNoo's reference to power management, it may help us to know if "Disable power status polling" is checked on the Settings tab in Properties for Advanced Power Management support in System Devices. (Takes deep breath...)

**Axismann** · October 5th, 2005, 07:58 PM

Hi,

I installed the APM software and retested. However, the problem persisted as long as I had the "Turn off hard disks" option under the Power Management Properties on the Power Schemes tab set to some value other than never.

I checked the "Disable Power settings" option on the settings tab in the Advanced Power Management Support Properties but it wasn't disabled (checked).

I didn't try every combination I could think of but I did find that with APM installed, I could set the "Turn off hard disks" option to never but use the standby function to idle the drives.

When the machine wakes up, then the USB drive works as expected. But I had to install APM for that compromise.

So, I guess with this machine or maybe the my bios version, I must install APM if I want the machine to recognize the external USB drive when the hard drives wake back up.

That's nice to know and I may try it for awhile but not sure if I want to work that way. The alternative to not using APM for me seems to be that I just shouldn't let the hard drives go to sleep.

I'm going to try it both ways and see which one I like best.

I thank everyone for their helpfull comments.

**Axismann** · October 3rd, 2005, 10:13 PM

Hi,

I revisited the Universal Serial Bus Controllers on the Device Manager tab of the system properties. There appear to be 3 devices.

First, I see an entry for AMD 756 PCI to USB Open Host Controller. The device status for the OHC says it is working properly.

Next, there is an entry for the USB Root Hub. The device status for the hub also indicates that it is working properly. I looked at the power properties for the root hub and it showed two different device descriptions. One said USB Storage Adapter AT2 (TPP) with Power Required equal 0 ma (I suppose be cause it is powered by its own wall wart power supply). The other device description was 3 port(s) available also requiring 0 ma I suppose because I got nothing hooked to them. There were no other properties for the USB Root Hub device.

The last device displayed under Universal Serial Bus Controllers is the USB Storage Adapter AT2(TPP) device. The device status for the Storage Adapter also indicates the device is working properly. Thats my USB external drive.

I tried reinstalling the drive by removing the three devices from the Device Manager that appear related to the USB drive: 1) USB Storage Adapter AT2(TPP) under Universal Serial Bus Controllers, 2) Storage Adapter Bridge Module (TPP) under the Hard Disk Controllers, and 3) the WDC WD80 0JB-00JJA0 entry under Disk Drives. However, that appeared to have no effect because on reboot, it just detected and reinstalled those devices when I plugged in the USB drive.

I'm still poking and prodding to no avail.

**Axismann** · October 3rd, 2005, 10:18 PM

Hi,

I didn't install the Advanced Power Management controller when I set this computer up. That stuff got so much bad press when it came out that I never have tried to make it work.

**Axismann** · October 4th, 2005, 07:01 PM

Hi,

My problem seems somehow related to the Power Scheme. When I set the hard drives to turn off under power management properties, the USB drive doesn't restart when I come back and wake the machine up.

If I set the hard drives to never turn off, then the usb drive works when I come back later and try to use it after a considerable delay (like overnight).

The settings for turning the monitor off don't seem to have any impact on the problem.