External WD hard drive (almost) not detected
Hakku
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Elo -
Elo -
Hello everyone!
First of all, I must clarify that I am clearly not the only one facing such a problem, especially with a WD (Western Digital) external hard drive. I have researched as much as possible online and on this forum, I have read and tried numerous "solutions" in vain. That’s why I’m reaching out for help, thank you in advance to everyone who is willing to assist me.
So, in short, my 500 GB WD external hard drive is no longer functioning. This happened once before; it was no longer visible in My Computer, but I managed to retrieve it via the chkdsk command in the command prompt (CheckDisk). I had to type chkdsk followed by the drive letter of the disk. Unfortunately, this time it’s more serious, it’s not working, probably because my drive no longer has a letter assigned in Windows.
I’ve tried various data recovery programs, all possible re-plugging, restarts, etc. The problem persists.
Is there anyone willing to help me? I have essential data on this drive, and I cannot believe I have lost everything.
To help you solve the problem, here are some important indications:
- the drive no longer appears in My Computer
- the drive makes a strange noise when turned on
- basically, it is no longer visible anywhere as a drive in Windows
- the only place I still see it is in Device Manager
- it is still detected by Windows, as when I plug it in, I see "USB mass storage device" appear under the little green icon in the taskbar (which lists all drives and allows safe removal); it is visible there, but under this generic name, and not with its name or a drive letter, as is the case for other devices
- in some data recovery programs, I still see my drive, in the form of a PHYSICAL disk only, and not OPTICAL
- in Disk Management (right-click on My Computer), my hard drive no longer appears; I therefore cannot assign a drive letter this way
I deduce from all this that Windows can still see my drive, that it detects it as a physical drive (it can even tell me the size in GB of the disk), but I can’t do anything with it, no way to recover the data so far.
Here are some possible avenues, in my opinion:
- try to install Linux and read the contents of the disk under Linux instead of Windows??? (I read that someone managed to recover their data this way, which was invisible under Windows); but installing Linux is not a decision to make lightly, and are the data written under Windows usable/transferrable under Linux?
- try to uninstall/reinstall/disable my disk via Device Manager, where it still appears (there we can still see its name, at least I see something like WD 500, which suggests it is still visible as a 500 GB WD disk)
- ideally, I would like to use a software to create an image of my disk and recover all its content
Otherwise, I’m left with despair and the prospect of losing all my precious data. I’m furious. I’ve read that several people have similar issues with WD drives. I should note that mine fell from 20 cm a few days ago (a friend who caught the cable with his foot... great!), but it had been working fine since; suddenly yesterday while working, it just stopped functioning.
As a last resort, contacting a company specialized in data recovery remains an option, but I believe there’s no guarantee of results, and it costs hundreds of euros.
I am already grateful to anyone who would help me. In summary: disk almost invisible under Windows, still recognized as hardware/physical disk, but without the possibility of assigning a drive letter and even less to recover its data.
A thousand thanks
Hakku
First of all, I must clarify that I am clearly not the only one facing such a problem, especially with a WD (Western Digital) external hard drive. I have researched as much as possible online and on this forum, I have read and tried numerous "solutions" in vain. That’s why I’m reaching out for help, thank you in advance to everyone who is willing to assist me.
So, in short, my 500 GB WD external hard drive is no longer functioning. This happened once before; it was no longer visible in My Computer, but I managed to retrieve it via the chkdsk command in the command prompt (CheckDisk). I had to type chkdsk followed by the drive letter of the disk. Unfortunately, this time it’s more serious, it’s not working, probably because my drive no longer has a letter assigned in Windows.
I’ve tried various data recovery programs, all possible re-plugging, restarts, etc. The problem persists.
Is there anyone willing to help me? I have essential data on this drive, and I cannot believe I have lost everything.
