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
    2014-12-04T20:01:08+00:00

    Some years ago I bought an external usb 3.0 harddisk box, destroyed the Touro box and just plugged the disk, the box cost aprox 20€, I think it's a Sven brand. And it worked and still works perfect. usb3.0 speed and zero problems. I'm using it with windows 8.1 and windows 7.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-12-04T21:39:33+00:00

    Some years ago I bought an external usb 3.0 harddisk box, destroyed the Touro box and just plugged the disk, the box cost aprox 20€, I think it's a Sven brand. And it worked and still works perfect. usb3.0 speed and zero problems. I'm using it with windows 8.1 and windows 7.

    This is a great start, thank you!  I'm seeing some light at the end of the tunnel.  How do you have that drive plugged in?  Is it going directly to the motherboard through a SATA cable, or do you have an external adapter?  I imagine it's the first one, but then you say you use it with W8 and W7, so it makes me wonder how you switch it back and forth. The thing with me is that I got a small ASUS desktop that has no more space to plug anything else.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-12-04T21:48:12+00:00

    Sorry, its a case/enclosure, external, with an usb3.0 cable, something very similar to this:

    http://www.newertech.com/products/voyagerq.php

    I guess it will also work without the case, just inside the desktop with sata cable, but never tried.

    I just put the disk and worked, didn't had to reformat or anything.

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-12-04T22:11:17+00:00

    Thanks for that.  I was also thinking about using it external as well, just not with something so sophisticated like the one from the link.  At least I think I'm on the right track to make mi drive work with W8.

    Thanks again. This really helped me a lot.

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