Does my HP Envy Desktop using W10 Support UASP? & Its Gen 3.1 Ports=Too Old for Safe Use w3.2 USB?

[alysenet]

Hi. The instructions booklet for my new Samsung T7 Shield 4TB external solid state drive (SSD) say that it is intended for use with a computer that "supports UASP" (USB Attached SCSI Protocol). Does my HP Envy 795-0087c US support UASP? Specifically, I want to be reassured that my PC has this UASP functionality to enable successful transferring of files from the PC to the Samsung external drive.

I'm also concerned to read:  "the drive is designed for use with generation *3.2* USB ports and "the use of non-compliant or incompatible devices and interface ports may result in *personnel injury,* *damage to both devices,* and/or *property damage.*"  I had only thought of the possibility of slow data transfers using my Gen 3.1 HP Envy ports; not possible personal or computer injury!  Is this USB generation compatibility warning just an extreme, over-the-top warning that isn't worth worrying about?  Or should I return this external drive?  The salesperson steered me to it, without mentioning either of these 2 requirements.

[Raj_05]

Hi @alysenet,

Welcome to HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

Whether your HP Envy Desktop running Windows 10 supports UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) and USB 3.2 depends on the specific model and hardware specifications of your desktop computer. To determine if your computer supports these features, you can follow these steps.

Check the USB Ports:

• Look at the physical USB ports on your computer. USB 3.2 ports are typically marked with the SuperSpeed+ logo, which looks like an "SS" or "SS+" next to the USB symbol. This indicates that the port supports faster data transfer speeds, which are characteristic of USB 3.2 Gen 1 (formerly USB 3.0) or Gen 2.

Check Device Manager:

• You can check the USB controller and port specifications in the Device Manager:
  • Right-click on the Start button and select "Device Manager."
  • Expand the "Universal Serial Bus controllers" section.
  • Look for entries related to USB 3.0, 3.1, or 3.2. The specific naming might vary depending on the manufacturer, but you should be able to identify the USB generation of your ports.

Check the Computer's Documentation:

• Refer to your HP Envy Desktop's user manual or specifications sheet that came with the computer. This documentation should provide details about the USB ports and their supported features.

Regarding the compatibility of USB 3.2 ports with older USB devices, USB is designed to be backward compatible. This means that you can generally use older USB devices with newer USB ports. For example, you can connect a USB 3.0 device to a USB 3.2 port, and it should work without issues. However, the device will operate at the speed of the older USB standard (e.g., USB 3.0 speeds).

It's important to note that USB 3.2 Gen 1 and Gen 2 are backward compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 devices. If your computer has USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, they should work with older USB devices, but you won't get the full benefit of the faster data transfer speeds unless you're using a USB 3.2 Gen 2-compatible device.

To get the best performance from your USB 3.2 ports, it's ideal to use USB 3.2-compatible devices.

As for UASP support, many modern computers and USB controllers do support UASP, which can improve data transfer speeds for compatible storage devices (e.g., SSDs).

I hope this helps. 
 

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4
HP Support 

[alysenet]

Thanks.  I had already looked at the HP PDF I have from Nov 2019 when i bought the HP Envy 79-0087c I was asking you about. The port info, like the entire manual, applies to multiple models, saying things like “Your computer may have one or more of the following types of USB ports,” and doesn’t specify the generation. I do have a professionally taken photo file that’s dated back from my purchase time, showing a picture just like my HP Envy desktop tower and listing the port type/generation numbers as all all 3.1 gen 1s and 3.1 gen 2s like I told you, though it was great to see confirmation through your Device Manager steps, which mention usb 3.1, so thanks. My question , though, was *whether the warning in the  Samsung external drive’s booklet about taking a risk of Personnel Injury/Equipment damage/property damage* when using a 3.2 usb external drive with computer usb ports that are merely usb 3.1s.*. The risk stated in that warning is *safety* related rather than merely the performance (speed/copying ability) aspect that is commonly known and that you focused on in your reply to me.   Also, like I said, my ports are the lower gen than the ext drive, not the other way around, so your explanation added a layer of confusion to me by not being my situation, though maybe you’re saying the other way around is the same result…that it doesn’t matter what gen the computer port vs connected ext drive USB plug is, at least as far as the speed and transferability aspect you were focused on …all will transfer fine though perhaps at a slower speed.

My front ports, the only ones I use for my external drives, show an SS, Ss10, and SS10 lightning bolt.  See attached photo I took.

Sorry I wasn’t clear enough that my usb related point was about the crazy alarming injury risk warning.  Samsung themselves ended up telling me it’s just cover-their-ass wording.  But it’s too extreme in my opinion.

In my posted question to you I did characterize my computer-port gen vs ext drive USB gen’s Safety issue fear using the term “compatibility” at one point so maybe that added confusion. 

I don’t think any of your steps give how to find a clue that my HP 795-0087c supports USAP or whatever that acronym was. I had resorted to the Community group because my searches for that term came up empty in the HP PDF I have.

 Thanks for trying.

I did finally bite the bullet and use the Samsung 3.2 USB external drive today for the first time since buying it sept 6.  I noticed that 6K files failed to copy over, and then found out that their generic “you may need to reformat to NTSF” applied to me.  At least there’s no injury or damage to date from using my pitiful USB 3.1 PC ports with the USB 3.2 external drive.😆

[Raj_05]

Hi @alysenet,

Thank you for your response, 

Due to limited support, I would request you contact our HP Support and our Support Engineers should be able to sort this out. HP Support can be reached by clicking on the following link.

https://www.hp.com/contacthp/

Please feel free to contact us here anytime you need any further assistance.

Have a great day!

Alden4
HP Support