Brave closing my external storage drives

Brave Browser Desktop Support
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1

I use external HDD’s for file storage (Pictures, receipts, etc) to keep them off of the operating system drive. I use the Windows 11 “File Explorer” function to open any internal or external storage drives on my desktop. When either a HDD is open on my desktop and I open Brave, or I open the HDD after Brave is running first, Brave causes my HDD(s) to shut down. This will happen when I am generally browsing using Brave, trying to open and/or save documents to/from the HDD. My Monitor will “flash” repeatedly and the task bar will disappear and reappear numerous times for a short amount of time each time, and while this is happening, the desktop “freezes” and is unusable, affecting any apps or software open, including the Brave browser. When the desktop stabilizes and becomes usable again, the open HDD tabs/windows that were open, have all been shut down. I have not been able to duplicate the problem when trying other browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Duck Duck Go, etc.), it only happens when using Brave.

Description of the issue:
How can this issue be reproduced?

  1. By opening the Brave browser first and then a HDD

  2. By opening a HDD and then the Brave browser.

Expected result:

Brave Version( Brave 1.88.138 (Official Build) (64-bit):

Additional Information: I can send videos of my monitor flashing when the problem is occurring.

2

I neglected to include in my original previous post that I have uninstalled and reinstalled the Brave browser from my desktop twice since this problem started. The first time was uninstalling keeping my previous information, and then reinstalling, and when the issue with my HDD was still there, I performed a complete uninstall removing all my information, and reinstalled it a third time, with the issue returning again.

Thanks

3

@RampagingRhino

Suggested test:

  1. Set some other Internet browser as the default browser on your Window OS computer.
  2. Run Brave Browser and Disable all extensions
  3. Exit / Quit everything and Restart computer.
  4. Run Brave Browser
  5. Find and select This PC … and then find among the Devices and drives the external HDD icon ← and double-click that external HDD icon.

Result?

4

I followed the steps outlined above:

  1. I had not previously changed Brave to my default browser. Chrome had been set as my default browser this entire time.
  2. Disabled the 4 extensions I had in Brave.
  3. Quit all applications and restarted my PC.
  4. After restart of PC completed, I opened Brave. I did NOT turn the extensions back on.
  5. Opened the external HDD and tried to open a saved document.
  6. Before the document could open, the same problem occurred with my monitor “flashing” with the disappearing and reappearing task bar, and the external HDD was closed. (At this time I also tried to open a MS word document saved on the desktop of the PC, which is on the MY PC internal SSD “C” drive where my operating system resides, and the flashing of the monitor and taskbar happened.)
  7. Any other suggestions or recommendations?

Thanks

5

Hello Brave Community member 289wk:

Any additional info available on my issue or recommendations on how/where to go for assistance?

Thanks

6

@Mattches

If you would please take a look at this issue. OP’s latest description:

‘Brave closing my external storage drives - #4 by RampagingRhino’

7

Brave should not have any effect on you’re HDDs as you’re describing. You said you’ve un/reinstalled the browser already but when you did that, did you test the behavior right away with the fresh install? Or was it only after browsing/adding extensions/etc that you tested?

8

Mattches:

Thanks for the reply. I agree with you that Brave should not be affecting my HDD since other browser don’t.

I had followed the recommendations from 289wk on April 4, 2026.

In response to your question, yes, I did test the behavior after reinstalling Brave before enabling any extensions, or opening any other apps or software. After re-installing Brave, I performed two types of tests.

  1. I opened Brave first, then my HDD, and clicked on one of the HDD folders, which opened, and when I clicked on one of the files in the folder to open it, the taskbar and monitor screen flashed a couple of times, and when it settled, the HDD was closed.

  2. I opened the HDD first, then clicked on one of the HDD folders, which opened, then opened Brave. I then clicked to open one of the files in the HDD folder, and then the taskbar and monitor screen flashed a couple of times, and when it settled, the HDD was closed.

  3. I closed Brave, restarted my PC, and then did the same steps above but in opposite order, with the same result.

  4. I closed Brave again, restarted my PC and the ran the same scenarios by opening Opera, Chrome, Firefox and Duck Duck Go, and the issue with the taskbar and monitor screen flashing, and the HDD being closed, did not duplicate.

