I have a 2.5" 1Tb disk in a caddy that connects through a switchable USB hub and USB extension lead to the PC. So there are two leads - one between the hub-and-PC and one between the caddy-and-hub. When I switch on the power to the hub, and the connection on the hub, often the disk 'rattles', and either does not appear in THIS PC or takes a very long time to show. Over time the situation has deteriorated from no trouble what-so-ever, to the current disablement. Logically the fault can be in many places : at the USB socket on the PC, in the lead from the PC to the hub, in the hub, in the specific port of the hub, in the switch to the hub's port, in the lead from the hub to the caddy, in the caddy, or in the HDD. There was a time that jiggling the lead from the caddy to the hub would fix the problem. That is no longer the case. Now I can only get the normal expected response, if I connect the HDD by a SATA lead direct to the motherboard's SATA socket, and even then not reliably. It works perfectly well from its caddy in another PC running a 64bit version of the Win10ProV20H2 (faiulure occurs in the 32bit O/S).The fact that it CAN work as expected suggests to me that the caddy, the HDD innards and its contacts are OK. I have tried many error-elimination tests : other HDDs connected through the hub work OK, replacing both leads, using other hub sockets etc; I am looking for suggestions I may have overlooked.
Well, it sounds like you have checked just about everything and I agree, since it works fine with your W10 64-bit system, that suggests there is nothing wrong with the caddy or drive. Have you made sure you installed the latest 32-bit drivers for the system running the 32bit OS?
I have been updating the O/S to the latest version as soon as I can - surely that would give me the latest drivers each time ?
Windows Update only updates some of the drivers - and that's if you have not disabled that option. USB is rarely faultless. It has been a frustration and pet peeve of mine since USB 2.x failed to fix all the issues with USB 1.x. Subsequent versions have been no better. I am sure this is due, in part, to the USB interface protocols themselves. But much of the finger pointing must go to the manufacturers of the various hardware devices that use USB failing to precisely and consistently complying with those USB protocols. For sure, it is up to the device manufacturers to develop, maintain, and distribute the necessary drivers for their devices. Not Microsoft. Forums are full of user complaints about their USB devices failing to connect, failing to be detected, failing to stay connected, failing to let the computer go to sleep, waking sleeping computers, and more. The only truly consistent and reliable USB devices I have seen are keyboards and mice. But even then, if the keyboard and mouse has special keys, functions and features that require special software drivers to enable, then USB problems may occur. This is why I only use USB storage devices as temporary solutions - something I connect when needed, then disconnect when done. For long term permanent storage/backup solutions, my "NAS" (network attached storage) connects via Ethernet. I am sorry to say, I have nothing else to suggest for you. Maybe someone else will come by with a permanent fix. If you do find a solution, please come back and post it. Happy Holidays!
