# external hdd not working

## Adel Ahmed

I have purchased an external hard disk(unbranded)

Bus 001 Device 008: ID 13fd:1040 Initio Corporation INIC-1511L PATA Bridge

the hard disk works fine on windows machines, howeeer  when I plug it into my machineand try anything that has to do with this hard disk:

Jun 17 10:46:58 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:47:29 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:47:32 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:48:10 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:48:41 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:48:44 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:49:22 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:49:53 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:49:56 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:50:04 g50-80 kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdc] tag#0 UNKNOWN(0x2003) Result: hostbyte=0x05 driverbyte=0x00

Jun 17 10:50:04 g50-80 kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdc] tag#0 CDB: opcode=0x28 28 00 e8 e0 88 00 00 00 08 00

Jun 17 10:50:04 g50-80 kernel: blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 3907028992

Jun 17 10:50:36 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:51:07 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:51:10 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:51:48 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:52:19 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:52:22 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:53:00 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:53:31 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:53:34 g50-80 kernel: usb 1-2: reset high-speed USB device number 7 using xhci_hcd

Jun 17 10:53:42 g50-80 kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdc] tag#0 UNKNOWN(0x2003) Result: hostbyte=0x05 driverbyte=0x00

Jun 17 10:53:42 g50-80 kernel: sd 5:0:0:0: [sdc] tag#0 CDB: opcode=0x28 28 00 e8 e0 74 3f 00 00 08 00

Jun 17 10:53:42 g50-80 kernel: blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sdc, sector 3907023935

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## guitou

Hello

Sadly for you, this looks like bad blocks on disk.

++

Gi)

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## Adel Ahmed

anyway I can use this disk with those bad blocks? the same way I'm doing so on the windows machine

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## Logicien

Have-you try to plug the disk to USB2 connector? It will use ehci_hcd instead of xhci_hcd module. Just to know if USB3 and xhci_hcd can be the cause of the problem. You need appropriate support in the kernel for Ahci, Pata, Sata and related hard disk bus and protocoles like usb_storage. Is the Bios set to Ahci or compatibility Pata?

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## NeddySeagoon

Adel Ahmed,

Its an old PATA device in a USB2 enclosure.

There are several issues here.

1. USB2 devices are supposed to work on USB3 root hubs but backwards compatibility is mixed.

2. Power supply.  There are two ways to power USB drives, a power brick or a Y-cable.

Power bricks are usually OK. Y-cables need some care.

Both ends of the Y must be connected to  different USB root hubs and nothing else must be connected to those root hubs.

The problem is that a HDD needs about twice as much power as a USB bus is permitted to supply.

Tell us about your external HDD so we can look up the technical specifications..

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## Adel Ahmed

It was a hard disk I had purchased off aliexpress, I do not have any information as it is a cheap chinese hdd

here's what I have from lsusb -v:

Bus 001 Device 006: ID 13fd:1040 Initio Corporation INIC-1511L PATA Bridge

Device Descriptor:

  bLength                18

  bDescriptorType         1

  bcdUSB               2.00

  bDeviceClass            0 

  bDeviceSubClass         0 

  bDeviceProtocol         0 

  bMaxPacketSize0        64

  idVendor           0x13fd Initio Corporation

  idProduct          0x1040 INIC-1511L PATA Bridge

  bcdDevice            1.06

  iManufacturer           1 (error)

  iProduct                2 (error)

  iSerial                 3 (error)

  bNumConfigurations      1

  Configuration Descriptor:

    bLength                 9

    bDescriptorType         2

    wTotalLength           32

    bNumInterfaces          1

    bConfigurationValue     1

    iConfiguration          0 

    bmAttributes         0xc0

      Self Powered

    MaxPower                2mA

    Interface Descriptor:

      bLength                 9

      bDescriptorType         4

      bInterfaceNumber        0

      bAlternateSetting       0

      bNumEndpoints           2

      bInterfaceClass         8 Mass Storage

      bInterfaceSubClass      6 SCSI

      bInterfaceProtocol     80 Bulk-Only

      iInterface              0 

      Endpoint Descriptor:

        bLength                 7

        bDescriptorType         5

        bEndpointAddress     0x81  EP 1 IN

        bmAttributes            2

          Transfer Type            Bulk

          Synch Type               None

          Usage Type               Data

        wMaxPacketSize     0x0200  1x 512 bytes

        bInterval               0

      Endpoint Descriptor:

        bLength                 7

        bDescriptorType         5

        bEndpointAddress     0x02  EP 2 OUT

        bmAttributes            2

          Transfer Type            Bulk

          Synch Type               None

          Usage Type               Data

        wMaxPacketSize     0x0200  1x 512 bytes

        bInterval               1

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## krinn

The infos you are giving are the one for the host, the usb case, not the disk.

If the disk is dead, it won't be detect even the case might be.

If you have the PATA interface on your m/b you can plug the disk directly with it and see what is going on. (it will also confirm if it's the usb case or the disk that is in trouble).

You don't even really need to boot, as your bios itself should be enough to give you some disk infos.

If your kernel have it enable, the /proc/scsi/scsi interface should provide that also (but only if the disk is working, in your dmesg log, it is not).

And the easiest way, when you open the case the disk should be seen, and informations on it should be viewable even without removing it from the case most of the time.

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## NeddySeagoon

Adel Ahmed,

Tell us about the power arrangements for the device please.

Your lsusb says 

```
MaxPower 2mA 
```

which implies that its not a bus powered device but  *Quote:*   

> it is a cheap chinese hdd 

 says its unlikely to have its own power brick, to keep the price down.

If there is really a PATA HDD inside the case, its likely to be a 44 pin PATA laptop HDD, which uses the conventional 40 pins for the PATA interface and the extra 4 pins for power.  This means you need an adaptor to connect it to anything other than a compatible laptop. 

It might be one of these ;)

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## Logicien

So NeddySeagoon, the Pata drive is connected to an IDE to USB device with no external power, it only take it's power source from the USB port.

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## NeddySeagoon

Logicien,

We don't know that yet.  I suspect that's the case and the cause of the problem.

The lsusb output is not to be trusted.

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## Adel Ahmed

seems like an ide to usb:

http://imgur.com/JThOTOY

the model is samsung(yeah right) nm-0810

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## NeddySeagoon

Adel Ahmed,

Tell us about the power arrangements for the drive.

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## Adel Ahmed

what do you mean by power arrangements and how do I get that kind of information

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## NeddySeagoon

Adel Ahmed,

USB HDD come in two sorts.  Bus powered and mains powered

Bus powered devices only have a USB connector.  The computer end may be a 'Y' cable with two USB plugs.

Mains powered USB HDD have USB cable to the computer which is only for the data and a separate power cable.

Bus powered USB HDD are a source of endless frustration. Mains powered ones usually just work.

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## Adel Ahmed

thanks for clearing that up, it's usb powered

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## NeddySeagoon

Adel Ahmed,

In that case, the drive lies about its power requirement

```
MaxPower 2mA 
```

This is where the fun begins.

USB Bus powered drives normally need more that the 500mA a USB 1 or USB 2 root hub is specified to supply.

USB 3 root hubs cam provide 900mA.

Some vendors ignore this and hope the hardware and/or PC operating don't check.

In this situation some drives work on some hardware. 

Drives can be marginal too, so some drives work on some hardware sometimes.

One way around this is to power the drive with a Y-Cable.  The intent is to connect the PC end to two different root hubs.

This (in theory) makes 1000mA available to power the drive.  In most cases this can work.

However ... a USB root hub is one pair of stacked USB connectors. Nothing else can be connected to these two root hubs.

Do you have a USB Y-Cable?

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## Adel Ahmed

I'm afraid not  :Sad: 

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## NeddySeagoon

Adel Ahmed,

If you can test the drive on another system that does not mind the power abuse on its USB ports, it may be worth investing in a Y cable.

If not, cut your losses and get a drive with a power cable.

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