External hard disk not working properly

[thedst11]

I bought an external hard disk of 1TB (Seagate) and after 4-5 months the transfer rate began to drop. The rate when I copy things out of it is 25-30mbps but when I try to put something in it, the transfer rate comes down to 355kbps. I tried changing the wire, didn't work.

 

[sizzling]

Does the disk need defragging?

 

[D_Know_WD]

Hi there thedst11,

Unfortunately, there is a chance that the drive may be failing. This is why, it may be good idea to start with just backing up all the data stored on it.
After that, you can test the drive with one of these testing tools: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/282651-32-best-diagnostic-testing-utility
Observe the SMART report and look for pending/reallocated and uncorrectable sectors.

Another thing you can do is to attach the drive with another USB cable to another USB port or even system.

As sizzling suggested, it would be nice to defrag the drive.

Cheers,
D_Know_WD