Vista Home Premium 64 and USB Drives

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I've a couple USB external Hard Drives and a USB Flash Drive that I use
from time to time. If I connect only one to the system all works well,
but if I connect any 2 at the same time Windows Explorer freezes so I
can't read any, let alone copy between them (I've never tried to attach
all at the same time). Is this normal? Is there some setting I should
make - or unmake somewhere - so I can attach all at the same time? As
noted in the subject line I have the 64 bit version of Vista Home
Premium, and 4 or 5 free USB 2 ports on the 2 attached hubs.
 
Re: Vista Home Premium 64 and USB Drives

No, it is not normal.

Disconnect the hubs. See if that helps. If not, I would have the computer
checked. Something may not be wired correctly.

Be aware that not all hubs are OK with Vista. I have had at least one that
blue screened my computer by just connecting. I remember reports during the
Vista beta program about problems with some hubs.

Avoid using a hub or only use one certified for Vista. The one I had that
caused issues with Vista was OK with XP so the fact that "it used to work
OK" is not useful. When I replaced it with one certified for Vista I had no
more problems.

"BP" <brcphillips@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4830cbbf$0$31748$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>
> I've a couple USB external Hard Drives and a USB Flash Drive that I use
> from time to time. If I connect only one to the system all works well,
> but if I connect any 2 at the same time Windows Explorer freezes so I
> can't read any, let alone copy between them (I've never tried to attach
> all at the same time). Is this normal? Is there some setting I should
> make - or unmake somewhere - so I can attach all at the same time? As
> noted in the subject line I have the 64 bit version of Vista Home Premium,
> and 4 or 5 free USB 2 ports on the 2 attached hubs.
>
>
 
Re: Vista Home Premium 64 and USB Drives

This could be a power issue too. If those USB drives are powering from the
USB ports, not from an external power source, you can quickly overload the
power to the USB ports. (And having a good USB hub that has an external
power source can definitely help here, pulling that load away from the
computer.)

--
Charlie.
http://msmvps.com/xperts64
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel


"Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:50FC991A-FC18-4AB6-87DD-62011646C26D@microsoft.com...
> No, it is not normal.
>
> Disconnect the hubs. See if that helps. If not, I would have the
> computer checked. Something may not be wired correctly.
>
> Be aware that not all hubs are OK with Vista. I have had at least one
> that blue screened my computer by just connecting. I remember reports
> during the Vista beta program about problems with some hubs.
>
> Avoid using a hub or only use one certified for Vista. The one I had that
> caused issues with Vista was OK with XP so the fact that "it used to work
> OK" is not useful. When I replaced it with one certified for Vista I had
> no more problems.
>
> "BP" <brcphillips@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:4830cbbf$0$31748$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>>
>> I've a couple USB external Hard Drives and a USB Flash Drive that I use
>> from time to time. If I connect only one to the system all works well,
>> but if I connect any 2 at the same time Windows Explorer freezes so I
>> can't read any, let alone copy between them (I've never tried to attach
>> all at the same time). Is this normal? Is there some setting I should
>> make - or unmake somewhere - so I can attach all at the same time? As
>> noted in the subject line I have the 64 bit version of Vista Home
>> Premium, and 4 or 5 free USB 2 ports on the 2 attached hubs.
>>
>>
>
 
Re: Vista Home Premium 64 and USB Drives

Hi, BP.

In addition to Colin's comments...

Use Disk Management to (semi-)permanently assign drive letters to each
drive, so that they don't all "race" for a letter when you plug them in. If
the letters are not already assigned elsewhere, you might use F: for the
Flash Drive and H: and I: for the external hard drives - but those are only
suggestions, of course. You can use almost any letters you like; choose
some that will help you remember which letter goes with which drive. DM
assigns letters according to its own rules, and what is Drive F: today might
be Drive G: the next time you plug it in. But if YOU assign the letters, DM
will remember them and try to assign the same letter to the same device each
time it is plugged in.

There are several ways to find Disk Management. Perhaps the easiest in
Vista is to press the Start button, then type into the Search box:
diskmgmt.msc That filename should then appear at the top of your Search
results. Right-click it and choose to Run as Administrator.

Disk Management is a VERY useful utility that is included in every copy of
Windows since Windows 2000. Every serious user (even serious amateurs)
should take some time to get familiar with it. It's A Good Thing! ;<)

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@grandecom.net
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail 2008 in Vista Ultimate x64 SP1)

"BP" <brcphillips@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4830cbbf$0$31748$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>
> I've a couple USB external Hard Drives and a USB Flash Drive that I use
> from time to time. If I connect only one to the system all works well,
> but if I connect any 2 at the same time Windows Explorer freezes so I
> can't read any, let alone copy between them (I've never tried to attach
> all at the same time). Is this normal? Is there some setting I should
> make - or unmake somewhere - so I can attach all at the same time? As
> noted in the subject line I have the 64 bit version of Vista Home Premium,
> and 4 or 5 free USB 2 ports on the 2 attached hubs.
 
