Blue Screen with External HDD Connected

Author: ajua

22 Jan

A week ago i formatted my laptop with my unattended Vista installation DVD and all went smooth as usual.

Things got bad as soon as i started to configure settings and installing some programs because i started to get BSOD after a few minutes of using the computer.

The error message: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL.

I thought it was the latest Intel graphics drivers because that was the only thing i updated on my VistaUA (Vista Unattended) disc. I replaced them with the previous version and ran the installation again. Result: BSOD again in a few minutes.

I disabled drivers, startup programs and services but nothing seemed to fix it. I was formatting other computers and i unplugged my Western Digital 80Gb External USB hard drive to install programs on those computers.

I noticed that my laptop was able to function properly and longer without any errors. I plugged my HDD again, restarted windows to make a test and i got the same BSOD again.

I tried to boot my desktop computer with the same external drive connected and the same thing happened: BSOD after a minute or two.

If i connect the drive after Windows is loaded there is no problem and i can use the drive as i normally do.

I’ve searched the web for solutions but i didn’t find any real answers to the problem. I even looked at Microsoft Knowledge Base but came out empty.

So, if you’re having this particular problem (i haven’t tried my external hdd in WinXP) check to see if you have external devices connected. Maybe a windows update introduced this kind of behavior because i have been using this drive for about two and half years without any single issue.

If i find a solution i will post it for people that is suffering the same thing as me. If someone has some solution, please post it.

Related Posts:

Filed under: Troubleshooting

10 Responses for "Blue Screen with External HDD Connected"

anthony February 17th, 2008 at 11:13 am 1
I have two external WD My Books (500gb). They cause BSODs on my machine even with Vista’s latest SP1–Yes it’s available. I am still looking for a solution as my hardware is made post Vista and ranks a 5.9 on the experience rating.
ajua February 20th, 2008 at 5:04 pm 2
Hi. Both drives are causing you BSODs when connected at Windows startup? Try one at a time.

I thinks this problem lies in a drivers or a Windows update but i haven’t found anything close to a solution. If i come into something i will post it.

It’s very annoying to disconnect the external drives before starting or rebooting Windows.
dsfgfsdfd March 10th, 2008 at 10:26 am 3
a mi me sale una pantalla azul cuando conecto mi hd externo a mi xp
pero en el vista y en el linux lo reconoce bien
ajua March 10th, 2008 at 1:41 pm 4
La pantalla azul te sale al momento de conectarlo o si inicias la computadora con el disco conectado?

Si es lo primero seguramente tiene un problema con el windows. Intenta buscar en internet, ya he visto este problema antes pero no recuerdo la solucion.

Si te sale al inicar la computadora con el disco conectado, como a mi, entonces todavia no hay una solucion. Aunque en mi laptop con el Vista SP1 este problema ya no aparece afortudanamente.
lazlo April 10th, 2008 at 5:51 am 5
Im having the almost the same problem…
But I currenly run Windoes XP pro Sp2 …
Ive used an usb hard drive on my old pc for bout a year…
I recently got a new pc and I connected the external to backup my files… everything worked fine…
But when i restarted my pc with my HD connected it caused me BSOD… only when i removed my HD did the BSODs stop…
The only think I can think of and im doing right now… is formmating the HD and see if this fixes the problem… (since the HD was initially taged/renamed etc on an other machine)
ajua April 10th, 2008 at 11:54 pm 6
the only thing i can confirm is that the problem is gone if you have Vista SP1.

You can try to format the disk to see if it helps. If it does, please post back. Good luck.
Killerbe July 7th, 2008 at 12:52 pm 7
Fresh install of Windows Vista Ultimate (SP1).
Same issue. If you search the net, you will see more cases with external drives from other manufactors.
ajua July 7th, 2008 at 3:20 pm 8
Hi Killerbe. You are right. My desktop computer showed me a BSOD the other day when i formatted. My external drive was plugged and it was the same error as before.

The strange thing is that the problem in Vista SP1 is intermittent. Sometimes i get the BSOD and sometimes i can start Windows the drive connected without any problem.

I think that maybe a driver can be the cause of this because the problem appears not just in Vista, but in XP as well.

Is a PITA that we have to disconnect any external drive when starting up the computer.

I’m still looking for more info about this particular issue.
Javito October 11th, 2008 at 2:09 am 9
Este error lo provoca una aplicacion llamada File Securer. Yo tambien he tenido que aguantar la dichosa pantalla azul y desconectar los disco duros al iniciar durante año y medio hasta que he descubierto que lo provocaba.
Desisntala el files securer y tu vida sera mas placida!
ajua October 11th, 2008 at 3:24 pm 10
Hola Javito, desgraciadamente no creo que ese sea el problema, al menos en mi caso.

Llevo algunos meses sin tener el problema, a lo mejor alguna actualización de Vista lo resolvió.

Espero que asi sea, porque realmente era muy molesto.

Saludos.