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‎12-31-2019 10:43 AM - edited ‎12-31-2019 10:48 AM

HP Recommended
Product: HP Desktop M01-F0024
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit)

I have got 8 external drives (mostly 3-5 Tb - one is an 😎  + a flashdrive connected. Nine total. When I try to add one more (which will be drive letter "N'), one of the other drives is dropped.

Now, with time and money I can upgrade several more drives to 8Tb and get along with 6 drives, but is there a way to get more to run at a time? I had no problems with the old Windows 7 machine...

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

‎12-31-2019 07:14 PM

HP Recommended

@thingmaker,

I do believe your problem exists because of the limited USB port amperage.  USB 2 is 0.5 A, and USB3 is 0.9 A.

All mechanical hard drives (platter/motor) spin, and your luck will eventually fail.  Those drives die !! Been there, had it happen with redundant monthly clones. I gave away over 20 hard drives, each 1TB.  Now, I only use 2.5" SSD, or 2.5" WD mechanical to make my OS backup.

PS<> I have over 3000 DVD's. Maybe those will fail in 10 years. By that time, I might no longer be here.

This system is feedback driven thru Solution and Kudo flags. It's the only means of knowing if you have been served. Please click Accept as Solution, if your problem is solved. To say THANK YOU, press the "thumbs up symbol" to render a KUDO. You can render both Solution and KUDO..

HP Envy 8 5010 Tablet
(2) HP DV7t i7 3160QM 2.3Ghz 8GB
Printer -- HP OfficeJet Pro 8620 Legal
Custom Asus Z97D, I7-4790k, 16GB RAM, WIN10 Pro 64bit, ZOTAC GTX1080 AMP Extreme 3 fan 8GB RAM, 500GB SSD, Asus PB287 4k monitor, Rosewill Blackhawk case and 750W OCZ PSU.

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7 REPLIES 7

‎12-31-2019 02:51 PM - edited ‎12-31-2019 03:13 PM

HP Recommended

@thingmaker,

You really need to describe the external setup. What type of hard drive enclosure(s). What is attached to each external USB port.  The max is 127 USB devices. The problem  is USB port power. See here.

Now I would like to ask why so many drives? Have you thought about a docking station, or drive tower?

This system is feedback driven thru Solution and Kudo flags. It's the only means of knowing if you have been served. Please click Accept as Solution, if your problem is solved. To say THANK YOU, press the "thumbs up symbol" to render a KUDO. You can render both Solution and KUDO..

HP Envy 8 5010 Tablet
(2) HP DV7t i7 3160QM 2.3Ghz 8GB
Printer -- HP OfficeJet Pro 8620 Legal
Custom Asus Z97D, I7-4790k, 16GB RAM, WIN10 Pro 64bit, ZOTAC GTX1080 AMP Extreme 3 fan 8GB RAM, 500GB SSD, Asus PB287 4k monitor, Rosewill Blackhawk case and 750W OCZ PSU.
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‎12-31-2019 03:36 PM

HP Recommended

Hi, Wb2001, thanks for your reply.

I have, as I had on my previous computer which ran Windows 7, eight separate external hard drives, each self powered, attached to the various usb ports... Since there aren't enough usb ports I have most of them on unpowered hubs attached to two of the usb ports rather than directly plugged into the usb port. Three of my external drives have their own additional usb ports and one of these hosts a flash drive, which is now the J drive. The drives are Seagate or WD sold as portable external drives.

Why so many? Well, I never keep data on the computer and I have a helluva lot of data, more all the time. In addition to projects of various sorts, I keep my collections of films and misc. video, music, old time radio and audiobooks, and e-texts on the externals. I always keep at least three copies of everything on separate drives. I backup to, more or less, carefully groomed collections daily. I pull and replace them as any sign of trouble arises or as larger ones are needed. 

I appreciate being able to simply save items to their (usually 3 separate) backup locations without having to dock or undock anything. 

Is this making any sense?

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‎12-31-2019 07:14 PM

HP Recommended

@thingmaker,

I do believe your problem exists because of the limited USB port amperage.  USB 2 is 0.5 A, and USB3 is 0.9 A.

All mechanical hard drives (platter/motor) spin, and your luck will eventually fail.  Those drives die !! Been there, had it happen with redundant monthly clones. I gave away over 20 hard drives, each 1TB.  Now, I only use 2.5" SSD, or 2.5" WD mechanical to make my OS backup.

PS<> I have over 3000 DVD's. Maybe those will fail in 10 years. By that time, I might no longer be here.

This system is feedback driven thru Solution and Kudo flags. It's the only means of knowing if you have been served. Please click Accept as Solution, if your problem is solved. To say THANK YOU, press the "thumbs up symbol" to render a KUDO. You can render both Solution and KUDO..

HP Envy 8 5010 Tablet
(2) HP DV7t i7 3160QM 2.3Ghz 8GB
Printer -- HP OfficeJet Pro 8620 Legal
Custom Asus Z97D, I7-4790k, 16GB RAM, WIN10 Pro 64bit, ZOTAC GTX1080 AMP Extreme 3 fan 8GB RAM, 500GB SSD, Asus PB287 4k monitor, Rosewill Blackhawk case and 750W OCZ PSU.
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‎12-31-2019 09:11 PM

HP Recommended

Thanks again!

I checked the price per Tb of solid state storage again and will have to carry on with spinning platters  and multiple redundancy a while longer - backing up only the most critical stuff to a couple of ssd  devices. But thanks. I see I better move farther in that direction. (I used to use DVDs but... There were so many...)

Do you think a powered hub will solve the immediate problem? 

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‎01-01-2020 03:26 PM

HP Recommended

@thingmaker,

A power USB hub will, IMHO, aid your multiple USB drives.

This system is feedback driven thru Solution and Kudo flags. It's the only means of knowing if you have been served. Please click Accept as Solution, if your problem is solved. To say THANK YOU, press the "thumbs up symbol" to render a KUDO. You can render both Solution and KUDO..

HP Envy 8 5010 Tablet
(2) HP DV7t i7 3160QM 2.3Ghz 8GB
Printer -- HP OfficeJet Pro 8620 Legal
Custom Asus Z97D, I7-4790k, 16GB RAM, WIN10 Pro 64bit, ZOTAC GTX1080 AMP Extreme 3 fan 8GB RAM, 500GB SSD, Asus PB287 4k monitor, Rosewill Blackhawk case and 750W OCZ PSU.
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‎01-02-2020 05:59 AM

HP Recommended

Thanks again.

I'll proceed with a powered hub and hope to transition to better long-term backup overtime.

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‎01-02-2020 01:05 PM

HP Recommended

@thingmaker,

Just remember that the 4 rear ports are only usb2.0 (.5A).

The PCIEx1 slot will not handle mutliple eSATA. 

This might help, as it is PCIE x1

This system is feedback driven thru Solution and Kudo flags. It's the only means of knowing if you have been served. Please click Accept as Solution, if your problem is solved. To say THANK YOU, press the "thumbs up symbol" to render a KUDO. You can render both Solution and KUDO..

HP Envy 8 5010 Tablet
(2) HP DV7t i7 3160QM 2.3Ghz 8GB
Printer -- HP OfficeJet Pro 8620 Legal
Custom Asus Z97D, I7-4790k, 16GB RAM, WIN10 Pro 64bit, ZOTAC GTX1080 AMP Extreme 3 fan 8GB RAM, 500GB SSD, Asus PB287 4k monitor, Rosewill Blackhawk case and 750W OCZ PSU.
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