  5. On a side note, I did further troubleshooting using different HDD’s that exhibited the same issue when opening Brave. I also tested using both with the “main” HDD connected and then unplugging the “main” HDD that I use for everyday storage use, with no change in the results of the alternative HDD’s shutting down.

  6. I also ran the windows “check disk” diagnostic testing on the main HDD to see if there were any errors or corruption, and received a clean report.

Thanks for reviewing and I look forward to your thoughts and input.

9

@RampagingRhino

Suggestions …

If Brave took over file types:

  1. Go to Settings → Apps → Default apps
  2. Scroll to find Brave
  3. Click it
  4. You’ll see all file types it’s assigned to
  5. Manually remove or change all of them

If things feel messy:

  1. Go to Settings → Apps → Default apps
  2. Scroll down to Reset all default apps
  3. Click Reset

Some commands (command line) you might use for clearing stuff:

Clear current user temp folder:

  • del /f /s /q "%TEMP%\*.*"
  • for /d %%D in ("%TEMP%\*") do rd /s /q "%%D"

Clear Windows temp folder:

  • del /f /s /q "C:\Windows\Temp\*.*"
  • for /d %%D in ("C:\Windows\Temp\*") do rd /s /q "%%D"

Clear Windows prefetch cache:

  • del /f /s /q "C:\Windows\Prefetch\*.*"

Clear recent files list:

  • del /f /s /q "%USERPROFILE%\Recent\*.*"

Then restart your computer. Use the steps at:

‘Constant and Immediate Crashing on Windows - #2 by 289wk’

… in order to start up Brave from the command line.

Then start up Notepad and leave its blank window as the front-most window.

Then find the icon (on My PC) for your external HDD ← double-click on that. Locate any text file ← right-click on that text file and open that file with Notepad.

For all navigation, do not use Explorer searching. Instead, navigate visually. If you think it may be better to pre-establish (make easily available) the text file on the HDD, do so BEFORE the restart of the computer.

Result?

10

289wk:

Sorry for the delay in replying to your last message. I have not been able to address this issue in the recent weeks. In the recent past few weeks, I have avoided the problem with my external HDD’s closing by not opening them while browsing with Brave as a temporary solution.

However, I have a couple of questions. I am not very tech literate, so forgive my hesitation in apply some of the steps.

As a reminder, my browser default is still set to Chrome based on an earlier suggestion.

1: In the last response, you posted the following:

If Brave took over file types:

  1. Go to Settings → Apps → Default apps

  2. Scroll to find Brave

  3. Click it

  4. You’ll see all file types it’s assigned to

  5. Manually remove or change all of them

At this time, under the Apps> Default Apps> Brave section all the “browsing” related settings like .htm, .html, etc. are pointing (?) to Chrome. What would I change or remove under this section, if anything?

You also posted:

If things feel messy:

  1. Go to Settings → Apps → Default apps

  2. Scroll down to Reset all default apps

  3. Click Reset

My question here is if I did these 3 steps will I have to go back into all my apps and reset all the defaults by file type for the various apps? (.pdf, pictures, videos, music player, etc.),

2: You also added a series of command line prompts to use for cleaning Windows temp folders and cache.

Do I run these prompts without any other software or apps running, by this I mean after logging in after a restart?

Do these prompts affect anything else besides clearing temp files and or cache?

Do I have to back up anything prior to running them?

Can I copy/paste them into the command line or do I need to enter them manually?

If manually are there spaces in between the digit and symbols?

del /f /s /q "%TEMP%\*.*") (del-space-fwd slash-f ?)

After completing all the prompts, should I restart my PC and check the operation of the PC to see if anything has changed or not?

Or should I check the operation of the PC without restarting?

Or should I go to the next step in your reply regarding restarting my computer and use the steps at outlined in the Constant and Immediate Crashing on Window - #2 without checking the operation of the PC first?

As stated before, thanks for you patience with me, I appreciate your time in providing the recommendations.

