Windows 10: Can't get my Western Digital Thunderbolt Duo to connect with my laptop via USB C connector.

Hi, I have an old Western Digital 6 TB Thunderbolt Duo external drive I am trying to connect to my Gigabyte Aero 16 laptop. My old External HDD uses the original Thunderbolt 1 connector the one that looks like a MiniDisplay plug. I bought the apple USB-C to Thunderbolt 1/2 adapter to allow me to connect the drive to my USB-C port. But my computer just won't detect it. Instead I get a "Thunderbolt device funtionality might be limited" notification. I only get this message when I plug it into the USB-C port on the lelft side of the laptop. The other two ports on the right are Thunderbolt

:)

 

USB-C Thunderbolt on my Laptop wont charge my phone and my phone attempts to charge my laptop

Hi

Welcome to Microsoft community.

Based on the information you provided, it seems like there might be an issue with the power delivery negotiation between your laptop and phone. Here are a few things you can try to troubleshoot the problem:

1. Update your laptop's Thunderbolt drivers: Visit the HP support website and make sure you have the latest Thunderbolt drivers installed for your laptop model. Sometimes, outdated drivers can cause compatibility issues.
   
2. Check your power settings: Open the Power Options in the Windows Control Panel and make sure that the USB power settings are not set to a low power mode. Adjust the settings to allow for higher power output if necessary.
   
3. Reset the USB power settings: In the Device Manager, find the USB controllers and right-click on them to access the Properties. Under the Power Management tab, uncheck the "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" option. Repeat this step for all USB controllers listed.
   
4. Try a different USB-C cable: Although you mentioned that the cable is brand new, it's still worth trying a different cable to rule out any potential cable issues.
   
5. Test with another Thunderbolt device: If possible, try connecting another Thunderbolt device to your laptop to see if it can establish a proper connection. This will help determine if the issue is specific to your phone or if it's a general Thunderbolt problem.
   

Please feel free to let me know if you have any further updates. Thanks.

Best regards

Derrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

 

Western Digital USB Backup Drive and MS Auto Optimization

I have a Western Digital external USB drive that automatically backs up files.

After upgrading to Win 10 I was surprised to see that it was listed with C:, etc. and it appears to be there because Win 10 intends to analyze and optimize it. I don't think Win 10 should be messing with the files on the Western Digital drive because the
WD s/w will probably not be able to retrieve anything. Thanks.

Two questions:

- is Win 10 going to try and optimize the WD drive and files?

- if so, how do I remove it from the list?

 

Adaptor for type C Thunderbolt 3 port to connect to USB 3.0

Windows Version 1909

I don't know the right terminology.

My new Dell laptop has a type-c thunderbolt 3 port.
I'm looking for an adapter so that I can connect an external hard drive that has a USB 3.0 connector.
I've looked around but I'm not 100% sure if I will be getting the right one.
I've seen some that mention OTG. Not sure what this is and if I need it, or not.