WD hard drive switches off automatically

Western Digital (WD) or other external hard drives turn off the hard drive after a few seconds? From time to time this feature is hidden in the energy settings, but rarely. Usually the driver of the USB ports is to blame, which takes over these settings. Since this driver does not communicate with the Windows energy control, it must be set manually. In this guide I would like to show you how easy it is to prevent external hard drives from going into standby mode. Just follow the instructions.

Prevent standby from external hard drives

If your disk regularly switches off after a few seconds and goes into energy-saving mode, you should follow the steps below:

1. Open the device manager
   – Either via the system controls
   – Or enter Windows key + R and compmgmt.msc
2. Scroll to the USB controller and the USB connector manager and open them
3. Right-click on each hub (generic USB hub, USB root hub, etc.)
4. Click on Properties
5. Go to the tab “Power Management” (administrator rights required)
6. Deactivate everything (remove the checkmark)

Your hard drive should then run without problems. WD also has its own controller in most hard drives, which switches the hard drive off after a certain period of time. Otherwise it will also be done by your PC via the energy properties.

Other possible causes

If your WD hard drive turns off automatically, there can be a number of reasons. Here are some possible solutions:

• Check the power supply: Make sure the hard drive is properly powered and the power adapter is properly connected. If the power supply is defective or does not provide enough power, this can cause the hard drive to switch off.
• Check hibernation: When the hard drive is not in use, it can go into hibernation to save energy. Check the settings in the operating system’s energy saving options to ensure that the hard drive is not going to sleep too quickly.
• Check the firmware: Make sure the drive’s firmware is up to date. WD makes firmware updates available on their website. Updating the firmware can help fix problems and improve hard drive performance.
• Check the temperature: Check the hard drive’s temperature to make sure it’s not overheating. If the hard drive gets too hot, it can cause problems. Make sure the hard drive has adequate ventilation and is not placed near heat sources such as radiators or other electronic devices.
• Check the cable connections: Check all cable connections between the hard drive and the computer to make sure they are securely connected. If the cables are loose or damaged, it may cause the hard drive to turn off automatically.

If none of these solutions resolve the issue, the hard drive may be defective and need to be replaced.

Further information and advice

You can find more information and advice on the guide overview page . There you will also find many other tricks and tips on known problems.