Have to unplug Ext HD or XP won't boot

GordonNeedsHelp · 07-09-2008, 06:52 PM

Hi all. I recently bought a 750GB Seagate FreeAgent External HD. I have it hooked up via a USB cable to a PC running XP SP3. The drive works great except for one thing. I cannot get past the initial boot screen with the USB cable connected. It hangs while it searches for USB devices. I have let it go for hours and it still couldn't finish scanning. If I disconnect the USB cable, XP boots right up. Then I plug in the cable back in and all is well. Not a terrible problem but, very annoying.

Anyone else out there have this problem and found a way to solve it?

Thanks for any light you can shed.

-Gordon

**Deleted090308** · 07-10-2008, 08:24 AM

Hi,
When does the computer hang? During POST or when Windows is (trying) to load?

Look in BIOS boot order, make sure no USB devices are included in the boot list.

GordonNeedsHelp · 07-10-2008, 02:44 PM

Hi and Thanks for the response.

It hangs during POST. It seems to get stuck while Auto-Detecting the USB ports.

I checked the BIOS and it isn't listed in the Boot Order. Just the floppy, main hd and DVD which are all internals.

Normally, I can't even get into the BIOS with the Drive connected. The one time I did, it showed up as a device, (not in the boot order, still) but, when I tried to exit the BIOS and reboot, I got the POST beep but, no display at all except for a blinking cursor for about 5 seconds. Then, dark screen.

Once again, after unplugging the cable and doing a hard reboot, XP came right up as always.

TheShadowFl · 07-10-2008, 04:54 PM

I have the exact same problem if I leave my camera card, an SD Flash Card in the card reader while booting up. The computer will hang forever.

That seems to be a very common thing. I know of NO way around it, except to use your USB drive and then unplug it.
Does it have a power switch on it, that you could just switch OFF?
My external USB drive does!

I do suspect that it has something to do with the USB drives being in the boot order somewhere. I know my own boot order includes "USB Devices".

I leave it set that way because I use my 64meg Flash Drive to boot my system and run Ghost 8.3, to back up my system. I do that every few days.

Good Luck,
The Shadow

**Deleted090308** · 07-10-2008, 06:13 PM

Try disabling "legacy USB" in BIOS.

sylent1 · 12-11-2008, 03:46 PM

I have exactly the same problem with my Seagate external. I have to unplug it before windows will boot. It hangs AFTER post and right before windows boots and only sometimes.

**raptor_pa** · 12-11-2008, 05:21 PM

Hmm deleted, I was having the same isue with one of the forensic boxes at Work toady, I enabled legacy USB support, and removed the USB from the boot order, also found a switch in this BIOS to enable or disable USB being bootable, so disabled that. Cleared the issue right up.

07-09-2008, 06:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
GordonNeedsHelp Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 13 OS: XP	Have to unplug Ext HD or XP won't boot Hi all. I recently bought a 750GB Seagate FreeAgent External HD. I have it hooked up via a USB cable to a PC running XP SP3. The drive works great except for one thing. I cannot get past the initial boot screen with the USB cable connected. It hangs while it searches for USB devices. I have let it go for hours and it still couldn't finish scanning. If I disconnect the USB cable, XP boots right up. Then I plug in the cable back in and all is well. Not a terrible problem but, very annoying. Anyone else out there have this problem and found a way to solve it? Thanks for any light you can shed. -Gordon

07-10-2008, 08:24 AM	#2 (permalink)
Deleted090308 Not... Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 22,277 OS: Xp	Re: Have to unplug Ext HD or XP won't boot Hi, When does the computer hang? During POST or when Windows is (trying) to load? Look in BIOS boot order, make sure no USB devices are included in the boot list.

07-10-2008, 02:44 PM	#3 (permalink)
GordonNeedsHelp Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 13 OS: XP	Re: Have to unplug Ext HD or XP won't boot Hi and Thanks for the response. It hangs during POST. It seems to get stuck while Auto-Detecting the USB ports. I checked the BIOS and it isn't listed in the Boot Order. Just the floppy, main hd and DVD which are all internals. Normally, I can't even get into the BIOS with the Drive connected. The one time I did, it showed up as a device, (not in the boot order, still) but, when I tried to exit the BIOS and reboot, I got the POST beep but, no display at all except for a blinking cursor for about 5 seconds. Then, dark screen. Once again, after unplugging the cable and doing a hard reboot, XP came right up as always.

07-10-2008, 04:54 PM	#4 (permalink)
TheShadowFl Retired PC Builder Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Central Florida Posts: 289 OS: XP-SP3, Vista Ult. 64, Win-7/64	Re: Have to unplug Ext HD or XP won't boot I have the exact same problem if I leave my camera card, an SD Flash Card in the card reader while booting up. The computer will hang forever. That seems to be a very common thing. I know of NO way around it, except to use your USB drive and then unplug it. Does it have a power switch on it, that you could just switch OFF? My external USB drive does! I do suspect that it has something to do with the USB drives being in the boot order somewhere. I know my own boot order includes "USB Devices". I leave it set that way because I use my 64meg Flash Drive to boot my system and run Ghost 8.3, to back up my system. I do that every few days. Good Luck, The Shadow __________________ A person with experience is never at the mercy of a person with an argument.

07-10-2008, 06:13 PM	#5 (permalink)
Deleted090308 Not... Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 22,277 OS: Xp	Re: Have to unplug Ext HD or XP won't boot Try disabling "legacy USB" in BIOS.

12-11-2008, 03:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
sylent1 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 4 OS: winxp 2002	Re: Have to unplug Ext HD or XP won't boot I have exactly the same problem with my Seagate external. I have to unplug it before windows will boot. It hangs AFTER post and right before windows boots and only sometimes.

12-11-2008, 05:21 PM	#7 (permalink)
raptor_pa Mod Hardware Team Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central PA Posts: 2,827 OS: XP	Re: Have to unplug Ext HD or XP won't boot Hmm deleted, I was having the same isue with one of the forensic boxes at Work toady, I enabled legacy USB support, and removed the USB from the boot order, also found a switch in this BIOS to enable or disable USB being bootable, so disabled that. Cleared the issue right up.