Have my usb wires gone bad?

I have an Alienware 17 r5 i9 laptop and two external hard disks which are Transcend storejet 25h3 4tb and WD my passport 2tb. I have been connecting both external hard disks to the right usb port of the laptop for quite some time and everything is ok. The right usb port is usb 3 and I get 100 mb/s when I copy files to and from both external hard disks. When I connect the WD external hard disk to my Alienware laptop then the laptop makes one beep and then the led light of the external hard disk blinks for a bit and then the laptop beeps again and the external hard disk is connected. There is a short time between both beeps.

https://i.imgur.com/Ttqqw3z.png is the usb wire that I use with the Transcend external hard disk. I count 5 pins in the usb wire head. https://i.imgur.com/NV3cbUj.png is the usb wire that I use with the WD external hard disk. I count 4 pins in the usb wire head. https://i.imgur.com/4unzNOS.png is the right usb port and it's a usb 3 port. Also the left usb port is usb 3.

I installed a new nvme ssd in my laptop and I installed Windows 10 22H2 and I have been using my laptops for a few weeks. All was ok in those few weeks and the laptop detected both external hard disks when I plug them into the right usb port and I am getting 100 mb/s when I copy files to\from the external hard disks.

Yesterday I noticed that I can't get more than 40 mb/s when I copy files to\from the Transcend external hard disk when it's plugged into the right usb port and that happened with both usb wires. I can get 100 mb/s if I plug it into the left usb port.

Also suddenly the WD external hard disk is misbehaving when I plug it into the right usb port. The laptop will beep once and then the led light of the external hard disk blinks for a bit and then either nothing happens and the external hard disk is not detected or the laptop beeps again and the external hard disk gets detected after a delay and I can't get more than 40 mb/s when I copy files to\from it. If I use the usb wire which has 5 pins in the right usb slot then the laptop beeps twice fast in a row and the external hard disk is not detected. The WD external hard disk works ok in the left usb port and I can get 100 mb/s when I copy files to\from it. Also the WD external hard disk works ok in my other laptop.

It doesn't make sense that both usb wires spoiled on the same day. It looks like the right usb port is misbehaving and it's behaving like it's a usb 2 port instead of a usb 3 port. I looked in to it and I saw that it's a common issue and usb 3 ports are behaving like usb 2 ports.

What do I do?

I have read countless posts like yours all on about poor performing USB enclosures. My theory on this is the chipset used in the enclosure its self. So I never buy these things and instead just use a SATA to USB adapter. Those have a chip, but not what seems like overhead electronics that those enclosures have.

I also use a software called Teracopy so that I'm not using the bogged down Windows Explorer during data transfers. It's usually faster and less problematic. Plus, Teracopy has a file verification ability. Once you install Teracopy one of its uses is via the right click context menu. Or if you use the copy/paste maneuver it'll automatically ask if you want to use Teracopy for the transfer or Explorer.

F22 Simpilot said:

I have read countless posts like yours all on about poor performing USB enclosures.

Thank you for your reply. I don't understand what you mean. Both external hard disks are fine and the problem only happens when I connect them to the right usb port and they are ok in the left usb port. The WD external hard disk is detected in the left usb port by using both usb wires and I am getting 100 mb/s transfer speed in the left usb port.

Why did the problem suddenly happen in the right usb port? Did something spoil in the usb port or it's a problem with the usb wires?

If you run Hiren's boot CD once, then try the right port...

F22 Simpilot said:

If you run Hiren's boot CD once, then try the right port...

What do you mean? I have been connecting both external hard disks to the right usb port for years and there were no problems. As I said, both the left usb port and the right usb port are usb3. Suddenly the right port started behaving like a usb2 port yesterday and that could be why I can't get more than 40 mb/s transfer speed on it. Something is happening and it's making the external hard disk downgrade to usb2 when I connect it to the right usb port and that's either because of the usb wire or the usb port. If there is a problem with the usb wire then how can both wires spoil at the same time? Also both usb wires work ok in the left usb port.

Go to Device Manager and expand the USB serial bus controllers.
RIGHT click on the problem USB and select ---Uninstall ---.
Click on ---Uninstall --- and then reboot and wait for Windows to restart and reinstall the USB controller.
For your protection,have a backup made before the change.

joeandmarg0 said:

Go to Device Manager and expand the USB serial bus controllers.
RIGHT click on the problem USB and select ---Uninstall ---.
Click on ---Uninstall --- and then reboot and wait for Windows to restart and reinstall the USB controller.
For your protection,have a backup made before the change.

I doubt that will help. I didn't change anything in Windows and my drivers are still ok. I think that the right usb port has worn out because I have been regularly plugging and unplugging usb wires into that port. I am connecting the usb wire of my 8bitdo sn30 pro+ controller to the right usb port and I am unplugging it when I need to connect an external hard disk to that port and then I am unplugging the external hard disk when I finish and I am reconnecting the usb wire of the controller.

The information which you have so far given,is that the socket is working but at a reduced rate.
This rate is controlled by the USB controller and the driver is merely a part of the function.
If any part of the controller is corrupted,then unsurprisingly,it's function is impaired.
It is your prerogative to not bother to ensure the serviceabilty of the controller.