Turning off 'Sleep mode' on most USB HDDs in Windows
WARNING! This tutorial is to be done at your own risk! This worked for me on my 1.5TB USB HDD, two years ago and I've never had any problems since. This might not work for you or cause problems in later years! Please note, that your USB HDD drive should have already been formatted to a Windows complaint format. Eg, FAT32 32K. Windows needs to be able to see the drive! I repeat, use at your own risk!
NOTE: Some HDD makers have their own programs that allow for changing different details about different HDDs. So you should research that first before doing the following!
NOTE: Some HDD makers have their own programs that allow for changing different details about different HDDs. So you should research that first before doing the following!
1) Go to Ashampoo HDD Control 2 and click 'Download now'.
2) Save the file to where ever you normally download you files to...
3) Install and follow the following screen shots and make sure you have the same selections before clicking 'Next'! (There's no point installing stuff you'll never use!)
When it's done, click 'Finish'.
4) When it's finished installing you should be given a chance of a 40 day free trail of the full package. Enter an Email address you can receive emails from later. You'll be sent an email with a link in it, that you have to click. (I've no idea how long this offer is on for, but I had a chance at it 2 years ago, and they still seem to be doing it!) Click the link in the email from Ashampoo.
5) Click 'Not Now'.
6) Cut&paste the key to notepad for now and save it to your desktop. Just so you don't lose the key!
7) Make sure you USB HDD is plugged into your computer and is turned on, and that Windows can see the drive.
8) Now go load up 'Ashampoo HDD Control 2' that has just been installed. It will ask for a key, cut&paste your key.
9) For this screen click 'Remind Me Later' or 'No Thanks', depends on, if you want to check out their other offers or not.
10) Select your USB HDD.
11) Under 'Management', you should find, 'Advanced Power Management', then click 'adjust'.
12) If you HDD has sleep mode on, you should see that the box for 'Activate APM' is checked. Uncheck this box and click Apply.
13) This step is up to you, but you might want to do the same for the 'Automatic Acoustic Management' as in step 12. This controls if the drive runs at full speed or not. I have this turned off and I don't notice that the drive makes any extra noise at all.
14) Close Ashampoo HDD Control 2 and safely disconnect the USB Drive through Windows and turn off the drive.
15) Connect everything back up to the Wii and start gaming!
2) Save the file to where ever you normally download you files to...
3) Install and follow the following screen shots and make sure you have the same selections before clicking 'Next'! (There's no point installing stuff you'll never use!)
When it's done, click 'Finish'.
4) When it's finished installing you should be given a chance of a 40 day free trail of the full package. Enter an Email address you can receive emails from later. You'll be sent an email with a link in it, that you have to click. (I've no idea how long this offer is on for, but I had a chance at it 2 years ago, and they still seem to be doing it!) Click the link in the email from Ashampoo.
5) Click 'Not Now'.
6) Cut&paste the key to notepad for now and save it to your desktop. Just so you don't lose the key!
7) Make sure you USB HDD is plugged into your computer and is turned on, and that Windows can see the drive.
8) Now go load up 'Ashampoo HDD Control 2' that has just been installed. It will ask for a key, cut&paste your key.
9) For this screen click 'Remind Me Later' or 'No Thanks', depends on, if you want to check out their other offers or not.
10) Select your USB HDD.
11) Under 'Management', you should find, 'Advanced Power Management', then click 'adjust'.
12) If you HDD has sleep mode on, you should see that the box for 'Activate APM' is checked. Uncheck this box and click Apply.
13) This step is up to you, but you might want to do the same for the 'Automatic Acoustic Management' as in step 12. This controls if the drive runs at full speed or not. I have this turned off and I don't notice that the drive makes any extra noise at all.
14) Close Ashampoo HDD Control 2 and safely disconnect the USB Drive through Windows and turn off the drive.
15) Connect everything back up to the Wii and start gaming!
