External hard drive USB problem

Hi

My external hard drive used to appear immediately I switched on its power, or connected it via the USB lead. However recently if I do that then my computer virtually freezes and I have to reboot it.

However, this drive behaves normally if I leave it connected when I first boot the computer and also works fine if plugged into other USB computer ports. Moreover a known good drive behaves in exactly the same faulty way when plugged into my computer.

I've checked out the usual USB controllers etc but all appears to be working correctly.

Anyone out there with any ideas how to clear up this annoying fault?

Yours gratefully

phaseangle

 

Hi PeteC

I've tried the obvious things like using different USB ports, and Scan for Hardware Changes, but it still won't allow me to connect my external drive to a working computer. Other USB devices, like printers, cameras, etc give no problems when connected to my ports.

Only when I boot up from cold, with the drive already connected to a USB port, does the drive behave normally and appear in My Computer and Disc Management.

Otherwise when I connect it to a working computer, my computer freezes, with the drive absent from the My Computer panel.

Other good drives produce the same symptoms on my machine, and my "suspect" drive works fine when connected to the USB port of another computer.

Is this fault logical I ask myself?

I used to have jet black hair before this trouble sprang up!

phaseangle

 

Hi PeteC

Thanks for the suggestion of running System File Checker - Start > Run > sfc /scannow >

Unfortunately when I ran this, and after the progress bar finally reached its far end, my machine behaved exactly as before. So presumably my "important" Windows systems files are uncorrupted, and the solution to my external drive problem must lie elsewhere.

As for your other suggestion "Update/re-install the chipset drivers for the mobo" I'm not sure how to do this safely. The last time I attempted to update my Bios/mobo using the manufacturer's latest flash update it ruined my mobo, rendering it useless. So now I'm a bit wary about tinkering with the mobo software!

I don't know if my fault is related to this but when I click START in order to close down, then my desktop no longer slowly greys out as it waits for the final OK. Should I worry?

Regards

phaseangle

 

My mobo is an Asrock 775VM800,

COLOR="Red"]Hi PeteC

Thanks for the suggestions.

I brought on my external disc fault (by switching it on while the computer was running). As you suggested after having to reboot I went to Event Viewer Service to view the fault shown at the same approximate time known time. It reported an Error in Service Control Manager[/COLOR]

When I went to Microsoft Help all the stuff below came up, and there's lots more where that came from! There's also mention of passwords which I should not apply to me for this application.

I suspect all this is a red herring, but of course you might know better!



My mobo is an Asrock 775VM800, and although I have the User's Manual for tweaking its Chipset Configuration in the BIOS I don't understand most of the headings, such as Dram Frequency, Flexibility Option, AGP Fast Write, Dram Case Latency, etc etc. I don't want to tweak anything that might make things worse!






Event ID: 7000" or "Event ID: 7013" Error Message When You Attempt to Start a Service
View products that this article applies to.
Article ID : 314357
Last Review : April 22, 2004
Revision : 1.3
This article was previously published under Q314357
On This Page
SYMPTOMS
CAUSE
RESOLUTION
Method 1: Configure User Rights
On a Domain Controller
On a Local Computer
Method 2: Configure Logon Information for the Service
Method 3: Configure the Service to Use the Built-in System Account
MORE INFORMATION
SYMPTOMS
When a service does not start because of a logon failure, you may receive either of the following error messages in the system event log after you restart the computer (where ServiceName is the name of the service in question):
Source: Service Control Manager
Event ID: 7000
Description:
The ServiceName service failed to start due to the following error:
The service did not start due to a logon failure.

Is this all a red herring

 

is there any backup software installed on that external drive

Yes there is backup material which as I mentioned earlier I can access by simply leaving my ext HDD running when I boot up. The ext hard drive then behaves normally.

My freeze fault only appears if I plug in my ext HDD to my already booted up machine.

 

Hi PeteC

phaseangle here Re: External hard drive USB problem

How do I send you a screenshot or attachments regarding the above problem.

Sorry to have to ask but on following the instructions under FAQ/Attachments and Images I can't see Manage Attachments under

Post Reply/New Post/Manage Attachments

 

If it helps:

Hi Pete, phaseangle has double-clicked on the error listing in Event Viewer and followed the link to the MS knowledgebase it relates to (KB article Q314357).

Phaseangle, the error message in Event Viewer will state which Service has stopped working.

You could try running through the methods in the article. You can find the places they talk about in Control Panel -> Administrative tools.

It talks about the User Logon, passwords etc.

