Windows 10: Why does my wireless mouse stop working when I plug my external hard drive into the other...

Hello. I am using an HP laptop with Windows 11. Currently I am using a USB wireless mouse, and sometimes I will also plug in my external USB hard drive which is my drive for file history. I’ve noticed that when the two are both plugged into the laptop, the mouse will stop working. No error message appears telling me there is a problem with the mouse, it just acts like the battery is dead, even if the battery is brand new. To test this, I unplugged the hard drive and the mouse works like normal. Is there a solution to this so that I can use them at the same time?

:)

 

Wireless Mouse stops working when external HDD plugged in to USB3 port

I have a minor but annoying problem and can't find a solution....

My wireless mouse stops working when an external USB3 HDD is plugged in to USB3 port. The mouse is about 3 feet away from the receiver.

My mouse is a Logitech M310.

• I don't have the problem if a USB 2 external HDD is connected to either a USB2 or USB3 port.
• I have moved the mouse receiver to different ports on both the front and back of the computer but this doesn't change anything.
• If I move the mouse very close to the receiver (a couple of inches), it works so it seems that the wireless range is reduced when the USB3 HDD is plugged in.
• If I connect a wired mouse, it works fine.
• I have 2 USB3 ports and the problem is the same on both.
• If the USB3 HDD is connected to a USB2 port, the mouse works normally.
• I changed the battery in the mouse but this didn't help.
• the USB3 HDD is a WD Passport that is self powered through the USB port.

Any suggestions?

 

External hard drive problem

Thanks for the reply.

I followed all the steps as suggested and it still wont detect my external drive though. I plugged in my mouse and other devices where my driver is usually plugged and they work as well.

 

Computer freezes and Explorer doen't respond when I plug an external Hard drive

Hello jobkakule,

The issue is possibly caused by corrupted data or bad sectors on your external hard drive or could be a sign of a failing hard drive.

To better assist you with your concern, I'd like to know the following:

• Confirm which build is currently installed on your device. To check, follow the steps below:

1. Press Windows key + R, then type in winver.
2. Click OK.

• Have you tried plugging your external hard drive to a different USB port? Also, check if you can access the drive by plugging it to a different computer.
• What is the make and model of your computer?

Meanwhile, I'd suggest to repair the bad sectors on your external hard drive. Kindly refer to the steps below:

(Let's just assume that the drive letter for your external hard drive is E. If not, please do change it to the correct drive letter)

1. Plug in your external hard drive. Click on Start, search for
Command Prompt, right-click on it and select Run as administrator.

2. Type in the following command below and press Enter after each command:

Chkdsk /f E:

Chkdsk /r E:

3. Reboot your computer after the scan is completed.

Looking forward to your response.

Regards.