Windows 8.1 causes external hard drives to auto-sleep?

Anonymous
2013-10-27T07:38:58+00:00

My 2 external hard drives are always active as I have disabled auto sleep. I didn't have this problem way since Windows 7, but after upgrading to Windows 8.1 from Windows 8, my 2 external hard drives will automatically went to sleep around 10 minutes of inactivity. I have tried the power options, device manager options, but to no avail. Any help? Thanks. 

I'm using NoSleepHD as a temporary fix but I hope there's a permanent fix for this.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2013-11-01T15:32:42+00:00

Thanks for the trace. We will analyze and get back to you. We published a blog on this yesterday to bring awareness and get help from the community to root-cause the issue. We think this is all due to suspending the device when idle which we never used to do in previous OSes. We will find out if this turns out to be something else.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/usbcoreblog/archive/2013/11/01/help-after-installing-windows-8-1-my-usb-drive-disappears-or-file-transfers-stop-unexpectedly-r-a-post-title.aspx

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-07-22T15:57:23+00:00

    I have had the same problem with my Seagate Expansions.Just go to power options and then change the Usb settings to disabled  (power options usb selective suspend).It Worked for me.My disks never go to sleep.( I don't know if anyone solved the problem.I haven't read all the pages I just wanted to help :)

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-07-02T01:43:54+00:00

    I have tried all of the solutions in this thread with no results. Everyone is saying their drive sleeps after 5 minutes or so, mine has been going to sleep after 5-10 seconds. It's A 2tb Samsung spinpoint connected through a sata to usb adapter to the usb port on my Asus Transfomer Book (T100). I'm not sure if it's a setting or a hardware issue. It worries me that no one else has this problem :p

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-06-21T07:48:44+00:00

    Can one of you MSFT or Microsoft support people please escalate this issue?

    If you've already done so, please let us know, or tell us the status of this issue.

    It seems like either MS broke something, or Seagate and other drive manufacturers are no longer compliant in some way. What ever happened, users should not have to edit their registry or wake their drives every few minutes.

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-06-21T02:09:17+00:00

    I have posted a question before and after 8 months of trying to fix this, my Seagate drives go to sleep.  It happens while uploading photos and anytime I step away.  

    Can we please get a fix for this.  I am at the end of my rope. I have to power off my computer time and time again just to use the drive.

    I am absolutely up to date on fixes and SW.  Can someone from MS support please publish a consolidated fix?

    This is not some arcane problem.  This is how people use their modern computers.  They put high capacity USB3.0 drives on them.  Isn't that the model?

    HELP HELP.  I don't want to hack my registry.  This is an out of the box fix.

    Thanks.

    RJF

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