Thanks again

11

@RampagingRhino

What I would do …

First

  1. Back up your user data
  2. Disable all extensions
  3. Remove all extensions
  4. Exit / Quit everything
  5. Restart computer

Then Thoroughly Un-install Brave Browser

I use the Uninstall Tool developed by CrystalIDEA Software: ‘https://crystalidea.com/uninstall-tool’

Or, uninstalling the Brave Browser application - procedure at:
‘Every time I open the browser it closes again directly - #20 by clifton’

Be sure to uninstall the Brave Browser updater, BraveUpdate.exe - procedure at:
‘Have to re-install Brave multiple times per day on Windows11 - #24 by mherrmann’

Clear current user temp folder:

  • del /f /s /q "%TEMP%\*.*" ← one-liner
  • for /d %%D in ("%TEMP%\*") do rd /s /q "%%D" ← one-liner
    (Temp folder location → “C:\Users[UserName]\AppData\Local\Temp”)

Clear recent files list:

  • del /f /s /q "%USERPROFILE%\Recent\*.*" ← one-liner

You can copy each of those command strings. Then paste each command string into the Windows OS Command Prompt window. If you are not certain how to do that, search online for instructions, examples, illustrations … for using the Command Prompt.

If you are uncertain about, where there is a SPACE character, copy the command string and paste that into a text editor window. You can then increase the font size, as well as use the left or right arrow keys to step through the command string, and thereby realize where the SPACE characters occur.

Be sure to restart the computer. I would do that, twice. When in doubt, restart the computer.

Then

  1. Go to Settings → Apps → Default apps
  2. Scroll down to Reset all default apps
  3. Click Reset
  4. Exit / Quit everything
  5. Restart computer
  6. Go to Settings → Apps → Default apps
  7. Review the settings; adjust settings as you wish.

All that, gets your Windows OS machine set up without Brave Browser.

Use the computer, and open and close files on all of your drives. “Wring it out.” So the operating system is focused on what is where, and the specific processes you want to open files.

ALL THAT, for a few days, before installing Brave Browser.

13

ValentinoM:

Thanks for the recommendation.

At this point I do not know if there is an issue with my pc or Brave or a combination of both. The original problem of external hard drives shutting down with Brave open (but not any other browser) and the taskbar disappearing and reappearing with Brave open is now different. Currently while the issue of EHD’s shutting down when Brave is open still remains, (although the EHD’s do not close when Brave is not open), now while Brave is open the taskbar disappears and reappears all the time. It does this whether there are other apps open and I open Brave, or Brave is the only app open, and I then open other apps. Again, this does not happen when any other browser is open, such as Chrome, Firefox, Duck Duck Go, and Brave is closed.

I have tried some of the previous recommendations offered in this thread regarding these issues, none of which seemed to have worked. I am not very tech savvy so I am hesitant to try some of the recommendations without understanding the effects. To some of the recommendations I asked follow up questions, like to the “reset all default apps” recommendation, asking what would happen after doing this, and did not receive a reply, or did not recognize there was a reply.

I have also uninstalled/reinstalled Brave 3-4 times and after each reinstall the problems are still there. I have not done a couple of the deinstall/reinstall steps recommended because I am hesitant install “new” unknown software on my PC, and I am not tech savvy enough to go into the command line and type in commands as shown. For example:

Clear current user temp folder:

  • del /f /s /q "%TEMP%\*.*"
  • for /d %%D in ("%TEMP%\*") do rd /s /q "%%D"

I do not know what “F” and “D” represent, I assume they refer to drive identifiers, and since I do not have an “F” drive on my computer, and the “D” drive is an EHD, I do not want to just blindly copy and paste them in and cause other issues.

Depending on the reply to this message, I am leaning towards taking my pc in having a pc scan done by a professional, having them doing a total deinstall of Brave, to see if they can determine anything that is wrong.

If the problem reappears with Brave after this, then I will have to concede that Brave is not for me and decide which browser to use. I had hoped Brave would be the successful first step in reducing my Google fingerprint and exposure.

Thank you for your, and everyone else’s assistance, with helping in trying to resolve this issue.

14

@RampagingRhino

Take computer + connecting cable (cptr to drive, USB -type?) + EHD to the pro. There:

A) Clear the entire system of Brave, so the system “does not think of Brave.”

B) Then run without Brave for a while, thus free from Brave.

C) Then, the pro installs Brave without extensions … and test.