Yeah, this is that thing... what do they call it. drive compatability mode (dos) like using compatible drivers for ntfs or having to load this other thing.
oh, my thoughts are this: delete the usb devices in system and allow the system to find them and then plug in the drive and see if it works. (usb device driver enfanglement.) enfanglement is my theory of what happens to windows usb ports (whether ohci, uhci, or ehci usb ports), after you plug in and unplug a device multiple times.
my other thoughts on this are: go into administrative tools, and when you git in there, look for computer manager, and go to disks, and etc, and when you get in there check to see if the system has reserved a spot for this drive under a different letter and the letter has gotten changed.
More thoughts include, oh no, what if this is fat32 and the drivers for it are mixed up, or possible enfangled somehow. And this virtual dos compatability mode stuff is kicking in and the confusion is wow, do i run this ext drive as this or as that.
my last thoughts are recent changes to the system, even possibly autonomous windows patches auto applied to the system may have created an unstable os as the result of driver upgrade incompatability. sort of like how some people break out but only if they drink grape soda, while wearing avon orange lipstick, with a mcdonalds french fry. Do you follow? Weird combinations creating an issue.