To help you solve the problem, here are some important indications:
- the drive no longer appears in My Computer
- the drive makes a strange noise when turned on
- basically, it is no longer visible anywhere as a drive in Windows
- the only place I still see it is in Device Manager
- it is still detected by Windows, as when I plug it in, I see "USB mass storage device" appear under the little green icon in the taskbar (which lists all drives and allows safe removal); it is visible there, but under this generic name, and not with its name or a drive letter, as is the case for other devices
- in some data recovery programs, I still see my drive, in the form of a PHYSICAL disk only, and not OPTICAL
- in Disk Management (right-click on My Computer), my hard drive no longer appears; I therefore cannot assign a drive letter this way
I deduce from all this that Windows can still see my drive, that it detects it as a physical drive (it can even tell me the size in GB of the disk), but I can’t do anything with it, no way to recover the data so far.
Here are some possible avenues, in my opinion:
- try to install Linux and read the contents of the disk under Linux instead of Windows??? (I read that someone managed to recover their data this way, which was invisible under Windows); but installing Linux is not a decision to make lightly, and are the data written under Windows usable/transferrable under Linux?
- try to uninstall/reinstall/disable my disk via Device Manager, where it still appears (there we can still see its name, at least I see something like WD 500, which suggests it is still visible as a 500 GB WD disk)
- ideally, I would like to use a software to create an image of my disk and recover all its content
Otherwise, I’m left with despair and the prospect of losing all my precious data. I’m furious. I’ve read that several people have similar issues with WD drives. I should note that mine fell from 20 cm a few days ago (a friend who caught the cable with his foot... great!), but it had been working fine since; suddenly yesterday while working, it just stopped functioning.
As a last resort, contacting a company specialized in data recovery remains an option, but I believe there’s no guarantee of results, and it costs hundreds of euros.
I am already grateful to anyone who would help me. In summary: disk almost invisible under Windows, still recognized as hardware/physical disk, but without the possibility of assigning a drive letter and even less to recover its data.
A thousand thanks
Hakku
Configuration: Windows XP Firefox 3.0.1
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UPDATE on the problem!
I tested my hard drive again with the enclosure that the seller made me buy... and after a long detection process (on Windows), it asks me if I want to format the disk (noooooo!!!!) which is definitely not my goal at all...
Well, apparently, it still works, but I can't access it anymore...
I saw that there are software programs for recovering deleted data. If I decide to format it, will I be able to recover everything with the software??
I'm desperate lol...
I tested my hard drive again with the enclosure that the seller made me buy... and after a long detection process (on Windows), it asks me if I want to format the disk (noooooo!!!!) which is definitely not my goal at all...
Well, apparently, it still works, but I can't access it anymore...
I saw that there are software programs for recovering deleted data. If I decide to format it, will I be able to recover everything with the software??
I'm desperate lol...
Good evening Hakku,
I have exactly the same problem as you (my hard drive crashed / "to date when I plug it in, it is recognized by Windows XP but no longer appears in My Computer, only in Device Manager as "USB Mass Storage Device").
And I just lost all the photos and videos of my children since their birth...
I would therefore like to know if you found a solution to recover the data from your hard drive even though it has been some time...
Thank you in advance...
I have exactly the same problem as you (my hard drive crashed / "to date when I plug it in, it is recognized by Windows XP but no longer appears in My Computer, only in Device Manager as "USB Mass Storage Device").
And I just lost all the photos and videos of my children since their birth...
I would therefore like to know if you found a solution to recover the data from your hard drive even though it has been some time...
Thank you in advance...
Hello,
I also have a WD HDD of 320 GB, it was working fine until recently on my PC, and for the past week when I connect it, I see USB Device appearing followed by the installation window, and then it's impossible to install it. I then tested it on a laptop, same issue... I thought my HDD was dead, especially since I was hearing this clicking sound... on the laptop, but surprisingly when I plugged it into a regular CPU at work, it worked without any problems, and the same at a friend's on his personal PC. So now I don't understand anymore. Is it my PC and the laptop or the HDD??? Just to say, you should test your HDD on several machines before declaring it dead...
