This issue can be caused if any of the following situations exist:
- The currently loaded USB driver has become unstable or corrupt.
- Your PC requires an update for issues that may conflict with a USB external hard drive and Windows.
- Windows may be missing other important updates hardware or software issues.
- Your USB controllers may have become unstable or corrupt.
- Your external drive may be entering selective suspend.
- Your PC motherboard may need updated drivers.
To resolve this try the followings:
This method resolves issues where the currently loaded USB driver has become unstable or corrupt.
- Select Start, type Device Manager in the Search box.
- Select Device Manager from the returned list.
- Select Disk Drives from the list of hardware.
- Press and hold (or right-click) the USB external hard drive with the issue, and select Uninstall.
- After the hard drive is uninstalled, unplug the USB cable.
- Wait for 1 minute and then reconnect the USB cable. The driver should automatically load.
- Check for the USB drive in Windows Explorer.
Reinstall USB controllers:
- Select Start, then type device manager in the Search box, and then select Device Manager.
- Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers. Press and hold (or right-click) a device and select Uninstall. Repeat for each device.
- Once complete, restart your computer. Your USB controllers will automatically install.
Make sure your system's motherboard has the latest chipset drivers- if not, visit the support site of the manufacturer to download and install the latest drivers.
Also make sure Windows is updated to the latest.