Member Avatar for sebajo

When I boot up my computer with my 200GB Maxtor external hard disk connected and powered on, the POST/BIOS freezes while booting. Depending on when I turn the drive on, it will freeze in different parts of the boot process, but regardless, it still freezes. The one thing that really irks me is that it didn't always do this; since I got it at Christmas, it hasn't done this. When it first started doing it, I figured what the heck, and just turned it on after I boot into my OS. However, I have my Ubuntu Linux installed on that drive. I blanked the MBR several times and rewrote it with fdisk, Windows XP, Gparted/parted, everything I could get my hands on, but they didn't work. Suffice to say, I would appreciate it if someone could help me out.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by sebajo
Member Avatar for DenisOxon

I tink the disk is taking too much power from usb port.

Try connecting external power supply to disk or plugging into another usb port or remover other usb connections.

I have also seen this happen where usb ports are damaged.

Hope this helps

Member Avatar for sebajo

It uses its own power supply adapter. I tested the rails and the power to the drive is fine. I don't have a way to test the USB cord.

Member Avatar for DenisOxon

Have you tried a different USB port ? If you ports on front and back of computer then they are often on differnt usb controllers. So if one is failing then if you try opposite to where you are and it works then there is problem. (a failing usb port)

Member Avatar for jbennet

I bet when you installed linux you changed your boot order and/or flashed your BIOS.

My dell has the ability to boot from a flash memory key. If I have my external usb hdd in it thinks its one of them and crashes. Rectify it by putting it at the bottom of the boot order

Member Avatar for sebajo

It works now, thanks to Denis. jbennet, you're partially right. When I installed Ubuntu on the USB HDD, I had to change the boot order to start up from it. Now, though, since I switched my ports, my brother's iPod keeps losing a connection to my computer. Windows gives a 'bad FAT' and Linux gives 'invalid I/O device'. His iPod works on his computer though.

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