I also have a WD HDD of 320 GB, it was working fine until recently on my PC, and for the past week when I connect it, I see USB Device appearing followed by the installation window, and then it's impossible to install it. I then tested it on a laptop, same issue... I thought my HDD was dead, especially since I was hearing this clicking sound... on the laptop, but surprisingly when I plugged it into a regular CPU at work, it worked without any problems, and the same at a friend's on his personal PC. So now I don't understand anymore. Is it my PC and the laptop or the HDD??? Just to say, you should test your HDD on several machines before declaring it dead...
Hello everyone,
I just wanted to add my little comment about WD external hard drives.
I have three at home, and they all have practically the same problem. The proprietary USB connector from WD does not hold up. Every time it disconnects for no reason, with the slightest movement!!
For a hard drive that is supposed to be portable, I find this frankly unacceptable. But moving on, the fact that this connector keeps disconnecting inevitably leads to the hard drive crashing. Out of the 3 WD hard drives I have, two have already failed!! In the end, I think I'm going to eliminate WD hard drives from my purchases because I just lost practically over 1TB of data due to those constant USB cable disconnections.
So, to future buyers of WD who might be passing by, know that WD drives really have a problem, as even the brand new models use the same proprietary USB cable, and it's the same issue.
--
Computing is a perpetual learning process. Nothing is guaranteed in advance!!
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1, Intel Core2 Duo CPU T5450 @ 1.66GHz, 4.0 Gb
I just wanted to add my little comment about WD external hard drives.
I have three at home, and they all have practically the same problem. The proprietary USB connector from WD does not hold up. Every time it disconnects for no reason, with the slightest movement!!
For a hard drive that is supposed to be portable, I find this frankly unacceptable. But moving on, the fact that this connector keeps disconnecting inevitably leads to the hard drive crashing. Out of the 3 WD hard drives I have, two have already failed!! In the end, I think I'm going to eliminate WD hard drives from my purchases because I just lost practically over 1TB of data due to those constant USB cable disconnections.
So, to future buyers of WD who might be passing by, know that WD drives really have a problem, as even the brand new models use the same proprietary USB cable, and it's the same issue.
--
Computing is a perpetual learning process. Nothing is guaranteed in advance!!
Windows Vista Home Premium SP1, Intel Core2 Duo CPU T5450 @ 1.66GHz, 4.0 Gb
I'm a 15-year-old girl who was just lying on my bed watching Titanic with my external hard drive. But I have a kitten, yes! And she almost fell off the bed, so she grabbed my hard drive (which contains a lot of files...) and suddenly unplugged it, plus it fell.
So I plugged it back in and noticed a weird noise and no detection on my laptop. I'm in total panic; the hard drive belongs to my brother, and he seems to care a lot about it! The responses to this problem seem to be not very positive, but I’m trying anyway. So I decided to let it cool down overnight. And this morning, no change except that the weird noise stops at a certain point and doesn’t come back. Still not detected by my computer, though. So I unplug and replug it, and the noise starts again. So either I'm getting killed, or my kitten is getting killed. In any case, I think it's ruined; am I wrong? :(
So I plugged it back in and noticed a weird noise and no detection on my laptop. I'm in total panic; the hard drive belongs to my brother, and he seems to care a lot about it! The responses to this problem seem to be not very positive, but I’m trying anyway. So I decided to let it cool down overnight. And this morning, no change except that the weird noise stops at a certain point and doesn’t come back. Still not detected by my computer, though. So I unplug and replug it, and the noise starts again. So either I'm getting killed, or my kitten is getting killed. In any case, I think it's ruined; am I wrong? :(
@PuckCrew
The cable issue (too short, too stiff, and with a poorly fitted micro USB) is known at WD. For my part, they sent me a new one by post.
@everyone else.
I had the clicking problem with my 500GB My Passport Essential, which was no longer recognized by Windows. After trying for the umpteenth time to connect it, I noticed that when I moved it, the clicking stopped and I wondered if preventing it from clicking would make it start... And indeed, it worked. I then realized that by giving it a very slight spinning motion, ready to fall (like the one used with the powerball, see YouTube for those who are not familiar), in a clockwise direction, it completely stopped making noise and could start (the movement had to be very slow and light in my case). Gradually, my files appeared and the drive started clicking only every 10 seconds, then every minute, even without moving it. I managed to recover 4GB in 2 hours (okay, it's slow, but I recovered almost 95% of my photos).
