my usb HDDs keep dropping and reappearing.

[ik9000]

plug in HDD to USB ports (problem occurs on multiple ports, both USB3 and USB2) and they drop, then windows refinds them and offers to autoplay, and antivirus offers to do a scan on "new drive detected"

Problem happens on two different makes of external HDD too using different cables - so I don't think it's being caused by a dodgy drive.

It happens very frequently - probably every 5 mins or so. Any ideas what might be causing this and how to fix it? It is driving me mad.

(this is on a brand new, clean install, with all mobo drivers loaded. And Win7 is fully up to date.)

[=assassin=]

Check in Device manager, there should be quite a few USB references, some of them, if you right click and get properties, will have a power management tab, and you can untick the option to turn off devices to save power when not in use. See if that works? :S

[OXO]

Make sure your USB cables are short (1 to 2ft max) and are actually USB2 cables! (There is a difference!)

Ensure they have sufficient power - try a powered external hub - especially if they are 2.5inch drives.

And of course try different computers...

[ik9000]

Make sure your USB cables are short (1 to 2ft max) and are actually USB2 cables! (There is a difference!)

Ensure they have sufficient power - try a powered external hub - especially if they are 2.5inch drives.

And of course try different computers...

yeah thanks - same drives as always used, cables that came supplied with them, and same computer as they've worked fine with for a good while. It's a new problem that has suddenly appeared. Oh and they're USB3 cables for the USB3 drives obviously. The query was, and remains, a technical one of why the heck is windows now dropping the HDD every 5 mins when it never used to?

[very deli reef]

Did you try asking the manufacturer of each of the drives?

Although you said it happens with drives that are different makes, it's worth asking since they're going to be very experienced at dealing with any and all issues related to their drives; even if the actual problem is nothing to do with the drives, but with your computer.

[Dutchjonsey]

My usb3 drive used to do the same, I ended up wiping and reinstalling the driver for the usb3 controller, seemed to fix the problem. It was on a two week old win installation too, so it shouldn't have been the drivers, but I guess something went wrong when I was installing them.