iPhone 4s battles USB Hard drive???

[sli4]

When I plug my iphone into my computer I find that my USB drive stops being active - the files and folders all still show up but all the files are "hollow" and missing any data they once retained (files show up but wont open)
I found that if I unplugged my iphone from the computer and replugged in the Seagate drive all the files would show up again and have all the data they were supposed to have (ie video files would not just say their size, but would also play their content.)

If the iphone is plugged in first and then I plug the drive in it says "unknown usb device" and wont mount the hard drive and fails to install drivers that have already been installed.
This is quite the pain, as you can imagine because I can't just plug my iphone in to charge while I'm using the usb drive.

Has anyone experienced this?
I reset my bios by turning off and pulling the battery from the motherboard. I also reset them internally.
I've uninstalled the apple drivers and reinstalled itunes.

 

[sli4]

update:
If I plug the iphone into one of my front panel usb ports and the hard drive into one of the rear I am able to use both devices at the same time.

Now why can't I plug them both into the back and get them to work? I would prefer not to use the front port if possible.

 

[RavenTBK]

Just a random thought. The iPhone can draw up to 2A from USB if the supplier supports it. Most computers (especially ones in the >3 year range) only support 500ma per port, or 1A per controller. Each pair of ports is linked to a controller. Newer computers are capable of supporting up to 1A per port, or 2A per controller.

If your iPhone gets plugged in, and the battery is such where it demands more power than your USB port is capable of producing, well, the other devices on that controller would suffer a lack of juice, and quit working.

Back a couple years back I had a USB cellular data card. It had a special cable that plugged into the modem on one end, but had two USB males on the other. You had to have both plugged in, in order to provide enough juice for the modem to operate. Using the modem alone in one port, would cause other devices to cease functioning....much in the same way you describe. Moving other devices around to another controller solved the problem...again, much like you describe.

A solution would be to get yourself a POWERED hub. A powered hub is capable of supplying the power devices require, without taxing the usb controllers on the PC...versus a non-powered hub that simply multiplies your one usb port into four - (1A/4=250ma each). That way, you could keep your front ports free. Or get over it and put one up front and one out back.

just my two bits
-R

 

[iHolophyte]

As Raven states. USB ports one some pcs are USB 1 or 2 speed and by the sound of it you are plugging into the limited 1 speed which isn't allow you to do what is required. Looks like you are going to have to plug into the USB port 2 to allow the transitions you talk about. Unfortunately these are at the front on yours.

That's in laymen terms in case the techies jump in (laughs out loud)


iHolophyte

 

[sli4]

I appreciate the two bits.. But it doesn't seem that it matches the problem. all of my ports are usb2
My ipod touch never had this problem, and the iphone worked fine for a good week or so.
Also, as an update -
I spoke too soon, after a day of having the iphone unplugged it's no longer recognized by windows in the front ports. I get "unknown usb device" every time I plug it in now. Plugging it in the rear ports I still get that same fishy issue where my drive stops functioning.
If it helps, the drive is externally powered.

Updated update:
So this make no sense but it appears if I take off the usb extender from the iphone's usb cable both drive and iphone work in the rear usb ports.
Why would a usb extender cause trouble?