Today, after a night and a day of rest (for the HDD, not for me!), I'm ready to recover my MP3s and there, miracle, no more clicking at all and transfers at +/- 25-30MB/s.
I don’t know if the HDD is completely 'repaired', so I’m continuing to copy my files hurriedly before it completely fails me.
There you go, if this can help someone...
The author disclaims all responsibility for the use of this method ;-)).
The cable issue (too short, too stiff, and with a poorly fitted micro USB) is known at WD. For my part, they sent me a new one by post.
@everyone else.
I had the clicking problem with my 500GB My Passport Essential, which was no longer recognized by Windows. After trying for the umpteenth time to connect it, I noticed that when I moved it, the clicking stopped and I wondered if preventing it from clicking would make it start... And indeed, it worked. I then realized that by giving it a very slight spinning motion, ready to fall (like the one used with the powerball, see YouTube for those who are not familiar), in a clockwise direction, it completely stopped making noise and could start (the movement had to be very slow and light in my case). Gradually, my files appeared and the drive started clicking only every 10 seconds, then every minute, even without moving it. I managed to recover 4GB in 2 hours (okay, it's slow, but I recovered almost 95% of my photos).
Today, after a night and a day of rest (for the HDD, not for me!), I'm ready to recover my MP3s and there, miracle, no more clicking at all and transfers at +/- 25-30MB/s.
I don’t know if the HDD is completely 'repaired', so I’m continuing to copy my files hurriedly before it completely fails me.
There you go, if this can help someone...
The author disclaims all responsibility for the use of this method ;-)).
PS: very slight progress: I disabled the drive in the device manager, restarted Windows, then reactivated the drive.
So now it appears as a physical drive in the PC Inspector program, which gives the option to recover/recreate a logical disk from the physical drive. But the operation seems to fail; for each sector it tells me "error", I have to ignore it and move on to the next block, and it keeps saying "error" etc.
I'm starting to think there is really something broken on the hard drive, on the read head or I don't know what.
Any responses, if there could be any, would really help me... Thank you!
Hakku
So now it appears as a physical drive in the PC Inspector program, which gives the option to recover/recreate a logical disk from the physical drive. But the operation seems to fail; for each sector it tells me "error", I have to ignore it and move on to the next block, and it keeps saying "error" etc.
I'm starting to think there is really something broken on the hard drive, on the read head or I don't know what.
Any responses, if there could be any, would really help me... Thank you!
Hakku
Hi,
If you can, try taking it out of the casing and plugging it directly into the computer. If it works, you'll still be able to recover your data.
IC
If you can, try taking it out of the casing and plugging it directly into the computer. If it works, you'll still be able to recover your data.
IC
To try to recover a faulty disk, there is the software HDD Regenerator, which checks the good or defective sectors and then repairs them... It allowed me to recover all my data from a disk that did the same thing as yours..
It just needs to be recognized by the workstation, even if it doesn't have a letter assigned.
However, I did this on 250GB, 3 days of repairs... So good luck to those who are going to deal with 1000GB....
It just needs to be recognized by the workstation, even if it doesn't have a letter assigned.
However, I did this on 250GB, 3 days of repairs... So good luck to those who are going to deal with 1000GB....
In response to Hakku
first, it is not necessary to change Windows for Linux, we can run Linux from a CD or a USB stick. These operating systems are compatible and can read each other's data.
Next, has anyone ever disassembled this type of external drive?
Can it be powered like an internal drive?
External drives are probably fragile, but their power supplies are too.
If you have another power supply, try using it.
first, it is not necessary to change Windows for Linux, we can run Linux from a CD or a USB stick. These operating systems are compatible and can read each other's data.
Next, has anyone ever disassembled this type of external drive?
Can it be powered like an internal drive?
External drives are probably fragile, but their power supplies are too.
