Anyone else seen this: USB port problems with portable DVD drives?

[someoneinwa]

I have a portable DVD drive that can with an early HP attempt at a really thin laptop. I've used it over the years when I needed to install disc based software to other laptops. There is no AC adapter, only a USB 2.0 connector. Today, I tried to install some software to the Surface Pro 3. When I plugged the drive into the port, the drive icon would appear in File Explorer, along with the notification asking what I wanted to do with this disc. Selecting auto-run, the drive would start to spin up, then the icon was disappear from File Explorer, the drive would spin down and stop. Then the icon would re-appear along with the notification. Selecting auto-run made the same thing happen again. A third time, I right clicked the drive icon and selected Show Files, the disc folder opened showing the files, but when I selected the Set-up program, the drive would start to spin up, the icon would disappear, the drive would stop, and the icon would re-appear. Weird.

Thinking my old HP drive had given up the ghost, I purchased an LG portable DVD drive and had the same result... with one exception. After three or four attempts with the LG drive, a message box appeared in the notification center: "An unknown USB device requires more power than is available from the USB port. Disconnect the device."

Assuming this error message is correct, is it possible the SP3 USB port doesn't provide sufficient power to operate common accessories like a portable DVD player?

 

[David P2]

Check out this thread: http://forums.windowscentral.com/mi...rt-doesnt-support-external-optical-drive.html

It's possible - apparently there is a USB port on the power adapter for the Surface.

 

[someoneinwa]

Thanks for that link. I missed it while searching here. It turns out the LG drive I purchased is the same one that appears to work for some folks in that thread. It doesn't work for me, even when the Surface Pro 3 is on AC. I guess I'll have to look for an option with its own AC power. Kinda retro.

 

[LCGrzy]

I have a USB Blu Ray drive that I made myself (laptop Blu Ray drive that I put in a portable enclosure). The enclosure has a separate USB plug for power and if I plug that into the Surface charger's USB port I'm off and running. Does your LG drive have a separate USB for power? I kind of thought all models did.

 

[jrohland]

I used a powered USB DVD drive to install an older app. It worked fine. Using a USB powered drive could be problematic.

 

[Poirots Progeny]

I've used powered usb dvd drives to install programs with on issue, to the sp3, and use a Samsung usb only blu ray drive also... No issues.

It works for me but refuses to work in the wife's sp3! I don't know what the difference between our two devices are - is it physical or are the drivers different? Odd.

 

[someoneinwa]

Just to close the loop on this thread I started, thanks to the helpful comments on this same subject in another thread that I had somehow not found despite searching (my bad), I found a solution in the purchase of an inexpensive power USB hub which gave my old HP portable drive the power it needed to install my software. Here is that helpful thread:
http://forums.windowscentral.com/mi...rt-doesnt-support-external-optical-drive.html

 

[anon(7901790)]

The DVD drive mentioned in that thread is identical to the one I have. I used it last night to install some software on my SP3. It worked fine, and my SP3 was on battery. Have you tried using a different USB cable? The cable may be defective, or if you are using a cheap or older USB cable, it may not be capable of handling both power and data. If that doesn't work you either have a defective USB drive, or (worst case) a defective USB port on your SP3.