My 2 usb ports work find one by one if I try to use two Usb sticks the one with the less space left is fine the other one keeps opening windows explorer and closing it over and over ?

Question

My 2 usb ports work find one by one if I try to use two Usb sticks the one with the less space left is fine the other one keeps opening windows explorer and closing it over and over. I can plug in one stick and my scanner in the other no problem, but if I plug in another usb stick its on and off and on and off etc.. over and over.. So if I need to transfer info from one stick to the other , no way..

I'm on an Acer laptop Device Name LAPTOP-<removed PII>

Processor AMD A6-7310 APU with AMD Radeon R4 Graphics 2.00 GHz

Installed RAM 8.00 GB (6.96 GB usable)

Storage 447 GB SSD KINGSTON SA400S37480G

Graphics Card AMD Radeon(TM) R4 Graphics (1012 MB)

Device ID <removed PII>

Product ID <removed PII>

System Type 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor

Pen and touch No pen or touch input is available for this display

Answer 1

Hi there! My name is David. It’s a pleasure to help you today.

In this case, according to what you describe, the problem could be due to the USB-connected HDD drive requiring a higher amount of power (voltage/current) to function. Then when other USB devices are connected, they may not be properly powered, which is probably why they keep connecting and disconnecting. It could be a limitation in the power delivery of your laptop’s USB ports when multiple devices that require USB power are connected.

As has already been mentioned, I would also recommend using a USB hub with external power, so you can use several USB devices at the same time.

Let me know if the shared information has been helpful. Regards.

Answer 2

I am inclined to suggest the USB controller on your machine is faulty. Perhaps a USB hub can help as models with supplemental power are now widely available.

USB sticks tend to faulty too so I suggest a USB hard disk enclosure and use a desktop disk in it. 7-zip can make backups easily.

Answer 3

It sounds like you are experiencing an issue with one of your USB sticks causing repeated connection and disconnection when both are plugged in. This could be due to several reasons:

1. Power Supply Issues: USB ports may not provide enough power for both devices, especially if one of the USB sticks is drawing more power than the other. Try using a powered USB hub to see if that resolves the issue.
2. Device Compatibility: The problematic USB stick may not be fully compatible with your laptop or may have a fault. Testing the USB stick on another computer can help determine if the issue is with the stick itself.
3. Driver Issues: Ensure that your USB drivers are up to date. You can check for updates in Device Manager.
4. Faulty USB Port: The USB port itself might be faulty. Since you mentioned that one stick works fine when plugged in alone, try using different ports if available or check for any physical damage.
5. File System Errors: If the USB stick has file system errors, it may cause it to behave erratically. Running a check disk on the USB stick may help resolve this issue. You can do this by right-clicking on the USB drive in Windows Explorer, selecting "Properties," then the "Tools" tab, and clicking on "Check."

If the problem persists after trying these steps, consider contacting the manufacturer of the USB stick for support or replacing it if it's defective.

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References:

• USB in Windows - FAQ
• Case Study: Troubleshooting an unknown USB device by using ETW and Netmon