Question : Windows 2003 has External USB 2.0 HDD that keeps disconnecting during file transfers!

Windows server 2003, latest updates applied.

External HDD USB 2.0 connection. (230GB)

System is only about 1 year old.

When I am doing large file copys - like a monthly backup, the E drive letter just up and disappears in the middle of the transfer!

The USB root hubs in the device manager are UNchecked where it says let the system manage the power state of this device, so power management complications have been removed.

Just reformatted the drive as an extended drive with a logical partition.

How do I stop this drive from disconnecting?

Answer : Windows 2003 has External USB 2.0 HDD that keeps disconnecting during file transfers!

My number 1 solution would be to replace the hard drive kit  with something like WD My book or something like a Maxtor Shared Storage ( ethernet gigabit connection)

When we get issues with our hrad drive what we do is that we first of all run a chkdsk /r /f on the disk itself to see if tis damage

After that we try to plug it in a Destop Windows XP where you can simply copy the file form the server to the USB disk

Usally HDD enclosure are more stable on XP (this a not a rule or any specification , its just expreience)

You should try that

Hope this is helping you