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Topic: Expanding the Wii U's Memory

Posts 1 to 20 of 28

Charon99

I know this topic has been covered many times but I can’t find guidance to overcoming my problem/concern.
I don’t think Nintendo’s solution to Wii U memory expansion is a good solution.
I have a HDD in a powered enclosure connected to my Wii U’s USB. It works fine. But it is a powered enclosure meaning it has to be switch on before the Wii U or left on all the time. Nether requirement is desirable. I don’t want to leave it on all the time (HDD spinning) and I don’t want to have to switch it on each time I switch the Wii U on. I also have my WII U connect to my Network via the USB Ethernet adapter so I have only one USB socket free. What are my options? I need a suitable storage device that switches on when the Wii U is switched on.
I’m thinking SSD (but Nintendo say no), or non-powered HDD and USB Y cable with the power USB socket connected to the TV USB (but I think this means it will be on all the time when the TV is on, or will it switch off when the Wii U is switched off and the data feed is disconnected?).

Charon99

DefHalan

... sounds like you just have an inconvenient hard drive, doesn't sound like a problem on Nintendo's side of things.

You might want to check this out
http://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_...

People keep saying the Xbox One doesn't have Backwards Compatibility.
I don't think they know what Backwards Compatibility means...

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Dizzy_Boy

I use a portable 500 gig hard drive with a y cable plugged into my WiiU. It works perfectly fine, plus it switches on and off with the WiiU.
If you get a portable hard drive make sure it's a good make because I had a 60 gig hard drive which started having problems in a short space of time. Luckily I didn't loose any save data, but it was close to dying on me.

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unrandomsam

I am thinking of getting this : Toshiba HDTB305EK3AA 500GB 2.5 inch Canvio Basics USB 3.0 unless there is a really good reason why not. (Using y cable).

I would use an SSD if they were support - I value silence.

Edited on by unrandomsam

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Charon99

To me most important is that it switches on and off with the Wii U. Will the drives listed <http://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1359/p/431> switch on and off with the Wii U?
I don't have enough ports to use a Y-cable unless I connect to the front (and that will look a mess). Then there's the issue of them not being recommended by Nintendo.
Unrandomsam, I love to know your experience with the Toshiba HDTB305EK3AA 500GB when you get it.
Does anyone else have a powered HDD that switches off when the Wii U is off?

Charon99

DefHalan

I believe my Hard Drive switches off with the Wii U, I can't hear it even when the Wii U is running so I really have no idea. My HDD is one of the recommended.

People keep saying the Xbox One doesn't have Backwards Compatibility.
I don't think they know what Backwards Compatibility means...

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retropunky

I know it's not recommended, but its been at least two years that I've been using a 16GB USB stick. No issues at all. I'm running out of room so I'm going to upgrade to 32GB. Who would have thought it would add up so fast, even with non-retail games.

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SCRAPPER392

unrandomsam wrote:

I would use an SSD if they were support - I value silence.

I'm pretty sure you won't be able to hear the ext. HDD you linked, because I have this one: http://www.toshiba.com/us/accessories/Storage/Canvio-Basics-P... , hooked up via y-cable, and I am unable to hear it. I've had it for over a year and a half, and it works perfectly. It even works better than the AC powered drive, from the experience I've had.

Edited on by SCRAPPER392

Qwest

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Sean_Aaron

unrandomsam wrote:

I am thinking of getting this : Toshiba HDTB305EK3AA 500GB 2.5 inch Canvio Basics USB 3.0 unless there is a really good reason why not. (Using y cable).

I would use an SSD if they were support - I value silence.

My partner just got one of those, seems to work nicely. The inability to find y-cables (or people who even know what they are) in retail stores is kind of annoying. Thankfully there was a UK-based source for them on Amazon Marketplace. A powered USB hub is another alternative, but not quite as elegant unless Wii U and hub are plugged into the same switch.

I don't have a problem with Nintendo putting "only" 8GB of flash in the Basic model, but they could have made everyone's life easier by having powered USB ports that could drive modern laptop drives since no one sells them with y-cables as the laptops all have the juice to drive them off one cable. Really it's just another shortcoming of the USB power output specifications, but it would reduce a lot of confusion I bet! Alternatively Nintendo could pack a y-cable in with the unit.

To the original poster a quality external hard drive won't be constantly spinning just because it has power, but if that's an issue for you get a surge protector with sockets you can individually switch off and problem solved. For myself I like letting the Wii U switch on and do an update if need be; my Seagate external drive goes to sleep when not in use.

