Alienware M17x R4 usb 3.0 problem

I got my enclosure, it is a Hornettek Jaws. It is based off a JMicron JMS539 bridge controller. I've only had it for about 15 minutes. Did some copies of a lot of small files and did another copy involving large files, no issues so far.

 

Emboldened by my purchase yesterday I bought another Hornettek enclosure, the Shark, to see if it will work with my 2.5" drives. I was nervous during the unboxing because the PCB did not have the JMicron controller the 3.5" enclosure I bought yesterday had, which works. This enclosure uses the ASMedia AS1051 controller. However, I am happy to report that I think it works fine also. I copied a 20GB folder to it which contains photos and videos, so it is a good mix of big and small files. I am also now copying a 30GB folder from it and getting USB 3.0 speeds and it is stable.

I am not making any guarantees. Enclosures are a messy business...quality is really hit or miss as is reliability, but if you guys are searching for a solution, JMicron JMS539 and ASMedia AS1051 based solutions are working for me and might be a good place to look first.

 

+rep for taking the risk and thanks for sharing your findings. Guess we have to do our own trial and error process to get our Alienwares working properly.

 

powered hub works for me but its bull alienware isn't fixing this issue. No other issue on my other computers that have USB 3.0 so alienware it IS your problem

 

Do you mind sharing what hub and external HDD your using? Thanks

 

I'm using a J-Tech Digital 4 Port Hub

Hard drive is a external WD 2tb drive.

 

Bought 2 pcs of WD Elements 1TB USB 3.0 Ext HDDs on friday 31 August.

Gave me these 3 sets of problems when I tried to transfer videos n jpgs from an older WD Elements 2.0 to these new ones using the m17 R4:

1) These new drives keep disconnecting n reconnecting
2) Windows pop up n say certain files cannot be transferred
3) Error 0x80070037 keeps popping up.

Needless to say, the transfer process was disruptive as I have to keep skipping, resulting in many files not being copied to the new drives. However these problems were NON-EXISTENT when I used the iMac.

Following the suggestion of a forumer here, I went n bought a Buffalo MiniStation Plus 1TB USB3.0 today n repeated the process. Everything went perfectly normal.

Can I conclude it is then a compatability issue here between these 2 manufacturers?

 

I just connected a Startech 2-port USB 3.0 hub and it works great. Copied a few GB's worth of pictures and it is playing video now, nice and stable-like. This is the best work-around that I have found. My WD "My Passport" 2 TB USB 3.0 hard drive connected using a short USB 3.0 cable to this Startech Hub, then to the laptop. This hub is unpowered.
Amazon.com: StarTech.com USB3SAUB1 1 Feet SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Cable A to Micro B: Electronics
Newegg.com - StarTech ST2300CUSB3 2 Port USB 3.0 Hub - SuperSpeed Compact Black

 

I see that there is no improvement..

I have purchased Segate externall HDD and solved my issue...

 

Just to post a quick update and double up confirmation on this from some pages back, I received a replacement cable from WD for my drive which did not fix the problem. On a related note, I was shocked.

 

This whole USB 3.0 thing is really quite annoying. I had $319 in gift card $ to spend at Dell's site. I want a 3TB backup drive for movies AND my system/data backup... to replace my 2TB.

My options are to go with WD, with its known USB 3.0 issues, or Seagate, which doesn't seem to work w/ making a system image in Windows 7. What a pain. either get a drive that won't work at the right speeds, or a drive that won't do the full function.

I opted for the Seagate. I'd rather have data speeds and figure out some other backup solution.

 

I have not read through this entire thread but have you guys tried the latest driver on intel's website it is more up to date than the one on dell's downloads.

 

Windows 8 default driver improves the performance and reliability of data transfer greatly.

 

I bought one of these as well, and tested it with the WD drives and the Hitachi drive that don't work under USB 3.0 when connected directly to the M17x R4's USB 3.0 ports. The Startech resolves the issues, and that simple addition to my gear makes all the incompatible drives work at 3.0 speeds and without glitches.

