Can a USB-only Seagate portable drive be turned off when not needed?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Will Pittenger
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Will Pittenger

I have a USB Seagate portable drive with 120 GB. Can Windows XP SP2
turn it off when it isn't in use? At least when the computer is
hibernating would help. This computer is in my bedroom and it is
helping keep me awake at night.
 
Normally XP can not turn off USB drives unless the
manufacturer of the drive (check Seagate's web site)
includes a specific driver for that purpose. The only thing
you can try is to go to Power Options in Control Panel and
set the Hard disks to turn off after a period of inactivity.
Probably won't turn off the USB ones but it is worth a try.


Is there a switch on the drive, if so uninstall it with the
Safely Remove Hardware device and then turn it off with the
switch. It will reinstall when turned back on.

If no switch, uninstall it and then unplug it.
 
There is a switch, but whenever I turn it off and back on, my BIOS
(Intel) makes it the default hard drive to boot from. I don't have a
bootable partition on there and even if I did, I already found out that
booting from there is not supported due to the cylinder count.
Normally XP can not turn off USB drives unless the
manufacturer of the drive (check Seagate's web site)
includes a specific driver for that purpose. The only thing
you can try is to go to Power Options in Control Panel and
set the Hard disks to turn off after a period of inactivity.
Probably won't turn off the USB ones but it is worth a try.


Is there a switch on the drive, if so uninstall it with the
Safely Remove Hardware device and then turn it off with the
switch. It will reinstall when turned back on.

If no switch, uninstall it and then unplug it.
Click to expand...
 
You then need to go into the bios and change the boot order
from USB first to Hard drive first boot device. Put the CD
drive next and USB last. To enter BIOS you would press a
key or combination of keys (normally displayed on the
desktop soon after turning on the computer) when the
manufacturer's flash screen or bios display screen first
starts.


Will Pittenger said:
There is a switch, but whenever I turn it off and back on,
my BIOS (Intel) makes it the default hard drive to boot
from. I don't have a bootable partition on there and even
if I did, I already found out that booting from there is
not supported due to the cylinder count.
Click to expand...
 
Huh? I know that. I don't turn the drive off with the switch primarily
so I don't have to do that every time I start the computer.
You then need to go into the bios and change the boot order
from USB first to Hard drive first boot device. Put the CD
drive next and USB last. To enter BIOS you would press a
key or combination of keys (normally displayed on the
desktop soon after turning on the computer) when the
manufacturer's flash screen or bios display screen first
starts.
Click to expand...
 
Seeing how it's a USB drive leave it off until your system is booted all the
way, then plug it in.

I don't have the boot up problem you have,

( There is a switch, but whenever I turn it off and back on, my BIOS(Intel)
makes it the default hard drive to boot from.)

but I do have a Maxtor 320gb external drive I use to store my music etc.
files on. The drive might not get turned on for a couple of days. When I need
it, I plug it in, after I'm up and running.

Works ok for me. Only thing makes me nervous about it helping you is that
bootup issue.



Will Pittenger said:
Huh? I know that. I don't turn the drive off with the switch primarily
so I don't have to do that every time I start the computer.
Click to expand...
 
Then your stuffed.
Set your Bios correctly, and remove the usb at night
As LVTravel has allready, politely explained

Will Pittenger said:
Huh? I know that. I don't turn the drive off with the switch primarily
so I don't have to do that every time I start the computer.
Click to expand...
 
"Setting the BIOS correctly" means going into the BIOS every time I boot
after turning the drive off. Besides, that drive has my backups on it.
(Every now and then, I plan to burn them to CD, but until then, it is
the only way I have to automate the backups.) So I can't just turn the
drive off completely at night as that is when the backups run.
Then your stuffed.
Set your Bios correctly, and remove the usb at night
As LVTravel has allready, politely explained
Click to expand...
 
Will said:
"Setting the BIOS correctly" means going into the BIOS every time I boot
after turning the drive off. Besides, that drive has my backups on it.
(Every now and then, I plan to burn them to CD, but until then, it is
the only way I have to automate the backups.) So I can't just turn the
drive off completely at night as that is when the backups run.
Click to expand...

