Hard Drive Dock not working properly

Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Messages
2,781
I just bought this external hard drive dock:

https://www.simplecom.com.au/simple...cking-station-for-2-5-and-3-5-sata-drive.html

So far I'm having issues with it. On many occasions I try copying files into the hard drive that is placed in the dock, the file transfer will simply stop and it just stays there. Even trying to format the hard drive will fail to do so, it will simply do nothing.

Bit annoyed at it, does anybody have extensive knowledge in hard drive docks and is able to identify what the issue is? There are no drivers available for this, it's plug and play without the need of drivers or installation.

Did I get a bad hard drive dock and need to RMA it or is there something wrong with my end?

I tried it on two different computers with the same result.
 
Try enabling write caching on that specific HDD in device manager while plugged in through the dock. That's helped me fix slow/frozen drives before.
 
I have used a dozen or so USB docks over the years and have never had to install special drivers or change drive settings. I would return the dock.

Have you tried different hard drives with the dock? I have certainly had bad hard drive cause issues similar to yours.
 
Try enabling write caching on that specific HDD in device manager while plugged in through the dock. That's helped me fix slow/frozen drives before.
Try that, didn't work
Have you tried different hard drives with the dock? I have certainly had bad hard drive cause issues similar to yours.
I've used two different drives with the same result
try another usb port and/or cable.
Using another USB cable and another USB port, made no difference.

Looks like I got a dud drive dock, gonna RMA it today. Thanks for the help guys.
 
Try that, didn't work

I've used two different drives with the same result

Using another USB cable and another USB port, made no difference.

Looks like I got a dud drive dock, gonna RMA it today. Thanks for the help guys.
one other thing to try first is to make sure all usb power savings are off, in device manger and in power plan.
 
Interestingly enough I tried it with my old PC that is running Windows 7 and it works fine without issues, apparently it doesn't work well with Windows 10. Already contacted Simplecom about this issue and yet to hear a reply from them.
 
Interestingly enough I tried it with my old PC that is running Windows 7 and it works fine without issues, apparently it doesn't work well with Windows 10. Already contacted Simplecom about this issue and yet to hear a reply from them.
Lol, was going to ask if something changed in your system, then you mentioned Win10.
Good old Windows 10, if it isn't yet broken, it soon will be.
 
I would also check with the manufacturer and see if there is a firmware update for the dock. If so, that may correct the issue with Windows 10.

Also, have you tried it on a USB 2.0 port? Sometimes you can buy stuff that is advertised as "USB 3.0 compatible" but that is different than USB 3.0 capable. Sometimes also I have seen that cheap "USB 3.0" connector cables will only run at USB 2.0 transfer speeds. I had this happen when purchasing a replacement cable for a Seagate UDB 3.0 backup drive. It had the blue-tabbed USB 3.0 ends but everytime I plugged the drive into a USB 3.0 port I would get a popup message saying, "This drive can perform faster when plugged into a USB 3.0 port." The cable was too skinny for it's length.
 
Last edited:
I tried it with a USB 2.0 port and a 2.0 cable with the same result. It only works well with Windows 7 but not with Windows 10. Already contacted the manufacturer few days ago and I'm yet to hear a response. And there is no firmware or driver update to correct this issue, very disappointed with the product and customer service.
 
Windows 10 supports a SCSI transfer protocol over USB, which your drive dock does ( Support UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) instead of Bulk-On-Transfer (BOT). This can be as to why it is working on 7 but not 10. This is because 7 does not support the transfer protocol. To note, a driver for UASP can be included for Windows 7 with the docking device. It may be the case that you have to have a shielded cable, or at least one with a ferrous core at both ends. This can be even if a short distance cable. This one is shielded (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I83XF76/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and works with my WavLink (https://www.wavlink.com/en_us/product/WL-ST335A.html).

But as always caveat emptor, and YMMV
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
Windows 10 supports a SCSI transfer protocol over USB, which your drive dock does ( Support UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) instead of Bulk-On-Transfer (BOT). This can be as to why it is working on 7 but not 10. This is because 7 does not support the transfer protocol. To note, a driver for UASP can be included for Windows 7 with the docking device. It may be the case that you have to have a shielded cable, or at least one with a ferrous core at both ends. This can be even if a short distance cable. This one is shielded (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I83XF76/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and works with my WavLink (https://www.wavlink.com/en_us/product/WL-ST335A.html).