 

I just finishing skimming this entire thread and feel that my USB 3.0 problem isnt that substantial! I formatted a 750 GB Verbatim USB 2.0 external... thats all ive done with a big external drive... worked fine. My problem is my little 8gb usb 3.0 verbatim drive Only transfers (without error) at 10 mbps.. So slow!.. but it works.. What I want to know is why is the transfer rate sooo slow? Shouldn't high speed 2.0 be even faster then that?

 

This worked for me. I did not, as yet, see any problems. If someone else can try out and verify that I wasn't just having a lucky day, I'd appreciate that.

 

Isn't it irritating the such a simple work-around exists and yet the Alienware rep had no suggestion at all? I swear they have some culpability in this, but their lawyers would not let them admit it. Giving us any info may expose their involvement, certainly their knowledge of the problem, and they'd be forced to fix it. They are just trying to avoid this problem.

I called Dell Support to lodge a complaint, and he told me that he could not even create a case for this. just like the Alienware rep on here, he denied that this was their problem. But he did recommend Samsung external drives though. He called Samsung the "best" hard drives. He also suggested that the problem was the WD SES driver. Maybe I can get more from WD support now?

 

Yes, we have. Noted earlier in this thread. Generically calling for "latest driver" does not help in a 17-page thread. That is obvious. They were all the latest when they came out. Can you have a driver later than the latest? No, because the latest is then a different driver and we are no longer talking about the same one.

Using this one now 1.0.5.235 dated May/June:
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/detail_desc.aspx?dwnldid=21129

The driver is dated May 21st, the webpage is dated June 7th.

There are a few people this suggestion may help, but there are a few here that have a different problem as well. I cannot tell if these problems are related or not. Too many people with different hardware and different testing methods.

My big break-down is on page 8.

 

Some clarification. First, a USB 2.0 hard drive is not a problem in this thread, only USB 3.0. Second, only certain hard drives, and no flash drives have this issue. Third, the issue is disconnecting drives during file transfer.

Did your testing use small files or large ones? Small files always transfer more slowly, in a MB/sec rating anyway. You really need to test with files that are several hundred MB's or larger. Not a directory, but each file.

 

There are some reported issues with the WD SES driver on the internet related to this. I actually tried the USB 3.0 with my drives at home and it worked fine. Can you try uninstalling the WD SES driver and check again? Apparently the drive will work without that driver installed.

 

Thanks for the clarification! Wont talk about my 2.0 harddrive formatting no more lol. I dont have a whole lot of files on my new computer yet, just alot of pictures, but even when I try transferring my homemade videos (~1.18gb in size each) the 3.0 flashdrive averages slightly less in transfer speeds (8-10 mbps) compared to moving a folder with 4gb of pictures and short video (10-11 mbps). Shouldnt it be going faster than that?

 

This is off-topic, but it should definitely go faster than that. My USB 3.0 flash drives get ~120-150MB/sec reads and ~70-80MB/sec writes. They are just limited to the speed of the flash itself.

If you are getting less than ~35 MB/sec then you are using USB 2.0. You may want to check your drivers. I don't think they are loading properly.

More clarification:
m = milli
M = Mega
b = bits
B = bytes

Max speed for USB 2.0 is about 35 MB/sec which is 280 Mbps. Getting half of theoretical bandwidth is typical due to the overhead of timing signals, packet headers, other hardware sharing the channel, etc. Which reminds me, what is the other drive you are copying to/from? The internal disk, or another USB device? All USB devices share the same bandwidth.

 

One tip here if you find your USB 3 drive is running in USB 2 mode (i.e. less than 35MB/sec as stated above) then make sure it is plugged in fully. Since the system already dropped the speed down to 2.0 level you will need to disconnect the drive and reconnect. In most cases you would of gotten 'your drive can run faster" message when the drop in speed happens as well. I had that happen once and it turned out it wasn't in quite all the way.