That doesn't sound right, especially for an Intel motherboard and
bios. There should be an option to save the changes when exiting
from bios setup/configuration. It would rather seem that the issue
is setting up Windows to do automated backups to what is supposed
to be a permanently attached device such as a tape drive or an
internal drive versus a removable external USB drive that has been
designed as "unremovable" by the user. How one gets around this may
require some research on how the backup application works.
 
"Setting the BIOS correctly" means going into the BIOS every time I boot
after turning the drive off. Besides, that drive has my backups on it.
(Every now and then, I plan to burn them to CD, but until then, it is the
only way I have to automate the backups.) So I can't just turn the drive
off completely at night as that is when the backups run.
Click to expand...

I think what LVT and DL are trying to tell you is that a BIOS
should NEVER change the preferred boot drive no matter what
hardware is attached. As long as the preferred, non-USB drive
is attached it should boot to only that drive.

As you add new hardware, the BIOS should acknowledge it but
never make chages. Period. Chances are, there's a BIOS upgrade
available that will correct the problem.

By the way what ever compelled you to create a boot partition on
an external USB drive? A Really BAD idea which you will become
fully aware of in due time.

Ed
 
Actually, I had a bad internal drive. So I backed up all partitions to
the portable. I was hoping at the time Windows would boot from there so
I would at least have a machine while waiting on the new hard drive.
 
Ed Covney said:
I think what LVT and DL are trying to tell you is that a
BIOS
should NEVER change the preferred boot drive no matter
what
hardware is attached. As long as the preferred, non-USB
drive
is attached it should boot to only that drive.

As you add new hardware, the BIOS should acknowledge it
but
never make chages. Period. Chances are, there's a BIOS
upgrade
available that will correct the problem.

By the way what ever compelled you to create a boot
partition on
an external USB drive? A Really BAD idea which you will
become
fully aware of in due time.

Ed
Click to expand...
Exactly what I and others have said. I haven't figured out
how, if the bios is changed to the internal HDD as first
boot device and saved before reboot, the computer reverts to
a USB drive as its boot drive. Even if there is a boot
partition on a USB drive that, in and of itself, should have
no bearing on how a system boots. (All of my current
desktop computers can be set to have the USB boot the
computer as well as more than one installed hard drive or
CD/DVD)

I have placed many bootable drives in USB enclosures from
failed computers and never had one of them attempt to take
over the boot drive of the computers. None of my systems
have any issue with having USB drives attached when booted.

The laptop I currently am using has 3 USB drives attached
and I just rebooted it after doing some updating of the
installed programs. The primary desktop has 2 attached
through direct port connect to the system and 3 through a
powered hub. None give any issue on a reboot other than
being available when the system reboots. All are turned on
with the same power switch (I have them all hooked to a
power center that is plugged into an uninterruptable power
supply) that I use to turn on the monitor and computer.
 
So do you know of a Seagate driver to solve that problem? How about
BIOS updates for Intel? Neither Intel's nor Seagate's websites could
shed much light.
Normally XP can not turn off USB drives unless the
manufacturer of the drive (check Seagate's web site)
includes a specific driver for that purpose. The only thing
you can try is to go to Power Options in Control Panel and
set the Hard disks to turn off after a period of inactivity.
Probably won't turn off the USB ones but it is worth a try.


Is there a switch on the drive, if so uninstall it with the
Safely Remove Hardware device and then turn it off with the
switch. It will reinstall when turned back on.

If no switch, uninstall it and then unplug it.
Click to expand...
 
If you didn't find a driver to accomplish turning off the
USB drives, it can't be done unless you turn off the drive
manually.


Will Pittenger said:
So do you know of a Seagate driver to solve that problem?
How about BIOS updates for Intel? Neither Intel's nor
Seagate's websites could shed much light.
Click to expand...
 
I thought that maybe Seagate's website was just poorly designed.
If you didn't find a driver to accomplish turning off the
USB drives, it can't be done unless you turn off the drive
manually.
Click to expand...
 
Will said:
I thought that maybe Seagate's website was just poorly designed.
If you didn't find a driver to accomplish turning off the USB drives,
it can't be done unless you turn off the drive manually.
Click to expand...
If push comes to shove, have you considered moving your computer out of
your bedroom? <g>

Bill
Click to expand...
 
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