USB external HDD won't access files properly on Satellite A100-033

I have a Toshiba Satellite laptop A100-033 ( PSAANE-03J02GEN), running Windows Vista Home Basic.
I have a Western Digital passport external hard drive, which has no separate power source, as it draws its power through the USB port.
Sometimes the drive works okay, but I often have huge problems in accessing files on the drive. Opening a folder can make Windows hang.
Opening a Word or audio file can make Word or the audio software crash. Copying files often fails and in the process may make Windows explorer stop working.
Recently I tried to copy a 33MB file from the external drive to my laptop, and while it did this it took over an hour. So all sorts of things can happen, none of them pleasant.
Problems can happen whether the external drive is the only peripheral plugged into a USB drive (apart from an external mouse, which I always use), or whether the external drive is one of a number of peripherals plugged into my laptop - either separately or via a USB hub (either powered or unpowered).
Does anyone know what is going on and how I can make my USB external drive usable? I have two other external drives (powered by their own power source) and these work perfectly.
Why, much of the time, does this drive limp along so badly as to be virtually unusable?

Hi
One thing is clear; the issue is definitely related to the external HDD and not to the notebook. It looks like that this issue happens always if the HD was connected.
Its really difficult to say what could be wrong with your external HDD
Maybe the HDD sectors are corrupt and therefore you cannot open the folders and some files stored on the HDD.
Did you try to format the HDD? Check this and try to save and reopen some files again.
In worst case the external HDD has a hardware malfunctions

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