 

My WD my book runs flawlessly at USB 3.0 but my passport which used to have serious issues even getting connected will connect now but only at USB 2.0....thankful for small miracles I guess.

 

Thanks for this post, I thought I was going crazy when I thought my WD 1TB passport USB3 kept disconnecting, I sat for an hour backing up the contents to another drive using super file sychronizer and clicking continue non-stop. If only I had read this post. the drive works with the USB 2 port in the esata hole but slow speeds. Really a shame as I could have chosen a much cheaper notebook in the form of the msi gaming notebook, whereby everything would work.

 

If you have the Western Digital SES driver installed then try removing it and see if the drive works well after that. It is reported that the WD SES driver has issues and is causing issues on many laptops. I have a few USB 3.0 drives here and they work without issue. Don't even need a hub. Alternatively it is reported that getting an inexpensive Startech 2-port USB 3.0 hub also allows the drive to work at full speed on a USB 3.0 port.

 

Just to be clear, removing the SES does not work for me. Only the hub has worked so far. I just tried it again to be sure.

Here is my updated work log for those not willing to read the entire thread and missed my other from page 8:


Western Digital My Passport 2 TB USB 3.0 ext. hard drive
1. Disconnects intermittently/frequently
2. stays connected for several minutes unused
3. copies large files (100's MB or GB files)
4. disconnects frequently with smaller files ( 400KB - 1.8MB pictures)

TS Steps:
1. Tested multiple USB 3.0 ports, all fail
2. Reinstalled drivers
3. Looked for new WD drivers, none found relevant
4. Ordered new, shorter cable - no change
5. Removed from case, HD sounds are normal, temp OK
6. Found updated Intel USB 3.0 eXtensible Controller driver - no help
7. CreatedTruecrypt 35-GB file - no help when adding small files
8. M11xr2 w/USB 2.0 ports work fine, copied files large and small
9. M17xr4 USB2/eSATA port works fine
10. Updated BIOS from A02 to A05 - no fix
11. USB 3.0 powered hub - WORKS!
12. USB 3.0 on separate computer, Non-Intel chipset - WORKS!
13. USB 3.0 "Y" cable - no help
14. non-powered USB hub works, small, 2-port one used
15. WD SES uninstalled/deleted - no help

possibilities:
1. Intel USB 3.0 "eXtensible" driver
2. "soft resets" from Intel chip/driver
3. WD SES Device driver - fails even when this is not installed

Work-arounds not yet tried:
calling Micheal Dell?
egging his house?
produce a "WD sux" youtube video that goes viral?

 

USB 3.0 powered hub? Does m17x have those or what
As I have a WD 1tb my passport drive and it disconnects no matter what I try to copy when using a 3.0 hub I use it on my eSATA port works fine so has anyone found a work solution

Sent From My Rooted E3D

 

You need punctuation and capitalization, I am not clear on what you mean. People tend to be too hap-hazard with typing on their tablets and phones. Are you using your 3.0 hub on your esata port?

For me, just a plain, unpowered hub works fine. I tried a powered hub first, and it works without the power adapter. Then I got a small, 2-port, unpowered hub and it still works through that. I used a Tripp-Lite powered hub, and a StarTech 2-port hub. I gave a link to it earlier.

I thought that it was a power problem initially and was surprised when an unpowered hub worked. USB 3.0 starts with USB 2.0 power and negotiates higher power states, so it still could be power in a way. It seems to me that it is a problem with the Intel chipset negotiating that additional power with the WD drives.

 

I just thought Windows 8 comes with native USB 3.0 support. Did anyone upgrade to Windows 8 and still experiences issues with their external HDDs? I am planning to upgrade shortly, but would not be able to share much since I do not have any issues with my 1TB Iomega Prestige drive.

 

I have upgraded to Windows 8 and I still have the problem with my 1TB Passport Drive

 

Yea. It's is a known compatibility issue between Western Digital drives (all of them) and our USB 3.0 chipset. The cheapest workaround has been to get a 2-port startech brand hub (unpowered). They usually run for about $20. All other drives that I have tried work fine. They don't have this issue with only our laptop. Other cards can have the issue as well.