Re: Vista Home Premium 64 and USB Drives

Charlie Russel - MVP wrote on 5/19/2008 :
> This could be a power issue too. If those USB drives are powering from the
> USB ports, not from an external power source, you can quickly overload the
> power to the USB ports. (And having a good USB hub that has an external power
> source can definitely help here, pulling that load away from the computer.)
>
> --
> Charlie.
> http://msmvps.com/xperts64
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel
>
>
> "Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:50FC991A-FC18-4AB6-87DD-62011646C26D@microsoft.com...
>> No, it is not normal.
>>
>> Disconnect the hubs. See if that helps. If not, I would have the computer
>> checked. Something may not be wired correctly.
>>
>> Be aware that not all hubs are OK with Vista. I have had at least one that
>> blue screened my computer by just connecting. I remember reports during
>> the Vista beta program about problems with some hubs.
>>
>> Avoid using a hub or only use one certified for Vista. The one I had that
>> caused issues with Vista was OK with XP so the fact that "it used to work
>> OK" is not useful. When I replaced it with one certified for Vista I had
>> no more problems.
>>
>> "BP" <brcphillips@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:4830cbbf$0$31748$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>>>
>>> I've a couple USB external Hard Drives and a USB Flash Drive that I use
>>> from time to time. If I connect only one to the system all works well,
>>> but if I connect any 2 at the same time Windows Explorer freezes so I
>>> can't read any, let alone copy between them (I've never tried to attach
>>> all at the same time). Is this normal? Is there some setting I should
>>> make - or unmake somewhere - so I can attach all at the same time? As
>>> noted in the subject line I have the 64 bit version of Vista Home Premium,
>>> and 4 or 5 free USB 2 ports on the 2 attached hubs.
>>>
>>>
>>

Thanks - I had the power connection but hadn't plugged it in. I did,
and now things seem to work OK (I' m crossing my fingers when I write
that).
 
Re: Vista Home Premium 64 and USB Drives

R. C. White pretended :
> Hi, BP.
>
> In addition to Colin's comments...
>
> Use Disk Management to (semi-)permanently assign drive letters to each drive,
> so that they don't all "race" for a letter when you plug them in. If the
> letters are not already assigned elsewhere, you might use F: for the Flash
> Drive and H: and I: for the external hard drives - but those are only
> suggestions, of course. You can use almost any letters you like; choose some
> that will help you remember which letter goes with which drive. DM assigns
> letters according to its own rules, and what is Drive F: today might be Drive
> G: the next time you plug it in. But if YOU assign the letters, DM will
> remember them and try to assign the same letter to the same device each time
> it is plugged in.
>
> There are several ways to find Disk Management. Perhaps the easiest in Vista
> is to press the Start button, then type into the Search box: diskmgmt.msc
> That filename should then appear at the top of your Search results.
> Right-click it and choose to Run as Administrator.
>
> Disk Management is a VERY useful utility that is included in every copy of
> Windows since Windows 2000. Every serious user (even serious amateurs)
> should take some time to get familiar with it. It's A Good Thing! ;<)
>
> RC

I haven't tried doing this, but it makes sense. Let me see how things
go before I do something else. I have taken Charlie's advice and
things seem (cross fingers for luck) to be working.

Now, if I could figure out hoe to make a program (ex. NewsFilter) load
and run when I boot up the system ....
 
Re: Vista Home Premium 64 and USB Drives

Sounds like we may have it. After you've had a bit more time on it, please
confirm so we can all benefit.

--
Charlie.
http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel


"BP" <brcphillips@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:mn.9c997d85c0151a89.88421@hotmail.com...
> Charlie Russel - MVP wrote on 5/19/2008 :
>> This could be a power issue too. If those USB drives are powering from
>> the USB ports, not from an external power source, you can quickly
>> overload the power to the USB ports. (And having a good USB hub that has
>> an external power source can definitely help here, pulling that load away
>> from the computer.)
>>
>> --
>> Charlie.
>> http://msmvps.com/xperts64
>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/charlie.russel
>>
>>
>> "Colin Barnhorst" <c.barnhorst@comcast.net> wrote in message
>> news:50FC991A-FC18-4AB6-87DD-62011646C26D@microsoft.com...
>>> No, it is not normal.
>>>
>>> Disconnect the hubs. See if that helps. If not, I would have the
>>> computer checked. Something may not be wired correctly.
>>>
>>> Be aware that not all hubs are OK with Vista. I have had at least one
>>> that blue screened my computer by just connecting. I remember reports
>>> during the Vista beta program about problems with some hubs.
>>>
>>> Avoid using a hub or only use one certified for Vista. The one I had
>>> that caused issues with Vista was OK with XP so the fact that "it used
>>> to work OK" is not useful. When I replaced it with one certified for
>>> Vista I had no more problems.
>>>
>>> "BP" <brcphillips@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>> news:4830cbbf$0$31748$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>>>>
>>>> I've a couple USB external Hard Drives and a USB Flash Drive that I use
>>>> from time to time. If I connect only one to the system all works well,
>>>> but if I connect any 2 at the same time Windows Explorer freezes so I
>>>> can't read any, let alone copy between them (I've never tried to attach
>>>> all at the same time). Is this normal? Is there some setting I should
>>>> make - or unmake somewhere - so I can attach all at the same time? As
>>>> noted in the subject line I have the 64 bit version of Vista Home
>>>> Premium, and 4 or 5 free USB 2 ports on the 2 attached hubs.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>
> Thanks - I had the power connection but hadn't plugged it in. I did, and
> now things seem to work OK (I' m crossing my fingers when I write that).
>
>
 
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