Windows 8.1 and USB 3 docking bay device

Hi,

In order to help you with your concern about your Windows 8.1 and USB 3 docking bay device, kindly answer the following questions first:

• What is the make and model of the docking device that you have?
• Have you checked for the docking device's compatibility to Windows 8.1?
• Have you tried running the Windows update while the docking station is connected to your Windows 8.1? Did it prompt you that docking device's driver needs updating?

We look forward to your response.

Regards.

Hello,

Thanks for the fast reply to my issue.

The item is an Enermax EB311SC it is a 2 bay docking station using USB 3.

The bay worked before and is compatible.

No iu have not tried running windows update with the docking bay on with drive inserted. (But I will asap).

I had a computer crash about 3 weeks ago and had to have a computer store reinstall windows for me.

The docking bay was working fine before the crash.

I moved docking bay to another pc to test and it works fine on other computers.

I have also checked bios settings and XHCI is enabled and the EHCI is disabled.

My current system has 5 internal devices 1sdd, 2hdd and a dvd and blu-ray drive, plus the external ones.

On my current pc I can read and write to hdd's in the docking station fine but if i want to add a new drive and format it using the bay it fails.

Also I will add this note for you I have other usb3 devices that work fine cant format with them. One of the items is an external 4 HDD unit using usb 3 the drives are all used fine and I have not need to format using the 4 bay enclosure as it has working drives in it.

EDIT: I ran Windows update with docking back connected and on and no updates were listed.

As Always I  can see the docking bay drive in Computer Management under storage. 

2nd Edit:  Besides trying her on Microsoft I also posted at this web address    https://www.sysnative.com/forums/windows-8-windows-rt/24224-w8-1-x64-format-issue-hdds-works-usb-dvd-blu-ray-discs.html#post201345

On this site I included pictures so you can see all the issues.

Hope this information helps.

Thanks in advance

Fred

Thank you for your response. We are still investigating what may have caused this issue, we would like to know if your Windows 8.1 computer is up-to-date. Here is the link for the update history for your reference.

Windows 8.1 Update history

We look forward to your next post.

Regards.

Hello,

Thanks for the fast reply and help.

Yes my windows 8.1 is up to date and all but some optional updates are installed using Windows Update feature.

Also to be clear my Windows is legit and not some cracked or stolen version.

I will wait for any further responses or suggestions from you.

Thanks in advance

Fred

Thank you for responding Fred. For us to be able to drill down to the real cause of the issue, we just want to verify the following:

• Have your tried connecting the drives directly to your computer without the docking bay and check if you will be able to format them?
• You have mentioned that you moved the docking bay to another PC to try it, were you able to format those drives on that other computer?

We look forward to your response.

Regards.

Hello,

Yes I can format them.

If I take them off USB 3 and put docking bays on USB 2 they format and work fine.

If I put them directly on sata connection they format fine.

Yes the drives format fine on other computers.

I will add the issue is combined with another issue thou I dont know how.

My 2 esata ports have ability to multiply and that worked fine until I had to reinstall windows.

Now the esata ports only see 1 drive out of each 4 bay unit where before each esata would see 4 per port..

And the USB 3 wont format hdd and ssd drives but can read and write to them fine as long as drives are formatted.

And they will format usb sticks fine.

Now I have a question or two for you.

1) Inside my Bios there is an OS setting that is set to other but there is a Windows 8 Setting. So can that be part of the cause?

2) If it could be the cause would it be safe to switch it to windows 8 or would I have to reinstall windows?

3) On gigabyte there are chipset drivers and I used them as well as ones on dvd, but I see AMD has newer chipset drivers. So If i tried to install the latest chipset drivers from AMD and not mobo site could that fix issues?

4) If I did install latest AMD chipset drivers would I need to reinstall windows or would windows still work if I tried?

And if I tired them and they did not work and I wanted to go back to original mobo drivers would system restore work to go back to old ones?

Or would I need to do a fresh install of windows?

5) Last question for now, If I were to buy some esata cards and some usb 3 cards and install them would windows try to assign same drivers as now and would the new cards work or would I still have same issue as now with the new cards?

Thanks in advance

Fred

Thank you for prompt response. Any changes implemented in the BIOS should be consulted to the computer manufacturer. You may contact them to get the most accurate answer to these types of questions. You may also choose to post these inquiries into our next level forum called Microsoft TechNet. We have IT professionals and software developers who are the prominent audience on this forum. Concerns about the BIOS is beyond the support scope of the Community forum since topics discussed here are for Windows Personal and Home use. You may click the link below to begin posting your questions.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/ms376608.aspx.

Feel free to post should you need further assistance.

Regards.

Hello,

I spoke to them and they say leave settings as is now.

So do you at Microsoft have any clue why the usb 3 ports will not work correctly now after the reinstall of Windows?

Also why now the esata ports dont work correctly as they did before?

As per my last message the issues at hand have only been an issue since having to reinstall Windows.

Thanks in advance

Fred

Hey Jesrael Bor,

Well I contactd the pc maker again and finally got a tech who remembers my systems default build as they made lots of them.

It seems according to them that the bios setting for OS must be set for Windows 8 or 8.1 and not left at other os which is where it is now. and that that is the reason behind my issues.

What they can't is if it is safe to switch without needing to reinstall Windows again.

So Since You make the OS I was told to ask you is it safe to switch it fromt he other os setting to windows 8 setting?

They say it could screw up the Current windows install but they do not know for sure.

Please let me know.

Thanks in advance

Fred