Model run crashing when PC goes idle: external SSD issue

Hi everyone,

I am running a long-term hydrodynamic simulation using EFDC+ Explorer (EE 12.4). The run is successful using internal drive. However, My internal drive has very limited free space, so I have been forced to run my model from an external SSD. The model starts fine and runs without any issues while I am actively using the computer. However, whenever I step away and the PC goes idle, the run crashes.
What I have tried so far:

  • Changed the hard disk sleep timeout to “Never” in Windows Power Options
  • Disabled system sleep and hibernate

Despite these steps, the crash still occurs when I leave the computer idle for an extended period
My questions:

  1. Has anyone successfully run long EFDC+ simulations from an external USB drive? If so, how did you prevent the drive from disconnecting mid-run? (p.s. I am using university-managed computer locked by the administrator, they don’t have any fix for my issue)

  2. Has anyone attempted to run EFDC+ simulations directly from a cloud storage location such as OneDrive, Google Drive, or a university-provided cloud storage service? How suitable is that ?