 

My 2 cents...

I purchased WD My Essential SE earlier today and to my surprise we have constant connection problems. After this thread showed up in google and did some reading found that there is no love between alienware and WD.

I returned my electronic store and told him the problem, and he swapped out to a different portable hard drive.


SP / Silicon Power-High quality, Exclusive and Unique Leading memory storage brand

Silicon Power Diamond D10 Hard Drive Review | Computer Hardware Reviews - ThinkComputers.org

Silicon Power Diamond D10 750GB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive - Final Thoughts

Turns out the drive inside is WD.

So far havn't had a problem with the drive.

 

Yea. The problem isn't with the internal drive. It is the controller used on western digital external drives for the enclosures. You can go out and get your own enclosure and a Western Digital drive and chances are it will work fine. Some research revealed that Western Digital drives need a bit more power than some other brands so it may not be negotiating for enough power. If that is true then the problem lies with Western Digital and no one else. I came across the hint about potential higher than typical power requirements when doing some reading on xk3y (an optical disc drive emulator board for xbox 360).

BTW, The same is true for rebranded Western Digital external drives. You can determine this based on the model or part number (depends on the unit... some got their own model number but kept the part number). I have an HP external 500GB drive that has part number WDBACZ5000ABK-01. The WD bit at the beginning is a giveaway for Western Digital.

 

Hello,

i have got the same problems. I bought a WD My Passport 2TB USB 3.0 and have the same issues with my Alienware M17xR4. Its a pitty that i did't do any research before buying the WD drive...

My question is, i want to buy a new laptop, it will be the Asus Transformer Book: ASUS Transformer Book — The World’s First Detachable Notebook

Will i have the same problems there? It has 2x USB 3.0 Ports in the Keyboard Dock but it doesnt say on spec sheets which controller is used (i assume it will be an Intel)

 

Yea, same problem as everyone else with the 2TB MyPassport and Alienware M17X. Well, I'm VERY THANKFUL that someone figured out that the HDD works with the eSata port. Hopefully we can all work together here and if anyone if this thread ever discovers a fix, we'll post it in here to update the rest of the group. I'd love to use my USB 3.0 speeds with this HDD, but for now, I'll settle for it at least working with USB 2.0 speeds through the eSata port.

I ordered this, "StarTech.com 5-Feet Desktop SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Extension Cable - A to A M/F (USB3SEXT5DSK)," from Amazon in hopes that this might solve the problem because I saw someone suggest a USB Hub from StarTech, but I guess this does not qualify as a hub..... it didn't work. I thought it would be a cheaper alternative to the $35 2 port hub on Amazon, but I was wrong. I'll be returning it.

 

This thread is a rather complete break down of this issue, and as of yet, I have heard of nothing from Intel, Dell(Alienware), or WD of any significance. Alienware tested for a month and told us zilch. Lip service is all we got, no details.

My testing proved that the hard drive worked, and the laptop worked, but they just did not work together. Extension cables do nothing different. You need a device in between to act as a relay. Without Engineers from the three manufacturers filling us in on what is actually happening, I can only speculate.

USB 2.0 works fine, as you have found out. With USB 3.0, additional power is negotiated between the device and the host controller. This negotiation is what is broken. I even got it to work in the USB 3.0 ports, as long as they were forced to operate in USB 2.0 mode only, so there was no advantage. Extension cables do nothing, but hubs are devices that negotiate power on their own. The hard drive then negotiates with the hub for additional power.

WD is willing to send a new cable, but it makes no difference. I really believe they should send the 2 port hub to address this problem, or, I don't know, fix it maybe? But they are in denial. Everyone claims to build to standards, but yet they do not work together, so how do we know which is out of spec? Too bad there is no competition for Alienware or a 2 TB portable hard drive. We cannot get this fixed, it is a design problem and they are not willing to fix it. They just don't want to tell us that, that wouldn't be politically correct. Admitting to the problem may make them a target for a lawsuit, because they do not want to spend the money to fix it.

