Laptop connection issues to USB hard-drives

[justinmreina2]

I have a few Western Digital hard-drives that I am having trouble connecting to my Spectre laptop! My WD Passport units do not register when I connect them, but they work just fine on my other computer?

Here is one hard-drive, that is brand-new and does not work in this test -

Trial Unit

• WD My Passport (WDBPKJ0040BBK-08)

My laptop works just fine with USB hubs & USB sticks which I have tried recently. I have also tried this hard-drive test through the laptop USB-A port and through the USB-C port through a USB hub observing the same effects - what is the issue here?

Thanks!

-Justin

[Raj_05]

Hi @justinmreina2,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

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

If your WD My Passport hard drives aren’t being recognized by your HP Spectre x360 but work fine on other computers, it suggests that the issue may be related to the laptop itself rather than the drives. Here are some steps to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue.

Update Drivers

USB Drivers:

• Go to Device Manager (right-click on Start and select Device Manager).
• Expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers section.
• Right-click on each USB Root Hub and select Update driver.
• Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.

Chipset Drivers:

• Check for updates to your chipset drivers from the HP support website for your laptop model. These drivers can sometimes affect USB functionality.

Check Power Settings

• USB Selective Suspend Setting:
  • Open Control Panel > Power Options > Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings.
  • Expand USB settings > USB selective suspend setting and set it to Disabled.

Inspect the USB Ports

• Try connecting your hard drives to different USB ports on the laptop.
• Ensure there’s no debris or damage in the USB ports.

Try a Different Cable or Adapter

• Use a different USB cable or adapter to connect the hard drive if available. Sometimes the issue may be with the cable rather than the drive.

Check Disk Management

• Right-click on Start and select Disk Management.
• Check if the hard drive appears in the list. If it does, but isn't assigned a drive letter, right-click on it and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths to assign a drive letter.

[Raj_05]

Update BIOS

• Visit the HP support website and check if there are any BIOS updates available for your Spectre x360 model. Updating the BIOS can sometimes resolve hardware compatibility issues.

Check for Firmware Updates

• Some external hard drives have firmware updates available. Visit Western Digital's website and check if there are any firmware updates for your model.

Run Hardware Diagnostics

• HP laptops often come with built-in hardware diagnostics. Restart your laptop and press the appropriate key (usually ESC or F2) to enter the diagnostics menu and check for any reported issues.

Test in Safe Mode

• Restart your laptop in Safe Mode and see if the hard drives are recognized. This can help identify if a third-party application or driver is causing the issue.

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