Thunderbolt Port Not Working in Boot Camp 6.0

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Thunderbolt Port Not Working in Boot Camp 6.0

Hello! I am experiencing difficulty trying to get Windows 10 on Boot Camp 6.0 to recognize my LaCie external drive that is connected through the Thunderbolt port. The external drive is running, but Windows 10 doesn't recognize it. The Boot Camp 6.0 installation did have a hiccup, which gave me the following message: "Windows Installer has stopped working", but after clicking through the error, everything else went smoothly. Is anyone else having trouble getting Thunderbolt devices to be recognized by Windows 10?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2)

Posted on Dec 26, 2015 3:25 PM

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Answer 1

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Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Dec 26, 2015 10:05 PM in response to Cubified

1. What year/model is your Mac?

2. Please see Thunderbolt ports and displays: Frequently asked questions (FAQ) - Apple Support, especially this part.

1. Are Thunderbolt devices “hot pluggable” using Windows with Boot Camp?

Thunderbolt hot plug is supported under Windows 8 or 8.1 on all 2014 and later Mac computers.

For all other Mac computers, Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 scans and activates Thunderbolt devices connected to Thunderbolt ports only during the Windows startup process. If your device was not plugged in at start up, Windows will not detect it without a restart.

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Answer 2

Cubified Author

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Dec 26, 2015 9:41 PM in response to Loner T

It's a 2014 MacBook Pro Retina. I just tried plugging in the external hard drive before starting Boot Camp, and it worked. However, Windows 10 does not recognize the external hard drive when it is hot plugged in. Is restarting the only workaround?

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Answer 3

Loner T

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59,513 points

Dec 26, 2015 9:58 PM in response to Cubified

The 2014 Mac should allow hot-plug. Are there any unknown devices in Windows 10 Device Manager (yellow triangle with exclamation mark)?

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Answer 4

Cubified Author

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Dec 26, 2015 10:07 PM in response to Loner T

When I open the Device Manager, there isn't a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark. Windows 10 isn't recognizing that there's something plugged into the Thunderbolt port. I'm not even sure if Windows 10 knows that there is a Thunderbolt port.

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Answer 5

Loner T

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59,513 points

Dec 26, 2015 10:17 PM in response to Cubified

If you restart Windows, look in Device Manager and check for any PCI devices including your TB LaCie.

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Answer 6

Cubified Author

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Dec 26, 2015 11:05 PM in response to Loner T

I checked the Device Manager and found the them listed under "Portable Devices" after I restarted my computer. However, when I unplug the devices to try hot plugging it, the files are no longer available even though they are still listed under "Portable Devices." Below is an image of what is showing up.

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Answer 7

Loner T

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Dec 27, 2015 7:01 AM in response to Cubified

After you re-connect, can you right-click and scan for hardware changes?

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Answer 8

Cubified Author

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Dec 27, 2015 9:06 AM in response to Loner T

I was able to right-click and scan for hardware changes, but all it did was cause the Device Manager window to flicker.

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Answer 9

Loner T

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Dec 27, 2015 10:57 AM in response to Cubified

Are you able to see file systems on the LaCie?

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Answer 10

Cubified Author

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Dec 27, 2015 11:18 AM in response to Loner T

Yes, I'm able to see the files on the LaCie, but only after I plug it in and restart the computer. If I unplug it and plug it back in, the files still appear but are unable to be opened. If I hot plug it, the LaCie doesn't show up at all.

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Answer 11

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Dec 27, 2015 11:30 AM in response to Cubified

Please try a SMC and NVRAM Reset and test.

Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac - Apple Support

How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 12

Cubified Author

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Dec 27, 2015 12:16 PM in response to Loner T

I did both resets and the LaCie drive still isn't showing up.

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Answer 13

Loner T

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59,513 points

Dec 27, 2015 1:47 PM in response to Cubified

1. Does the LaCie show up properly when hot plugged on the OS X side?

2. From the OS X side, can you post the output of diskutil list?

3. If you connect a USB or Firewire disk to Windows as hot-plug, does it show up correctly?

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Answer 14

Cubified Author

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Dec 27, 2015 2:09 PM in response to Loner T

The LaCie drive does show up on the OS X side. I have attached screenshots of both partitions showing up in Disk Utility. When I hot plug a USB on Windows, it works perfectly fine.

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Answer 15

Loner T

Level 9

59,513 points

Dec 27, 2015 2:18 PM in response to Cubified

Notice the Connection being reported as SATA. The TB layer is just passing protocols. It can also pass PCIe, DisplayPort, Ethernet, Firewire (why Intel would not allow USB is quite amusing. It has some interesting consequences. The older InfiniBand was similar). What is the total disk size of the LaCie?

As a test, format a USB Flash drive as Mac OSx Extended Journaled, and connect it when Windows is booted. Does it show up correctly?

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