Herbie Murray
When a computer goes to sleep, the external drive typically enters a sleep or standby mode to conserve power. This can be problematic if you want to access data on the external drive without interruptions or if you want to run background tasks and backups. To prevent an external drive from sleeping, users can adjust power settings in their operating system or device manager, install specific software or utilities, or keep the drive active by periodically running tasks that access files on the drive.
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What You'll Learn
Troubleshooting external drives that sleep too often
If your external hard drive is sleeping too often, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take to address the issue. Here are some detailed instructions to guide you through the process:
Install the Latest Software
Firstly, ensure that you have installed the latest version of the software that came with your external drive. This can help resolve any compatibility or performance issues that may be causing the drive to sleep too frequently.
Check Direct Connection
Make sure that your external drive is connected directly to the computer's USB or Firewire port. Avoid connecting it to a USB hub, keyboard, or monitor port, as this can interfere with the spin-down command.
Configure Power Settings
For Windows users, navigate to the Device Manager and locate the Universal Serial Bus Controllers. Right-click on USB Root Hub, select Properties, and then click on the Power Management tab. Here, you should uncheck the option that allows the computer to turn off the device to save power.
For Mac users, open Terminal and type the following command: "sudo pmset -a disksleep 0". This will disable disk sleep for all states. Additionally, in System Preferences, ensure that the 'Put disks to sleep whenever possible' setting is disabled.
Adjust Sleep Timer Settings
Some external drives have a built-in sleep timer that can be toggled on or off. Check if your drive has this feature and ensure that the sleep timer is turned off to prevent the drive from sleeping unnecessarily.
Check APM and Firmware
If the issue persists, it may be related to Advanced Power Management (APM) or firmware. For Windows, you can use a tool like Victoria to check and adjust APM settings. For Linux systems, hdparm can be used to resolve the issue.
By following these steps, you should be able to troubleshoot and resolve the issue of your external hard drive sleeping too often. If the problem persists, you may need to contact the drive manufacturer or seek further technical support.
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Preventing an external drive from going to sleep
When a computer goes to sleep, the external drive usually goes to sleep as well. This can cause interruptions in downloads or transfers, and cause issues with running background tasks and backups.
There are several methods to prevent an external drive from going to sleep. These methods vary depending on the operating system of the computer.
Windows
For Windows, open the Device Manager and locate the Universal Serial Bus Controllers. Right-click on USB Root Hub, then click Properties. Click on the Power Management tab, and uncheck the box next to "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."
MacOS
For MacOS, go to System Settings, then click on Battery and Options. Set "Put hard drives to sleep when possible" to Never, and set "Enable Power Nap" to Always. Alternatively, open Terminal and type the following command:
Sudo pmset -a disksleep 0
Press Enter, then enter your macOS password.
WD Drive Utilities
If you are using WD Drive Utilities, you can simply connect the drive to the computer, select the drive, and toggle the Sleep Timer to OFF.
Third-Party Software
There are third-party software options available that can keep an external drive awake, such as apps that periodically write blank text files to the drive.
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Power settings for external drives
When a computer goes to sleep, the external drive also goes to sleep. This is a power-saving state that allows the user to quickly resume full-power operation when they start working again. To prevent this from happening, you can change the power settings.
Windows
In Windows, you can change the power settings for your external drive to prevent it from going to sleep. Here are the steps:
- Click on the Battery/Power icon in the taskbar and select "More Power options".
- In the Control Panel window that opens, select "Change Plan Settings" for your current Power Plan.
- Click on the "+" sign next to the "Hard Disk" option.
- Under the "Turn off the hard disk after" heading, change the value to 0 or select "Never".
- Click "Apply" and "OK" to exit.
You can also access the power settings through the Control Panel:
- Click on the Windows (Start) menu and select "Control Panel".
- Select "Power Options".
- Select "Change Plan Settings".
- Select "Change Advanced Power Settings".
- Expand the "Hard Disk" tree and uncheck the box that says "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power".
