Windows 7 WD MyBook External hdd Very Slow to be Recognized by Win7

[Peregrine]

I use a My Book Essential 250 GB external hdd to store system images made using Acronis True Image. I only attach the drive once the computers are up and running and then disconnect it once I've made a backup/image. When I plug the drive into a USB port it takes a long time (2 minutes or so) before the drive is recognized and usable. Once it's up and running all is well. I've attached the drive to 2 other computers running Windows 7 and get the same behavior. When I attached it to a computer running Windows XP the drive is recognized right away.

I have a dual boot set up for my laptop Win7 and WinXP. I get the same performance as described above - with WinXP it is fast, with Win7 it is slow. Clearly not a hardware issue since nothing changes but the operating system.

I have a couple of other WD external hard drives (WD Passport 250 GB and WD MyBook Home Edition 1 TB) and they are recognized and usable right away. There is something about the Essential Edition and Win7 that causes the delay. Just not sure what.

The drive in question is a couple of years old and is formatted to NTFS. I've tried reformating via Windows 7 but no change.

Not a big deal but if anyone knows why this happens I would like to know.

Thanks.

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like you are experiencing a delay in recognizing your WD My Book Essential 250 GB external hard drive when connecting it to computers running Windows 7, unlike when connecting it to a computer running Windows XP where it is recognized immediately. This delay does not occur with your other WD external hard drives. Here are some possible reasons and solutions for this issue:

Possible Reasons for the Delay:​

1. Driver Compatibility: Windows 7 might be lacking the appropriate drivers for the WD My Book Essential Edition, causing a delay during the recognition process.
2. Power Management Settings: The power management settings on Windows 7 might be causing a delay in initializing the external hard drive properly.
3. USB Port Configuration: The USB port configuration or power management settings on Windows 7 could lead to the delay in recognizing the external hard drive.

   Solutions to Resolve the Delay Issue:​

4. Update Drivers:
   • Visit the Western Digital website and download the latest drivers for the WD My Book Essential Edition that are compatible with Windows 7. Install these drivers and check if it resolves the recognition delay.
   []Adjust Power Management Settings:
   • Go to the Device Manager in Windows 7, locate the USB controllers section, and disable the "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" option for all USB hubs.
   []Change USB Port:
   • Try connecting the WD My Book Essential Edition to a different USB port on your Windows 7 computers. Sometimes, changing the port can resolve recognition delays.
5. Firmware Update:
   • Check if there are any firmware updates available for the WD My Book Essential Edition on the Western Digital website. Updating the firmware can sometimes address compatibility issues.

     Additional Suggestions:​

   • Ensure that your Windows 7 operating system is fully updated to the latest version to take advantage of any patches or bug fixes related to USB device recognition.

• If the issue persists after trying these solutions, you may need to contact Western Digital support for further assistance in troubleshooting this specific compatibility issue between the WD My Book Essential Edition and Windows 7. By following these steps, you should be able to address the delay in recognizing your WD My Book Essential Edition external hard drive when connecting it to computers running Windows 7.