But as always caveat emptor, and YMMV
I'm kind of scratching my head at this one. It works on Windows 7 because Win7 does NOT support the dock's transfer protocol?
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
I'm kind of scratching my head at this one. It works on Windows 7 because Win7 does NOT support the dock's transfer protocol?

Unintentional radiator, crosstalk, EMI/RFI, etc. As the transfer increases so do the possible negatives. When TX/RX on the wires and you are below and within the tolerance this never seems to be an issue-note USB carries a voltage too!. However, you do not see the error correction, and CRC's taking place. Increase the transfer, say a 4GB file and the transfer can increase which will increase the interference-this doesn't include what is around this person too. If the system supports USAB that TX may surpass the threshold of tolerant interference. If there is a lack of support the transfer can be below. If the transfers are non-sequential and even sequential along with a different type of protocol (signal) there can be less of an impact with non-shielded or non-complaint shielded cables. Change the protocol and tolerance can be exceeded causing "odd behavior." There are examples of these experiences if searched, and questions about shielded USB Cables.

As a personal experience with digital radiography, a compliant 20ft shielded with ferrite chokes had to be used even for a simple small ~500K image (only way to explain the "signal") over USB 2.x transfer. If you didn't have such a cable, it would work at times and others not.

Funny and curious test that can be performed. He can try Windows 8 and see if it happens. No, I am serious. Windows 8 supports USAB too.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Ok, so you're saying it works on win7 because win7 just happens to force it to revert to a slower transfer... otherwise in Win10 the default protocol uses more current than the device's included USB cable can handle without transfer-interrupting noise.
 
Windows 7 does not force. It does not support. Most likely causing the observation to just "work." Also, not more current-more interference. With any supporting OS (Linux, Windows 8/10, etc) and supporting core logics will negotiate UASP for the transfers instead of BOT. This will cause more interference as TX's are able to scale higher with the support. An improperly shielded cable and even board, will most likely, cause a notice to the issues that it can create. Shielding is also for what is on the outside around it too. We have no idea where the docking bay is located, distance, and what else is around creating interference that can be picked up.

For example, when SOHO routers started to implement USB 3.x most were not shielded and even with a legacy 2.x printer TX's to the device had issues, along with wireless performance being affected also. This is also because of the interference "around" the inside of the router-mainly the 2.4GHz band.

This article from PCMag (https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/wireless-witch-the-truth-about-usb-30-and-wi-fi-interference):

"USB 3.0 has a 5Gbps signaling rate. The USB 3.0 specification requires USB 3.0 data to be scrambled and it requires spread-spectrum. The noise from USB 3.0 data spectrum can be high (in the 2.4-2.5GHz range). This noise can radiate from the USB 3.0 connector on a device (such as a PC or Router), the USB 3.0 connector on the peripheral device or the USB 3.0 [port]. If the antenna of a wireless device operating in this band is placed close to any of the USB 3.0 radiation channels, it can pick up the broadband noise. The broadband noise emitted from a USB 3.0 device can affect the SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) and limit the sensitivity of any wireless receiver whose antenna is physically located close to the USB 3.0 device. This may result in a drop in throughput on the wireless link. "

Here is an Intel document on the subject matter: https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/327216.pdf

Now inside the router you will see the trace sometimes is shielded to the interface, and the interface is housed in a shield. Some routers will have a software option (as noted in the article), and often default to not be using USB 3.x just so it will "work" with most devices and so as not to lower Wi-Fi performance.

This just seems like a common cable 101 kind of thing....may be not. He used 2.x and 3.x and had the issue, assuming with Windows 10. He used different cables and still had the issues, assuming still using Windows 10. Two different Windows versions with and without support for UASP with Windows 7 "working" which does not support UASP unless a driver is installed and user action takes place. BTW, USB 2.x supports UASP also...so seems like a possible thing that it is interference with a crappy cable.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top