[Iconoa w4] portable hard disk compatibility

massif75
massif75 Member Posts: 6 New User

hi all,

 

this post is not really to report an issue but that would be useful for everybody if contributors here could report the brand of their hard disk drive, in format 2,5".

Indeed, since they are self powered through the micro usb power, some of them connect without any issues, some other do not.

For example, I've got a WD with 128go capacity and I works perfectly.

I've a 500go Seagate and it's impossible to have my W4 to recognize it, even with a "Y" that provides a separate power supply.

 

Feel free to post your experiences, for those that work but those that don't.

Answers

  • hkstiong
    hkstiong Member Posts: 21 New User

    some usb devices draw more power than others.  hence the device may not work with the w4.  a powered usb hub is necessary if you hook up big usb drives. 

  • hkstiong
    hkstiong Member Posts: 21 New User

    some usb devices draw more power than others.  hence the device may not work with the w4.  a powered usb hub is necessary if you hook up big usb drives. 

  • R2D2
    R2D2 Member Posts: 2 New User

    Hi there,

    I would say that it all depends on the external drive. If we presume that in general the drive is working fine, being unrecognized may be related to various reasons. Talking about powering, the “Y” cable may  be enough, but that can not be said for sure. There are some external drives, which require separate power cable (like the WD MyBook, for example).
    If a drive is not recognized, check if it is spinning and if the light is on. If the answer is “no”, the drive may have some mechanical issues, or there is not enough power. I would always advise users to check their drives on different PCs to identify where the issues comes from.

    http://wdc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3537/ - this topic may result helpful

     

    Hope this helps

  • Leonid
    Leonid Member Posts: 121 Troubleshooter

    Hello Massif,     If you want to keep things reliable, everyone that wants to use a USB drive (motor driven) should have a powered HUB. They are not expensive and give you a world of options for devices. I have the W3 + 8.1.1, I just got a back up drive for my network.

     

    Seagate External USB 4TB Essentials-self powered. No formatting req'd. NTFS

     

    The W3 has no difficulty in accessing any file on it or writing to it (networked or direct).

     

    Since this drive is selfpowered, I don't need the powered HUB for it.

    But for DVD's, and just about any USB device it is worth it.

    I have been using a no name powered HUB for two years now and no problems.

  • padgett
    padgett ACE Posts: 4,532 Pathfinder

    I use two: a GearHead UH7250MAC powered hub with wall wart (MAC just means it is white) and for desktop use a Targus Docking station ACP70USZ. See here (getting a bit old but have not found anything better yet).