Edited on by Sean_Aaron

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Grumblevolcano

The Christmas Day eshop sales in addition to all CN codes expiring on 31st March 2015 has got me thinking of buying an external Hard Drive for my Wii U though I have a few questions:
1) Do you put the games on the external drive and the save data on the memory space provided with the console or does everything have to go on the external drive?
2) I'm considering getting the Seagate Expansion 2TB Desktop USB 3.0 Hard Drive, it's one of the recommended ones, have anyone experienced this and happy? http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/1443673.htm
3) Is £65 a decent price for a 2TB hard drive?

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Jmaster

Grumblevolcano wrote:

The Christmas Day eshop sales in addition to all CN codes expiring on 31st March 2015 has got me thinking of buying an external Hard Drive for my Wii U though I have a few questions:
1) Do you put the games on the external drive and the save data on the memory space provided with the console or does everything have to go on the external drive?
2) I'm considering getting the Seagate Expansion 2TB Desktop USB 3.0 Hard Drive, it's one of the recommended ones, have anyone experienced this and happy? http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/1443673.htm
3) Is £65 a decent price for a 2TB hard drive?

1. Everything has to go on either the internal memory or the hard drive. You can't split up games and save data, sadly.
2. I have that and it works fine. The included power cable is rather short, but that's the only real complaint I can come up with.
3. Yes.

Jmaster

Einherjar

Supporting pretty much every external HDD is a bad solution ? Excuse me ?
So, you rather have it the PS4 way ? Exchange the entire internal HDD which comes in a format, that isnt all that widely spread and therefore, still quite expansive and also forcing you to either reinstall or redownload everything that was on your original hard drive ?

Nintendos solution of excepting an external HDD as the systems main save location, even for games, is the best one offered by any console yet. And you even have the ability to transfer everything from one HDD to another, should you want to upgrade, also not offered by any other system so far.
Does it mean that you have another device lying around ? Yes. Does it mean that you pretty much have unlimited cheap save space with the system supporting multiple HDDs up to 2TB ? Also, yes.

I have no clue how this can be considered a bad solution, especially if you compare it to what others have to offer.

Einherjar

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Charon99

It looks like the fact that mine doesn't turn off with the Wii U is an issue with my drive. I'll give the Segate Expansion drive a go. I don't need 2TB (I don't need 1 TB) I’ll get the 1TB version it’s only £45 in Argos.

Edited on by Charon99

Charon99

OorWullie

Charon99 wrote:

It looks like the fact that mine doesn't turn off with the Wii U is an issue with my drive. I'll give the Segate Expansion drive a go. I don't need 2TB (I don't need 1 TB) I’ll get the 1TB version it’s only £45 in Argos.

That's what I got mate,except the 500 gb one and it works great with a Y-cable.I would have got the 1tb one but the lady in the shop dropped it when taking it out its security box and it was the last one.She still tried to sell it to me too haha.Not really much options where I stay but I think 500gb will be sufficient for me.As Einherjar says above though,the good thing about the Wii U is it can be easily transferred to a bigger one in the future.

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unrandomsam

Einherjar wrote:

Supporting pretty much every external HDD is a bad solution ? Excuse me ?
So, you rather have it the PS4 way ? Exchange the entire internal HDD which comes in a format, that isnt all that widely spread and therefore, still quite expansive and also forcing you to either reinstall or redownload everything that was on your original hard drive ?

Nintendos solution of excepting an external HDD as the systems main save location, even for games, is the best one offered by any console yet. And you even have the ability to transfer everything from one HDD to another, should you want to upgrade, also not offered by any other system so far.
Does it mean that you have another device lying around ? Yes. Does it mean that you pretty much have unlimited cheap save space with the system supporting multiple HDDs up to 2TB ? Also, yes.

I have no clue how this can be considered a bad solution, especially if you compare it to what others have to offer.

I would rather have the PS4 method. (Any of the negatives for me are vastly outweighed by the fact that the drive is cannot be corrupted by it getting knocked out in use). I wouldn't be bothered if the saves could be put on the internal.

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gcunit

Is it possible with a big hdd to partition it so that, for example, you could use 1tb for the wii u and reserve the other terabyte for other non-wii u uses?

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Joeynator3000

gcunit wrote:

Is it possible with a big hdd to partition it so that, for example, you could use 1tb for the wii u and reserve the other terabyte for other non-wii u uses?

I actually asked that before already, don't think it would work.

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Charon99

SCAR392 wrote:

unrandomsam wrote:

I would use an SSD if they were support - I value silence.

I'm pretty sure you won't be able to hear the ext. HDD you linked, because I have this one: http://www.toshiba.com/us/accessories/Storage/Canvio-Basics-P... , hooked up via y-cable, and I am unable to hear it. I've had it for over a year and a half, and it works perfectly. It even works better than the AC powered drive, from the experience I've had.

What's the experience with an AC powered drive you have had?

Charon99

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