At least the card reader isn't really an issue, since I can just use the SD slot. But when I couldn't get any of the drives recognized, I was using the card reader to help test the USB drive since I didn't have a regular flash drive handy.

I just wouldn't have expected the card reader (it's just one that looks like a flash drive, not a huge hub or anything) to be such a power draw. The hard drive, I get.