- Change the "Turn off hard disk after" setting to "Never".
Alternatively, you can use third-party software such as NoSleepHD or KeepAliveHD to prevent your external drive from going to sleep.
Mac
On a Mac, you can change the power settings for your external drive by following these steps:
- Click on "System Settings" in the Apple Menu.
- Select "Battery".
- Click on "Options".
- Set "Put hard drives to sleep when possible" to "Never".
- Set "Enable Power Nap" to "Always".
Other Options
If you are unable to change the power settings for your external drive, there are a few other options to consider:
- Connect the drive directly to the computer's USB or Firewire port.
- Ensure that you have the latest version of the software that came with your drive installed.
- Unmount the drives from Windows when you are not using them by removing the assigned drive letter.
- For WD drives, use the WD Drive Utilities to toggle the Sleep Timer off.
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Using third-party software to prevent sleep mode
When a computer goes to sleep, the external drive usually goes into sleep mode as well. This can be an issue if you need constant access to the data on the drive or if you are running downloads or transfers to and from the drive.
There are several third-party tools that can be used to prevent a computer from going to sleep and keep it awake. These include:
- Nosleep.page: This website can keep your screen awake. You can pick a preset duration or enter a custom time to prevent sleep mode from activating.
- PowerToys: This is a utility for Windows computers that can keep your system awake. You can set it to expire at a specific date and time or adjust the settings to keep your display on and set intervals for how long the system stays awake.
- Wakeful: This application can simulate brief mouse movements to prevent the system from going to sleep. It also allows you to set intervals for simulated activity and adjust the activity frequency to conserve resources while keeping the system awake. You can enable the "Run on startup" or "Launch at boot" option in the app's settings to ensure the computer remains awake whenever it's powered on.
- Virtual desktops: Virtual desktops offer 24/7 access to your computer without the need for your physical computer to stay on.
It is important to note that keeping your computer awake all the time can have potential drawbacks. For example, it can speed up the degradation process of traditional mechanical hard drives (HDDs) and wear out solid-state drives (SSDs) faster due to continuous write and read operations. Additionally, it can cause your computer's cooling fans to run continuously, leading to faster wear and tear. Therefore, it is recommended to download third-party tools from trusted sources and keep the software up-to-date to avoid vulnerabilities and compatibility issues.
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Adjusting the sleep timer on an external drive
Adjusting the sleep timer on an external hard drive can be done through the device's power settings. This process may differ depending on the operating system and device.
For Windows users, the process involves accessing the Device Manager and locating the Universal Serial Bus Controllers. Right-clicking on the USB Root Hub and selecting Properties will bring up the Power Management tab. Here, users can uncheck the option that allows the computer to turn off the external drive to save power.
On a Mac, users can adjust the sleep settings by going to System Settings and selecting Battery. From there, they can set the "Put hard drives to sleep when possible" option to Never and enable Power Nap to Always.
For external drives with their own software, such as Western Digital (WD) drives, users can use the WD Drive Utilities to toggle the Sleep Timer off.
Additionally, some drives may require updating to the latest version of their software and ensuring proper connection directly to the computer's USB or Firewire port.
It is worth noting that on the OS level, additional configurations may be required for USB-SATA bridges and firmware.
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Frequently asked questions
The external hard drive will also go into sleep mode.
You can prevent your external hard drive from going to sleep by adjusting the power settings on your computer. On Windows, go to Device Manager, click "Universal Serial Bus Controllers", right-click "USB Root Hub", click "Properties", then "Power Management", and uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power". On a Mac, go to System Settings, click "Battery", then "Options", and set "Put hard drives to sleep when possible" to "Never".
Connect your drive to your computer, open WD Drive Utilities, and toggle the Sleep Timer off. Alternatively, install and use WD Drive Utilities to disable sleep mode or adjust the time until the drive sleeps.
Go to the Power tab in the Device Manager and check if the drive is connected to it. If so, click the Power Management tab and uncheck the box that says "Allow computer to turn off this device to save power".
