Hard Drive works but then clicks and restarts

[Shane Is Bacon]

My toshiba external hard drive will connect to my computer and then I can see the files in it and it spins really well, but then I hear a click sound and the hard drive disconnects and restarts. Is this a stuck needle? If not is there a way I can make the drive work again?


Also if I leave it at idle it will not shut off, but about 5-30 seconds after I open the files it clicks and stops

 

[Shane Is Bacon]

I banged on it some and now it had a quieter click when it restarts, but I can look at it for maybe 40-60 seconds without it restarting now

 

[D_Know_WD]

Hi there Shane Is Bacon,

My suggestion would be to try to back up some files. If that is impossible, you should continue with some basic troubleshooting steps.
There is a possibility that there is something wrong with your USB cable. You should try attaching the drive another cable to another port. Connecting it to another computer will be a good idea too.
If the issue persists though, there is either a serious problem with the drive itself or with the enclosure. You can try testing it with a brand specific testing tool. Though, most probably the process will interrupt as well.
If the drive is still in warranty, I would advise you to contact the manufacturer's Support. If not, you can try attaching it internally via SATA(this most probably will void warranty). This way you can see whether it is enclosure related issue or not. If the drive clicks and shuts down again, most probably you will have to get a new one.

Hope this will help,
D_Know_WD

 

[fzabkar]

I don't know about Toshiba's USB drives, but WD's users often complain of intermittent connection problems with the mini USB connector.