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
    2014-05-30T03:09:20+00:00

    Hi Berton,

    What is the issue status?

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-05-30T03:06:38+00:00

    Hi Dominic,

    Thank you for the update on the issue.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-05-27T02:56:28+00:00

    I haven't tested if Windows 8.1 Update 1 resolves this issue yet, but I posted here a few months ago because I was having problems with USB 3.0 hard drives on my Surface Pro 1 after upgrading to 8.1. I fixed the issue by purchasing a USB 2.0 extension cord and plugging the hard drive into that. The drive was obviously only performing at 2.0 speeds, but at least it was working.

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-05-26T23:28:53+00:00

    I have the same problem with my Apricorn Padlock USB 3.  A few things here:

    1.  This is unbelievably ridiculous.  I support a goodly number of people including my family, and the backups I had them doing to external drives are breaking as they update to 8.1.  Does anyone at microsoft realize just how much of a FUBAR this is?  Does anyone realize how many people are starting to take notice that thumb drives and external HDD drives seem to no longer work with Windows 8?
    2.  I've seen a few solutions on this and many other boards:

       a)  Hack your registry.  Wow. 20 years and you still think its a good idea to tell regular people to fiddle with the registry to fix the product of your sloth.  Talk about asking for even more problems.

       b) Install update XXX off of MSDN.   So you're going to pay for everyone's subscription so they can do something other than look longingly at an update they can't download?

       c) Install KB2919355.  From what I've seen and heard, that update only made things worse - including for me.  Now my drive will only connect once to the laptop, and once it turns off, I have to reboot the laptop before it will be recognized again.  You had ONE JOB!

       d) Update your USB/Motherboard/harddrive drivers.  First, USB drivers are native for external drives and have been for a very long time, and you don't know this after being the ones to make them native in the first place how?  Also, I think after months of external drive problems with Win8.1, I think assuming or wasting people's time telling them to go update imaginary drivers and/or update manufacturer's drivers is a little disingenuous since we all know this is a Microsoft problem by now.

    1.  Where's your QA?  This problem affects so may users with so many flavours of external thumb/HDD/SSD drives that there is no way your QA missed that none of your supposed fixes actually worked.
    2.  When are you ACTUALLY GOING TO FIX THIS???

    Signed - Someone who has dealt with you since Windows 2.0, and can't believe you still let stuff like this happen.

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