WD Black P10 USB external hard drive problem

[Anubis.KaraK]

I'm having a strange problem with this external WD game drive (5GB) which is repeating.

Every now and then the Steam library fails to recognize installed games on the drive. The game files are there, everything looks OK, disk check/diagnostics reports everything normal, no problems whatsoever..., it's just the Steam that for some reason doesn't want to recognize own files anymore.

Repair library doesn't help, so i have to reinstall all the games again where it only needs to validate (takes time) the existing files and adds them back to the Steam library like nothing happened.

If there were only few games in question i wouldn't mind much, but with many games it becomes annoying.

Any suggestions?

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Hookup the drive before launching Steam.
Don't let the drive go to sleep

[potato]

sounds like your drive is simply disconnecting

1. don't launch steam unless drive is already mounted
2. disable sleep timer for hdd in power management
3. disable usb selective suspend mode in power management

[Anubis.KaraK]

If the problem supposed to be in power management (that is exactly the reason i have the drive connected through extra powered docking station), and lets assume library file gets somehow corrupted, why then the repair library option doesnt work?

Gigs of Steam instalation files and it doesn't recognize them without trying to reinstall them (all of them)?

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Extra Power (like wall powered dock) doesn't matter; the drive is connected via USB; which means the OS will put the drive to sleep by default. That's how they function unless you make some manual settings changes within your OS. If the drive goes to sleep, or is connected after Steam has been launched, then Steam can't see it, period. Plain and simple.

Also do not allow the drive letter for such a drive to ever change.

[Anubis.KaraK]

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

Extra Power (like wall powered dock) doesn't matter; the drive is connected via USB; which means the OS will put the drive to sleep by default. That's how they function unless you make some manual settings changes within your OS. If the drive goes to sleep, or is connected after Steam has been launched, then Steam can't see it, period. Plain and simple.

Also do not allow the drive letter for such a drive to ever change.

Still, even if it turns off or even if i unplug it while operating, it doesnt make sense that every single game on the drive becomes unrecognizable. Files are still there, and they work fine after reinstall attempt. Same goes for drive letters.

About connecting the drive after the Steam has been launched you are wrong. It works perfectly fine, if it doesn't automatically add the games (recognizes the drive) all you have to do is manually add the drive and the games appear installed in the Steam library.

I'm begining to think the problem lies in DRM, since i am using multiple computers playing these games, but i would expect it to work on at least the original computer, the one that instalation was done at, but no, it totally alienates all the game files for all my rigs until i try to reinstall them, when it only validates the same files and everything is back to normal (after huge amount of time wasted)...
However, i will find out soon if this is the case. Now i have started using GOG and they don't sell you games with DRM...

[Bad 💀 Motha]

It's just how things are when it comes to game clients, especially Steam.

Why would people ever "install" things to an external drive. You're going about using your PC all wrong if that's the case.

Now I for one do use a NAS and it's connected to multiple PCs for Steam all at the same time and doesn't have these issues.

Externals are complete rubbish and should never be used to "install" anything onto, period. If you lack storage, buy more and/or larger internal drives.

Use externals for "storage" such as loose files and backups.

[Anubis.KaraK]

Originally posted by Bad 💀 Motha:

It's just how things are when it comes to game clients, especially Steam.

Why would people ever "install" things to an external drive. You're going about using your PC all wrong if that's the case.

Now I for one do use a NAS and it's connected to multiple PCs for Steam all at the same time and doesn't have these issues.

Externals are complete rubbish and should never be used to "install" anything onto, period. If you lack storage, buy more and/or larger internal drives.

Use externals for "storage" such as loose files and backups.

1. I use multiple computers and having games installed on every one is a waste of space (even if possible)

2. I mostly use laptops where even the "biggest" ones don't have possibility of having 10+TB storrage space

3. When you move around places, do you carry your NAS with you?

4. I don't need to have multiple PC's connected to the Steam at the same time. What i need is my game collection to be available on any PC i'm using at that moment.

...

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Well all you should have to do is what Potato suggested in Post#2

[Flyingace]

I also have a problem with it, it keeps deleting my mods for games and sometimes it just doesn't even load games and deletes games or just deletes the download file thingy for games

[Iron Knights]

Why would you want to run games off an external drive ? The speed will be molasses.

[Iron Knights]

1) Buy a Thunderbolt PCI-E x16 card.
2) Have SSDs capable of fast transfer in a Thunderbolt enclosure, solo or raid setup.
Then I will understand you are dedicated to running off externals.
Otherwise with USB, you're just doing the wrong thing for the right reasons.

[Iron Knights]

All other problems fall into the category of "how I setup THIS pc to handle that external setup & steam". Do non-steam games exhibit the same behavior ? (like one without launchers)