External hard drive too slow

[Madgri]

I bought a USB-3.0 hard drive 3.5" enclosure, and mounted on it a Western Digital 3.5" 1TB hard drive I've been using, successfully for years while mounted in a USB-2.0 enclosure. I then connected the USB-3.0 enclosure to an USB-3.0 port but the result was an extremely slowness in writing, copying and deleting files.

I can see what is inside the hard drive and I can create partitions, but cannot work with such a super low speed, especially because I need that hard drive for backup purposes.

If I mount it back in the US-2.0 enclosure, it's the same thing.

Please, fin attached the 4 Western Digital test results.

Does anyone know a way --program tool, for instance-- to get this hard drive working at least at USB-2.0 speed?

[recovering disk space, attachment deleted by admin]

[DaveLembke]

So it was fast in 2.0 enclosure, moved it to 3.0 and had problems. Moved back to 2.0 and problems remain.

This drive might have an issue itself since its acting the same as it did in the 3.0 enclosure now in the 2.0 enclosure that it was once happy in.

One suggestion I have is if you can see files that are important copy them off of this drive immediately to a healthy drive. Then install a different drive into the 3.0 enclosure and see if the problem is gone.

There seems to be a problem with this drive you have where it says that smart is healthy and yet not healthy and it definitely is not acting healthy. This drive may have been damaged somehow through the move between enclosures.

Would you happen to have a drive to test in the 3.0 enclosure on hand?

Also when it comes to external enclosures I have run into issues where many enclosures with prolonged use cook the drive inside because they have a poor thermal design where they are a sealed unit once together and they bake in the small air pocket that they have inside the enclosure. Cheap enclosures that I buy that are clearly poorly designed for airflow I will drill holes in the plastic prior to installing the drive and USB/SATA board controller this way I dont bake a drive.

I have a 300GB Maxtor SATA drive that I baked about 5 years ago that only works now when its cool, so I use it for short use ( less than 30 minute ) data transfers between systems, but no longer use it for important data storage. This drive ever since it got baked in a cheap enclosure will act fast until the drive starts to get hot to the touch and then it starts to make strange ping noises and lag out. If I have a fan blowing across this drive to keep it cool it will run without problems, but if it doesnt have airflow it will work fine until it gets hot and then it starts to act up and lag and make strange noises. Oddly, S.M.A.R.T for this drive says that it is healthy when it clearly is not when it gets hot.

Which enclosure are you using btw to see what model it is?

[Madgri]

Thanks, DaveLembke.

I already saved the important files

Yes, I've a second drive to test in the 3.0 enclosure, but I wouldn't like to do that because I'm afraid the 3.0 enclosure could damage this other drive too.

My external drives —I've had several— are only used for about 3 hours on Saturdays.

The 2.0 enclosure is a this Macally model G-S350SU
( http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013LRLUM/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=34230351707&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12829720638835657362&hvpone=50.00&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_3ru6lg4rus_b )

And the 3.0 is this Sabrent model EC-3US35
( http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003CJQ69A/ref=pe_385040_30332190_TE_M3T1_ST1_dp_1 )

[DaveLembke]

The only way to test the 3.0 enclosure would be with a drive, but I agree with you that its best not to put a drive in it that you care about, just in case it has an issue of some sort that created this problem.

The 3.0 drive that you linked is a drive baker design. I wouldnt run that type for 3 hours at a time because the drive cant breathe to cool. The USB 2.0 drive you linked is a far better design to breathe.

One enclosure that I am happy with that is 3.0 is this one. It has a cooling fan built into it to keep the drive cool. I run a 1.5TB drive in this same enclosure for about 6 to 12 hours a day when my computer is on at home. The drive in it is always cool at 30C when checking the properties of it with CrystalDisk Info a free tool. I am running mine at 2.0 vs 3.0 since its backwards compatible to 2.0.

Here is crystaldiskinfo if you want this free tool. I use the standard portable version since I dont like to install stuff if not required to keep windows as clean as possible, so when portable is available I run portable apps instead. This utility will give smart data info as well as tell you the temps for all connected drives that have temp monitoring features, which most do: http://crystalmark.info/download/index-e.html

If you can get your money back on this 3.0 enclosure, I'd suggest this Rosewill 3.0 enclosure with the cooling fan built into it. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182248&cm_re=usb_3.0_enclosure-_-17-182-248-_-Product Rosewill is not the best brand out there, but some of their products are good and others are to be avoided. This external drive enclosure however is beyond the quality I expect from their brand and it almost makes me wonder if they bought these unbranded from someone with higher quality standards than what they normally brand and manufacture based on how well they are constructed and operate. I own 2 of these one with a 2TB drive in it and another with a 1.5TB drive. The 1.5TB is used daily and the 2TB drive is a mirror copy of the 1.5TB that I join up with the 1.5TB drive on occasion to sync them up to latest info to have a safe copy of all important data on hand if the 1.5TB should ever die. 13 months of no problems knock on keys with this enclosure model.

Only thing to mention with this enclosure is that the Blue LED they use is bright and so when in use you dont want it in direct view of eyes. I defused the Blue Laser Beam LED from being so bright by applying a sticky note stuck to the face of it in which the blue flashing etc can be seen through paper that is easier on the eyes. One of these days when I am bored I might swap out the ultra bright Blue LED with a normal LED from an old computer case to have a yellow or green blinking indicator that is easier on the eyes. But for now the sticky note to block the beam works.

[Madgri]

I used a Sabrent 2.0 for years and had no problem with it. The 3.0 pilot led never blinks, and I suppose that it should. The Macally pilot led did.

I'd like to sent back this Sabrent but I cannot because I'm in Latin America.

Thanks for the links.

[DaveLembke]

Since you can't send it back, if you can find a good healthy HDD that a friend has that doesnt need any storage capacity, even a 40GB SATA would do, or can get one cheap that is SATA, I'd test the drive in this 3.0 unit before putting in a drive that you care about just to be careful not to destroy a drive that you need not to get ruined.

I'd suggest drilling some holes in the plastic in the bottom of it and a few at the top of the unit so that it can breathe, but do that without the drive and com board installed as for you just want to air out the case and not drill holes into the drives soft cast aluminum. A 1/4" drill bit slowly drilled into the plastic will make for holes that aren't ugly. And when used upright, heat rises and so the hot air will vent out the top and cool air will replace the heated air from the bottom.

I have a Vantec enclosure that is just about air tight that I had to drill to add airflow. Dropped the HDD temp from 53C to 37C when monitoring it with speedfan after the holes were added to breathe. This is the case I have that is similar to this model you have but doesnt have the eSATA feature, but its just like yours which is just about air tight which is not a good place for a drive to be that creates heat and cant get rid of the heat. My Maxtor 300GB cooked in one of these enclosures. I have since drilled holes in bottom and top of it so that it can breathe and not roast and have a 500GB Seagate in it now. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817145167

And the feedback says it all in numerous cons posted with heat issues such as this one, that while it hasnt killed the drive yet, its a problem ( Design Flaw where appearance is more important than thermal design ):

Pros: Very straightforward to get a drive installed. Compatible with every drive I've used with it, and every computer I plugged it into. Fast, good build-quality, and good-looking. No issues at all.

Cons: Can get hot with certain drives installed, but has not seemed to cause any reliability issues.