Something you may want to test is to go to User Accounts, make up a new user account and try testing in that account

Matt

 

Hi mattman

It's difficult getting details from Event Log because when I turn on my external drive the computer virtually freezes so I have no access to EL. I have to reboot to look at the log which never gives details of what happened at the exact time but only shortly after. I then always get the same two separated error messages, as shown below.


Event Type: Error
Event Source: Service Control Manager
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7000
Date: 29/07/2008
Time: 17:26:15
User: N/A
Computer: METROVIC-3BAUZ2
Description:
The Upload Manager service failed to start due to the following error:
The account specified for this service is different from the account specified for other services running in the same process.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

This concerns among other matters, passwords. As I am the sole user I have never allocated passwords to other users.



Event Type: Error
Event Source: Service Control Manager
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7009
Date: 29/07/2008
Time: 17:26:15
User: N/A
Computer: METROVIC-3BAUZ2
Description:
Timeout (30000 milliseconds) waiting for the Ad-Aware 2007 Service service to connect.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

This is interesting because I have been running Ad-Adware and have tried updating it However it kept stopping during updates which did not then complete. I then tried to remove it AA via Control Panel/Add-Remove Programs, but received a message saying this was not possible. So a partly installed/corrupted version (?) of AA remains in my computer which seems to defy all attempts to remove it completely.

Is this all a red herring, or do you think a corrupted version of AA could be the cause of my external HDD woes? My ext HDD worked okay with AA originally.



phaseangle

 

To completely uninstall a partially uninstalled program, I install it again, then run the uninstaller (if it is still "stuck ", uninstall it in Safe Mode).

You should be able to stop AdAware from running in the background in it's settings (turn off the "auto scan "). You could also go to msconfig and uncheck the AdAware startup program.

Red herring? It is something that does not cause serious problems. If I don't have time to work on those I watch what the computer is doing and try any possible solutions when I can (I stalk it from the shadows, ready to pounce ).

The MS knowledgebase suggestions are only changes in settings. Try them if you can.

I might suspect that some program (maybe AdAware) is causing the jam.

Matt

 

Be careful with this as the version of AdAware that is apparently causing you problems is also running as a Service. I don't use AA anymore because of this but you might want to bone up on shutting down the service and then remove the corrupted installation using something like RegSeeker to kill the registry enties and then do a brute force removal of the remnants. I'd save this for a last resort approach for anyone who's not familiar with it but there is more than one way to skin a cat.

 

External HDD problem related to AdAware?

Hi Mattman

Thanks for the suggestions. I tried uninstalling my corrupted (?) Ad-aware prog by trying to install it again and then trying to uninstall. But Add/Remove gave a gobbledegook message and said it couldn't uninstall. Something about missing Windows Installer.
I tried removing AA in Safe Mode but with the same failure to uninstall.

In msconfig Adaware is not listed in startup. How the heck are you supposed to get rid of AA I ask myself?

But my external hard drive problem disappear when turning it on when I'm in Safe Mode so it certainly looks like some running background program is poking its nose in. But is there an easy way to determine which one is doing so - Ad-aware?

I'm a bit wary of shutting down running progs during Processes in Windows Task Manager, and in anycase Ad- Aware or Lavasoft isn't listed.

It takes ages to keep doing checks because each time another procedure fails to cure the ext HDD fault I have to reboot manually with Restart.

But then what else would I do with my time .....!

phaseangle

 

You may want to take a look-see whether or not aawservice is currently running before you do too much of anything else.

 

External hard drive woes

Hi Rockster2U

Windows Task Manager doesn't show Ad-Aware running, so presumably it isn't doing any harm (??)

There's so much other junk running on my computer that I would love to get rid of safely and which may be giving me problems.

I tried using System Restore go back to a time when all was sweetness and light, but the Back button won't let me even go back to the previous day!

 

phaseangle,

That seems to contradict your earlier post which included:
Event Type: Error
Event Source: Service Control Manager
Event Category: None
Event ID: 7009
Date: 29/07/2008
Time: 17:26:15
User: N/A
Computer: METROVIC-3BAUZ2
Description:
Timeout (30000 milliseconds) waiting for the Ad-Aware 2007 Service service to connect.

Right Click my Computer and select Manage. Now go down to Services and Applications and then select Services. (Not trying to kick a dead horse here, but one of the reasons I keep asking is because it was my understanding that even after a successful uninstall of AdAware, the aawservice Service may still be intact and running) Thats why I posted the cautionary note following Matt's post.