Windows 8 - Hitachi Touro Pro

Anonymous
2012-10-29T18:44:53+00:00

Can anyone help me out with this.

I have 4 x 2TB Hitachi Touro Pro external hard drives. All work 100% in Windows 7.

However, they do not work under Windows 8. When connected you will hear the sound notifying you a USB device was attached but not drive letter.

After a couple of minute (2-4 minutes) a drive will appear but it you try access the drive the machine will freeze.

I have tried all 4 drives and they all show the same issue, working in Windows 7 not in 8.

This has to be a windows issue.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2013-02-23T13:31:13+00:00

Can anyone who has gotten their Hitachi Touro to work with Windows 8 confirm the USB 3.0 host controller?

After first noticing the compatibility issues when I first installed Windows 8, I traded my Hitachi drive for my brother's Seagate Expansion drive. His drive is smaller capacity, but at least I can use it with my computer.

Anyway, my brother's computer is having some issues and I was going to try reinstalling Windows 7. before doing that, I decided to do a test installation of Windows 8. His computer is running on an Intel Series 4 chipset and I have added a USB 3.0 add-on card to connect to his external drive. After installing Windows 8 to his computer, I was able to access the Hitachi Touro Pro hard drive with no issues at all.

I checked in the device manager and his USB 3.0 host controller is listed as Renesas Electronics USB 3.0 Host Controller. My computer that has problems with the Hitachi drive is running on an Intel H77 based motherboard with integrated USB 3.0. The host controller on my computer is listed as Intel USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller - 0100 (Microsoft).

Based on this information, would the issue lie with the drivers for the USB 3.0 controller, and not the operating system? Intel doesn't provide any updated drivers for the USB 3.0 on Windows 8; only previous versions of the OS.

(Update)

I just found a thread at the Intel Support Community that has over 225 comments from users discussing this issue. Apparently the native Windows 8 drivers from Microsoft for the Intel USB 3.0 controller are causing issues with other USB 3.0 devices as well. Someone hacked the lasted Windows 7 driver for the Intel USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller to make it work for Windows 8. It is available for download on page 16 of that thread. You must disable driver signing to be able to install the driver.

  • Hold the Shift key while selecting Restart to enter Advanced Startup Options
  • Click Troubleshoot
  • Click Advanced Options
  • Click Startup Settings
  • Click Restart
  • After the computer reboots, select option 7 to disable driver signature enforcement
  • Go to Device Manager
  • Right-click on your USB 3.0 host controller and select Update Driver
  • Select "Browse my computer for driver software"
  • Choose "Let me pick..."
  • Click the Have Disk button
  • Browse to where you downloaded the modified driver and select it
  • Click Next
  • Select the option to install when warned about digital driver signing
  • If an unknown device appears, you can install by selecting the "Browse..." option and entering the containing folder rather than having to manually pick a specific driver. This will install the Intel USB 3.0 Root Hub

Hopefully, Intel will recognize this issue and release updated drivers. Until then, this will hopefully work with no issues.

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-01-23T02:38:05+00:00

    I have successfully gotten my Hitachi 1TB drive to work in windows 8. I first used the disk management tool to format it in NTFS. Then, I did not assign a drive letter, but instead I assigned a drive path. I made a new folder in my primary hard drive. Then, after formatting and assigning, I assigned a drive letter. It works just fine now.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-01-16T15:40:51+00:00

    I am using an Alienware M17X R4, and did an OTA upgrade to Windows 8. I have a Hitachi Touro Pro 750GB USB3 external hard drive that I cannot get to work after the OS upgrade.

    This Hitachi drive does work just fine on another Alienware M11X R3 with Windows 7, and an older Alienware M17X R2 with Windows 7 - both in USB2 mode.

    Does anyone know if there might be an Intel chipset HM77 driver update for Windows 8 or a BIOS patch for the OEM's to instrument to solve this?

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-01-16T01:40:08+00:00

    In my PC,

    Win7 USB 2.0 & USB 3.0 port is working.

    After upgrade to Win8

    Win8 USB 2.0 port is working.

    Win8 USB 3.0 port has the same issue.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-01-16T01:26:36+00:00

    I have a Hitachi Mobile Touro 750GB USB 3.0.... and after reading this thread, I was somewhat a little relieved to know that the problem is not my USB hard drive.... which I was worried about loosing all my data on it.... but yes the problem is with Windows 8 !!!!

    This issue caused alot of trouble and frustration over the Christmas period when upgrading to Win 8... and trying to retrieve data from my drive!

    It doesn't even show up in My Computers... and randomly at times after 5mins of connecting... it hangs my Explorer!

    I have tried my drive in:

    An Athlon 64 X2 PC with Windows 8 with USB 2.0 and

    A MacBook Pro 2010 Bootcamped Windows 8 with USB 2.0

    In Windows 7, it connects fine on both USB3.0 and USB2.0

    :(((((

    Please release a fix to make it compatible with the Hitachi USB Controller!

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