Buy a hub and be done with it, just consider this support failure before your next purchase. And I also discourage others from buying Alienware laptops now. You buy one the the most expensive laptops that are supposed to be the best and this is how we are treated? I paid $2500 for piece of mind, I was jipped.

 

I always buy an enclosure and the HDD separately. My WD drive works well with my Vantec USB 3.0 enclosure.

 

Only problem is that there is only one small hard drive that is 2TB in capacity, and it is USB 3.0 only. It has no SATA port at all, the hard drive PCB goes straight to USB.

 

I'll look into a USB 3.0 to ESATAp adapter for the future just in case. The issue affects rebranded products made by Western Digital as well.

Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2

 

A friend of mine came to me with this WD Elements SE : WD Elements (WDBPCK0010BBK)
with 1TB and USB 3.0 and it has the same USB 3.0 Disconnect issues on my M17xR4 just like my 2TB WD my Passport... And also: no problems on E-SATA/USB 2.0 combo port.

i have to repeat my last question, please have a look at it:

My question is, i want to buy a new laptop, it will be the Asus Transformer Book: ASUS Transformer Book — The World’s First Detachable Notebook

Will i have the same problems there? It has 2x USB 3.0 Ports in the Keyboard Dock but it doesnt say on spec sheets which controller is used (i assume it will be an Intel)

 

If I was you I would go into the nearest PC store and ask the sales guy if you can connect your HDD. You will see how it performs - if USB 3.0 speeds are reached, try watching a movie from the HDD - that was how this problem on my old XPS L501X came to light as movie would freeze until the HDD is physically disconnected.

 

Could someone in here please recommend me a good 2TB External HDD that works at the highest transfer speeds on an Alienware M17X Windows 7 64-bit notebook? Obviously, my "WD MyPassport" purchase was kind of a waste.

 

Hey mate either buy a bare drive and an external enclosure that is usb 3.0. Thats what I'm running and haven't had any problems with it at all.

Or you can opt for a buffalo ministation hard drive if your looking for a portable option.

Either one is tested to work by myself.

If you go with the DIY option Im running a seagate 2tb with a astone 3.0 enclosure

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

my usb 3.0 ports work fine but if i ever plug in my ios devices (ipad, iphone) into the port next to the esata one it just simply wont work :|

 

Hey Guys & Girls...

As most of you know we Alienware M17x R4 Owners are having trouble with our external USB 3.0 hard drives.
I personally have a WD Passport 2TB USB 3.0 and running Windows 8.

I have however found a fix today:

1. Download & Install/Update Intel® USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller Driver from here: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=21129
Windows 8 Users you need to download 2 modded files, all info can be found here: http://plugable.com/2012/12/01/windows-8-and-intel-usb-3-0-host-controllers

2. Download & Install Renesas Electronics* USB 3.0 Driver from here: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?DwnldID=19880

3. Run Renesas USB 3.0 Host Controller Utility and check the box "Disable USB 3.0 Power Management Functions" and click "OK".

4. That's It!

Hope this helps all of you and let me know how you all go

 

Will this disable USB 3.0 or just the power cycling? By the way, thank you so much for letting us know.

EDIT: THIS WORKED! THANKS MAN!

 

I can confirm it with my M17xR4, Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit and my WD my Passport 2TB USB 3.0

It really works now with the disabled "USB 3.0 Power Management Functions" !!! no disconnects anymore. full usb 3.0 transfer speed!

I also tried my Noname (Logilink USB 3.0 2,5" case) with Samsung M8 1TB and it also still works with USB 3.0 speed.

THANKS MAN!!! BIG BIG THANKS!!

 

Your Welcome!

 

Ahh... This is the same fix I did on my last laptop (it had the same thing) so this is good news. I'll give it a shot as soon as I find my Western Digital drive. lol... (p.s. - I sold it. )

P.S. - I take it that the Renesas download isn't actually installing any drivers for us and we are just installing it for the power management utility correct?