Connecting a USB storage device stops the WiFi

BJW · 2025-02-14T15:16:17+00:00

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Bit of a strange one, this. If I plug in a USB storage device to my Windows laptop with BitDefender Total Security installed then the networking seems to die. I can see this with a ping -t to the router. It's fine with other USB devices such as USB keyboard but as soon as a storage device is connected, within 2 seconds the ping starts to fail (The wireless adapter still shows as enabled but no longer connected). If I uninstall BitDefender Total Security while still running ping -t to the router than I see the connection re-establish towards the end of the uninstall.

I've tried uninstall and fresh re-install a few times but as soon as it's installed the connection drops again. As soon as I unplug the USB storage device the network resumes passing traffic.

Any ideas?
Thanks in advance,

BJW

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Isuru

"Hey , that USB drive killing your WiFi with Bitdefender is a weird one. Let's try these quick steps to fix that."

Different USB Devices/Ports: Test with other USB storage devices and different USB ports. Is it all drives or just one? All ports or a specific one?
Driver Updates: Update USB controller, WiFi adapter, and chipset drivers from your laptop manufacturer's site.
Bitdefender Settings:
- Disable "Scan on Connect" for USB drives in Bitdefender.
- Check Bitdefender's firewall – might be blocking something. Try adding the USB drive to its exclusions.
Windows Power Settings: Disable "USB selective suspend setting" in Power Options (Advanced settings).
System File Check: Run sfc /scannow in Command Prompt (admin) to fix any corrupted system files. Restart after.
Safe Mode: Test in Safe Mode with Networking. If it works, another program is conflicting.
Bitdefender Support: If nothing works, contact Bitdefender support directly. They might have seen this before. Tell them everything you've tried.
"Let me know if it's fixed.

BJW

Thanks @Isuru, I had already tried most of those things and thought I'd give it a try resetting the TCP/IP stack as that always used to be a good fix for networking issues in WIn 7. Unfortunately that caused it to BSOD and then refused to boot even to safe mode so I ended up restoring from a backup. Luckily I had a full backup of the entire drive from the start of the week and a backup of data files from the day before it started playing up.

Make sure you back your stuff up, kids! You'll rarely need it but when you do, you'll be glad you were doing it!