If you have another power supply, try using it.
Hello Incaout
First of all, thank you for taking the time to respond to me. In these moments of great solitude, it always feels good, especially after spending hours trying everything in vain. I'm starting to despair, especially hearing the little noise the disk keeps making (like it's starting, then tic tic tic tic, then pause, then it restarts).
I was kind of expecting an answer like yours. I should have clarified from the start: I'm (relatively) comfortable with computers, software-wise, understanding how it works, etc., but I don't see myself as a tinkerer. What I mean is that the solution of disassembling the external casing to try an internal connection scares me a bit. I've already looked at my casing, I see neither screws nor an easy way to open it. Then we end up with a disk to handle, probably with the greatest caution?
Then there's a new problem: I work on a laptop. I do have an old old desktop PC, still running Windows ME (yuck), which I hardly use anymore. I'm willing to try it if that's really the only solution. Just to be clear, I don't dismiss your answer, but if I could first be sure I've tried everything software-wise, before resorting to manipulating a disk without really knowing how to connect it somewhere in an old PC that hasn't been used for ages.
Does the fact that the computer still detects it in certain places as a physical disk allow me to create a disk image one way or another? I've tried various programs, some see it as a physical disk, others do not. But no program detects a partition or a logical disk anymore.
I should point out that I've already tried connecting it to another computer running Windows XP, with the same result.
I'm starting to believe that external disk storage is far from the safest solution. I thought I was being wise using this disk first as a backup, and then lately, due to lack of space on my laptop, as my main storage disk...
I'm really starting to despair. If there are any other good ideas, or if you have other suggestions, Incaout, considering that I don't feel skilled enough to try to disassemble/reassemble everything... Thank you very much!!!!!!
Hakku
First of all, thank you for taking the time to respond to me. In these moments of great solitude, it always feels good, especially after spending hours trying everything in vain. I'm starting to despair, especially hearing the little noise the disk keeps making (like it's starting, then tic tic tic tic, then pause, then it restarts).
I was kind of expecting an answer like yours. I should have clarified from the start: I'm (relatively) comfortable with computers, software-wise, understanding how it works, etc., but I don't see myself as a tinkerer. What I mean is that the solution of disassembling the external casing to try an internal connection scares me a bit. I've already looked at my casing, I see neither screws nor an easy way to open it. Then we end up with a disk to handle, probably with the greatest caution?
Then there's a new problem: I work on a laptop. I do have an old old desktop PC, still running Windows ME (yuck), which I hardly use anymore. I'm willing to try it if that's really the only solution. Just to be clear, I don't dismiss your answer, but if I could first be sure I've tried everything software-wise, before resorting to manipulating a disk without really knowing how to connect it somewhere in an old PC that hasn't been used for ages.
Does the fact that the computer still detects it in certain places as a physical disk allow me to create a disk image one way or another? I've tried various programs, some see it as a physical disk, others do not. But no program detects a partition or a logical disk anymore.
I should point out that I've already tried connecting it to another computer running Windows XP, with the same result.
I'm starting to believe that external disk storage is far from the safest solution. I thought I was being wise using this disk first as a backup, and then lately, due to lack of space on my laptop, as my main storage disk...
I'm really starting to despair. If there are any other good ideas, or if you have other suggestions, Incaout, considering that I don't feel skilled enough to try to disassemble/reassemble everything... Thank you very much!!!!!!
Hakku
There is a problem with a WD5000E35-00. The power supply seems fine, the disk starts up, its LED lights up, then everything stops after a few seconds. No warning signs, and of course, it is no longer recognized.
Unfortunately, it contained all the data recovered from another 200GB external hard drive! The latter was no longer recognized by Windows, but I recovered almost all the data using GETDATABACK.
At the end of the recovery, don't forget to do a "copy" and have another sufficiently large disk installed for what you want to recover; otherwise, the 10 hours of recovery will be useless!
This software has already allowed me to almost fully recover several hard drives that were not recognized by Windows.
Be careful, with full recovery including deleted files, you'll end up with alphanumeric directories that need to be painstakingly explored...
