USB Drive Disconnects when Idle on Windows 8

Problem:

USB drive disconnects when drive sits idle for a short period of time when using Windows 8.0 or 8.1.

For example, when using TBIView to copy files from a backup image located on a USB drive, Windows may disconnect the drive if the drive goes idle. When the user attempts to copy additional files it fails.

Cause:

Windows 8 is aggressive in powering off USB devices.

Solution:

Disable allowing the computer to turn off the USB Hub devices to save power.

Instructions:

1. Press WinKey+X (hold down the Windows key and press X) to bring up the Quick Link menu.
   
   
2. Click on Device Manager.
   
   
3. Scroll to the Universal Serial Bus Controllers section and expand it.
   
   
4. Locate the USB Hub items. The names will vary depending on the system, but will generally have "USB Hub" or "USB Root Hub" in them. Examples include Generic USB Hub, USB Root Hub, and USB Root Hub (xHCI).
   
   
5. Double-click the item (or right-click it and select Properties from the pop-up menu) to open the item's properties.
   
   
6. Click the Power Management tab.
   
   
7. Uncheck the Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power option.
   
   
8. Click OK to apply the change.
   
   
9. Repeat steps 5 through 8 for each USB Hub device you need to change.
   
   
10. Close Device Manager.

Technical Notes:

Depending on the system, disabling the "power off" option may increase system power usage. If you don't want to disable the option for all hub devices you may need to do some testing to figure out which one is used by the affected USB drive.

Disabling the USB selective suspend setting in Power Options will usually not disable the "power off" option for all USB Hub devices. Managing the option using Device Manager is recommended.