Question 4TB WD External HDD Unable to be accessed on a particular Laptop.

[crez3088]

Hello, can anybody help me regarding my 4TB External HDD, it can be explored on the other PCs but not on my particular laptop (ASUS GL552VW).

It urges to be initialize when opening disk management. For my understanding, if I initialize it, the data reside inside of it will be lost. I can't possibly move the files inside the HDD elsewhere due to there's no sufficient spaces currently on the other PC/HDDs.

I already tried on every usb port on the laptop, same thing happen everytime. Tried reinstall/updating the drivers related to the problem(USB, Storage/etc.) with no luck. It also shows up as an unallocated drive in disk management, and sometimes it also shows up on 'This PC' window, but ultimately, inaccessible. In addition, every other External HDDs(2TB & less) works fine on my laptop.

Please advice on what shoukl be done to make it accessible on my laptop.
Thanks in advance.

 

[kanewolf]

Hello, can anybody help me regarding my 4TB External HDD, it can be explored on the other PCs but not on my particular laptop (ASUS GL552VW).

It urges to be initialize when opening disk management. For my understanding, if I initialize it, the data reside inside of it will be lost. I can't possibly move the files inside the HDD elsewhere due to there's no sufficient spaces currently on the other PC/HDDs.

I already tried on every usb port on the laptop, same thing happen everytime. Tried reinstall/updating the drivers related to the problem(USB, Storage/etc.) with no luck. It also shows up as an unallocated drive in disk management, and sometimes it also shows up on 'This PC' window, but ultimately, inaccessible. In addition, every other External HDDs(2TB & less) works fine on my laptop.

Please advice on what shoukl be done to make it accessible on my laptop.
Thanks in advance.

Is the drive powered by the USB ? Could be the laptop can't provide enough power. Try a powered USB hub.

 

[crez3088]

Is the drive powered by the USB ? Could be the laptop can't provide enough power. Try a powered USB hub.

Yes, from the usb port. If it is about power, can something like this be used instead of a powered hub? I mean it's a bit cheaper than the hub.
Kinda weird if it is power issue, the other older laptop can seem to access it fine. I wonder if this is some sign of deterioration on my laptop.

 

[dreamteam]

For my understanding, if I initialize it, the data reside inside of it will be lost.

it won't delete your files. regards

 

[crez3088]

it won't delete your files. regards

Are you sure? Almost everywhere I searched, they say that it will be deleted. It's too risky of a move for me without actually having any backup done. The mod doesn't denied my statement too, at least not yet lol.

 

[hang-the-9]

Hello, can anybody help me regarding my 4TB External HDD, it can be explored on the other PCs but not on my particular laptop (ASUS GL552VW).

It urges to be initialize when opening disk management. For my understanding, if I initialize it, the data reside inside of it will be lost. I can't possibly move the files inside the HDD elsewhere due to there's no sufficient spaces currently on the other PC/HDDs.

I already tried on every usb port on the laptop, same thing happen everytime. Tried reinstall/updating the drivers related to the problem(USB, Storage/etc.) with no luck. It also shows up as an unallocated drive in disk management, and sometimes it also shows up on 'This PC' window, but ultimately, inaccessible. In addition, every other External HDDs(2TB & less) works fine on my laptop.

Please advice on what shoukl be done to make it accessible on my laptop.
Thanks in advance.

If you like your data, then copy those files to cloud storage or buy a backup drive. Keeping your only copy of files, unless they are throw-away stuff, is not a good idea, and asking here on how to recover your files from a dead drive is not something you want to be doing.

Initializing the drive will be destructive https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/disk-management/initialize-new-disks

 

[crez3088]

If you like your data, then copy those files to cloud storage or buy a backup drive. Keeping your only copy of files, unless they are throw-away stuff, is not a good idea, and asking here on how to recover your files from a dead drive is not something you want to be doing.

Initializing the drive will be destructive https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/disk-management/initialize-new-disks

I think my connection won't make cloud storage a viable option. I don't think that I want to invest too much on something that only has issue on one laptop. My 4TB drive is pretty brand new too and I don't really want to buy another, I'm not that rich lol. The files is nothing crucial but yeah, I like them files lol. I wonder if asking a repair shop to backup & initialize the drive is a good option.

 

[hang-the-9]

I think my connection won't make cloud storage a viable option. I don't think that I want to invest too much on something that only has issue on one laptop. My 4TB drive is pretty brand new too and I don't really want to buy another, I'm not that rich lol. The files is nothing crucial but yeah, I like them files lol. I wonder if asking a repair shop to backup & initialize the drive is a good option.

You want to spend money to have a repair shop work on the drive that you know works on other computers instead of getting a drive with that same money for backups? Not a good idea. The drive works, you have other smaller drives that work on the system an this drive works on other systems, so make some room for your files on the other drives and get a dual head USB plug to power the 4tb drive on the system it does not work on or a powered hub. Formatting the drive won't help you to have it be read on the system it is not.

 

[crez3088]

You want to spend money to have a repair shop work on the drive that you know works on other computers instead of getting a drive with that same money for backups? Not a good idea. The drive works, you have other smaller drives that work on the system an this drive works on other systems, so make some room for your files on the other drives and get a dual head USB plug to power the 4tb drive on the system it does not work on or a powered hub. Formatting the drive won't help you to have it be read on the system it is not.

Nice, that's what I want to know about, whether initializing it will actually change anything. I guess I'm going to get those stuffs first. Will report back in the future. Thank you so much for the advices given.

 

[crez3088]

Got the Dual USB A to Micro B, unfortunately still the same outcome. Also tried a 5TB ext. on the laptop without issues too, only my 4TB has the problem on this one laptop.

I discovered something recently where I got to connect it and it works fine on the particular laptop. What I had done is by using the 4TB external without simultaneously charging the laptop. If I connect the charger when the hdd functions properly, it will then suddenly become inaccesible. The charger that I used before is the aftermarket one. I tried to used the HDD while using the original laptop charger, and to my surprise, everything works fine now.

Will a charger really caused an issue to the external HDD like that? What baffles me more is that it affect only one of them.