Is my External Hard Drive Failing?

nowayy

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Aug 28, 2011
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I have a WD 1TB Portable External Hard Drive. Lately it's been acting weirdly, disconnecting, telling me it needs to be reformatted.
I used the WD Smart Test Program, Smart Status Passes but Quick Drive Test and Complete Drive Test fail. It will connect to the laptop I am using right now, but it will not connect/show up on another laptop I am trying to connect it to so I can back it up.
Any thing I can do to make it connect to my other computer? And is this drive failing?
I have info on the drive by using a program called CrystalDiskInfo if you would like me to post it.

Thanks.
 
Solution


I have seen drives with a month long span of 'acting a little bit weird', and then 30 seconds later....dead.

Which is more important? The actual drive, or your data that lives on that drive?

It's your data....but I know what I'd do.
The Complete drive test has failed. Your drive is not failing, it already has.
Wether or not you will be able to recover your data remains to be seen.

Is the drive still under warranty?

Also, please remember to never trust important files to just 1 device. The more copies of the data you have the safer it is.
 


What make/model, how old is it?

And do not connect to it more than once more. And that specifically only to move your personal data off of it.
If you still can.

After you get your data off of it, then you can look to RMA or attempted repair.
 


Western Digital. less than 7 months old.
Get your personal data off it, and see about sending it back.
 
This problem has existed for quite some time and I have been using the drive, it seems the drive is working fine but sometimes has trouble displaying on my computer. Apart from that it seems fine.
 


I have seen drives with a month long span of 'acting a little bit weird', and then 30 seconds later....dead.

Which is more important? The actual drive, or your data that lives on that drive?

It's your data....but I know what I'd do.
 
Solution