Hard drive WD elements problem

[Jan Holdinar]

Hard drive is WD5000BMVV. Okay so the problem is, that my hard drive gets recognized sometimes. I managed to get some of the files off but it loads slow and any bigger file wouldn't even budge. The drive makes a clicking noise not often and it spins normally. It fell down a few days ago but got kinda hanged on the 3.0 usb cable and hit the side off the table a bit so I don't know if the drive is damaged or the cable. any ideas? Oh yeah light is steady blinks a few times.


2nd might help when I plug it in and it does get recognized it crashed my folder or explorer.exe and starts not responding.

 

[plasmastorm]

Change the cable if you can, failing that sounds like a faulty HDD. Certainly the clicking noise in indicative of a head crash.

 

[SuperSoph_WD]

Hey there, Jan Holdinar!

I'm sorry to hear about your issues with the WD Elements external drive! 🙁 Unfortunately, they sound a bit concerning. Mechanical hard drives are pretty sensitive and even the most insignificant fall could have consequences for the HDD's physical health. Moreover, the clicking sounds as @plasmastorm mentioned usually indicate internal hardware failure, so I'd advise you to backup as much of your data as you can.

Changing the USB cable is also a good idea and even try connecting the external HDD to another USB port or even another computer to see how it will get recognized from there. Another thing you should do is run the QUICK and EXTENDED tests from WD's Data LifeGuard Diagnostics for Windows. The utility will help us determine the health and SMART status of your WD Elements.

I'd also recommend you check the warranty on your drive and contact our Customer Support, if it's still covered.

Keep us posted & Good luck!
SuperSoph_WD