Thank you for indicating the continuation and conclusion of your story!
Unfortunately, it contained all the data recovered from another 200GB external hard drive! The latter was no longer recognized by Windows, but I recovered almost all the data using GETDATABACK.
At the end of the recovery, don't forget to do a "copy" and have another sufficiently large disk installed for what you want to recover; otherwise, the 10 hours of recovery will be useless!
This software has already allowed me to almost fully recover several hard drives that were not recognized by Windows.
Be careful, with full recovery including deleted files, you'll end up with alphanumeric directories that need to be painstakingly explored...
Thank you for indicating the continuation and conclusion of your story!
If your hard drive makes that noise and keeps repeating like a "tick, tick, tick" loop, it means the read/write head is dead, making it impossible to repair. However, if the data is very, very important to you, there are data recovery companies, but it's very expensive. Otherwise, do not plug it in, do not disassemble it, etc.; it won't help. Mechanical hard drives have a short lifespan. If you want more durable and resilient storage, invest in an SSD, which is not mechanical, so there's no breakage, no wear, no overheating, and they are shock-resistant.
Response from a 16-year-old ;)
Response from a 16-year-old ;)
"I'm starting to despair, especially hearing the little noise the disk keeps making (like it's starting up, then tic tic tic tic, then pause, then it restarts)."
Personally, I had the same problem as you three years ago with a 3.5-inch external hard drive, exactly the same noise then pause then restarts...
I ended up bringing it back to the store where I bought it, and they told me it was serious but they would still try to recover the data.
To no avail...
Since it was under warranty at the time, they exchanged it...
... But I lost everything!
Personally, I had the same problem as you three years ago with a 3.5-inch external hard drive, exactly the same noise then pause then restarts...
I ended up bringing it back to the store where I bought it, and they told me it was serious but they would still try to recover the data.
To no avail...
Since it was under warranty at the time, they exchanged it...
... But I lost everything!
Hello.
I understand you, it's not fun to mount and dismount hard drives. I did it for a while, but it's true that now if I can avoid it, I gladly do.
If you really have a recurring clicking sound when powering on the drive, I think it indeed has an issue with its reading head. Unfortunately, I don't believe there are any possible solutions to recover your data, except reaching out to a specialized company.
I'm sorry I can't help you more.
IC
I understand you, it's not fun to mount and dismount hard drives. I did it for a while, but it's true that now if I can avoid it, I gladly do.
If you really have a recurring clicking sound when powering on the drive, I think it indeed has an issue with its reading head. Unfortunately, I don't believe there are any possible solutions to recover your data, except reaching out to a specialized company.
I'm sorry I can't help you more.
IC
I have exactly the same problem with my WD... GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
I removed it from my PC and transferred everything to the hard drive to avoid losing data in case my PC surprises me one day "JUST IN CASE"...
10,000 photos over more than 7 years... all my computerized schooling, projects, files, my life, YOU KNOW!!
It makes a weird noise, undetectable by Vista, and it sounds like there are grains in the casing when you shake it!
WHAT'S THE SOLUTION??
I removed it from my PC and transferred everything to the hard drive to avoid losing data in case my PC surprises me one day "JUST IN CASE"...
10,000 photos over more than 7 years... all my computerized schooling, projects, files, my life, YOU KNOW!!
It makes a weird noise, undetectable by Vista, and it sounds like there are grains in the casing when you shake it!
WHAT'S THE SOLUTION??
Hello everyone. Well, I also had a problem with my external hard drive. I connected it to my PS3 and a few months later it stopped working. I exchanged it. I have a question: do you know if it's possible to format or use a program so that the hard drive is visible on the PS3 after formatting in NTFS and FAT?
Otherwise, I learned that to read videos, music, and photos on the PS3, you need a hard drive with a power supply. Otherwise, the drive gets damaged.
So I'm taking this opportunity to ask if it's possible to reformat or anything else for my PS3 to recognize an external hard drive with a power supply?
Thank you in advance.
