http://www.windowsvistamagazine.com/...-computer.html
try this first
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tuto...torial136.html
if no joy see disable
"DJ-Ryan" <> wrote in message
news: ps.com...
> Hello All...
>
> I come to MS after trying to work with Gateway several times on this
> issue but they tell me its a Vista issue and not their problem.
> GREAT!!
>
> Anyways...a couple months ago I purchased a Gateway MT3705 laptop
> which came with Vista home premium. I used an external powered LaCie
> USB hard drive on my desktop for backups and figured that would be a
> good way to move some data around. However I learned that after a
> couple minutes or even sometimes when I plugged in the drive to my
> laptop I would get the message that this device can perform faster on
> USB 2. Or if the drive was already plugged in and copying files the
> drive would disconnect as a USB 2 device and reconnect as USB 1.1 thus
> slowing down everything to a crawl and causing problems with a data
> copy. So just to make sure it wasn't some weird HD error with vista I
> ordered a brand new usb memory stick (1 GB) and experienced the exact
> same problem! Now I am to the point where I NEED to start using some
> external storage for backups and other stuff however when I plug in my
> new WD passport drive I bought today I once again am experiencing the
> same issue. All of these drives will work fine on my desktop running
> XP Pro but the minute I try using them on my laptop they are flakey.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions other than trying to down grade this
> laptop to XP? I have also tried different USB cables if they were
> being used.
>