Cannot boot with external drive connected to usb

[emil_pavlov]

I have an external WD drive connected via usb to my laptop. When I boot the computer, GRUB always hangs after a few seconds and the computer becomes unresponsive. The only solution is to power off, remove the HDD and start again.

[viking777]

Did you read this?

http://community.linuxmint.com/hardware/view/9422

[emil_pavlov]

Yes, this seems to be the same problem, but how can I solve it? I could make the usb2 drive load later, but I don't know how this is done.

[viking777]

The only solutions I ever found were listed in that link:
1) Buy an express card/usb3 adaptor - not much use to you if you don't have an express card slot.
2) Buy a new computer - not very practical unless your old one is worn out.
or I suppose
3) Buy a new external drive that is not made by WD - again not very practical.

Until I found the express card solution (entirely by accident incidentally) I just had to remember to unplug the drive before every boot/reboot which is not very satisfactory as you already know I am sure.

[emil_pavlov]

The problem is that these are cost-related workarounds for something that should be working for free, which is what bothers me. By the way, I found a bug on launchpad

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1047688