Otherwise, I learned that to read videos, music, and photos on the PS3, you need a hard drive with a power supply. Otherwise, the drive gets damaged.
So I'm taking this opportunity to ask if it's possible to reformat or anything else for my PS3 to recognize an external hard drive with a power supply?
Thank you in advance.
Hello,
I also have a 500GB external Western Digital hard drive (the WD5000) that is no longer detected by Windows. Unlike your case, it didn't happen all at once; the hard drive presented some I/O errors a few days before its failure, it was sometimes detected as RAW instead of NTFS, and responded relatively poorly. I had a hunch and managed to back up quite a bit of the data it contained.
It is now detected under Windows as "USB mass storage device."
Being quite handy, I didn't hesitate to disassemble the device, which contains a small USB/SATA interface with an Initio IRIC 160SL chipset and a SATA WD Caviar SE16 "WD5000AAKS" hard drive. I am convinced by the noise it makes that the HDD is dead.
Therefore, I only bought a 500GB internal WD SATA hard drive to replace the one in the enclosure.
I will receive it within a week. If after the replacement the external hard drive works wonderfully, it means the old internal HDD was dead.
If it doesn't work, it means the interface is dead (which I would doubt), and in that case, I would have to buy an enclosure to recover all my old data. (My PC is IDE, so I can't test it on it).
I'll confirm this as soon as I receive it.
Best regards
Bastien.49
I also have a 500GB external Western Digital hard drive (the WD5000) that is no longer detected by Windows. Unlike your case, it didn't happen all at once; the hard drive presented some I/O errors a few days before its failure, it was sometimes detected as RAW instead of NTFS, and responded relatively poorly. I had a hunch and managed to back up quite a bit of the data it contained.
It is now detected under Windows as "USB mass storage device."
Being quite handy, I didn't hesitate to disassemble the device, which contains a small USB/SATA interface with an Initio IRIC 160SL chipset and a SATA WD Caviar SE16 "WD5000AAKS" hard drive. I am convinced by the noise it makes that the HDD is dead.
Therefore, I only bought a 500GB internal WD SATA hard drive to replace the one in the enclosure.
I will receive it within a week. If after the replacement the external hard drive works wonderfully, it means the old internal HDD was dead.
If it doesn't work, it means the interface is dead (which I would doubt), and in that case, I would have to buy an enclosure to recover all my old data. (My PC is IDE, so I can't test it on it).
I'll confirm this as soon as I receive it.
Best regards
Bastien.49
Good evening,
I confirm what I said in the previous message: I just received my new internal hard drive WD5000ACSS Caviar Green, which by the way heats up very little. I installed it in my old case, initialized it, and then formatted it. It works perfectly now. So it was the old hard drive that was faulty. I would like to point out that the lifespan of my old hard drive was less than 2 years...
Best regards
Bastien.49
I confirm what I said in the previous message: I just received my new internal hard drive WD5000ACSS Caviar Green, which by the way heats up very little. I installed it in my old case, initialized it, and then formatted it. It works perfectly now. So it was the old hard drive that was faulty. I would like to point out that the lifespan of my old hard drive was less than 2 years...
Best regards
Bastien.49
Hi everyone, I also have the same problem with the same external hard drive (WD 500GB) that makes a weird noise five times when I plug it in and it's really bothering me a lot if I have to lose all the data that I left inside....
If someone could help me that would be really cool.
Thank you in advance.
If someone could help me that would be really cool.
Thank you in advance.
Hello,
Just for your information, I just exchanged this disk for the second time at FNAC (WD 500 Go Passport Essential).
First one received: it was randomly whistling!
Second one: worked correctly, but the USB cable was messed up, the connector was crooked (thank you for the finish and quality of WD!). Yesterday, it fell from 2 poor cm, and the thing was dead, defective sectors, I had to switch to Linux to recover half of it, half of which was corrupted. Horrible!
I believe this little 500 is very, very, very fragile. Too fragile. If the third one fails on me, it's over with WD (even though I used to trust them, I only have WD products at home!)
philmae.
Just for your information, I just exchanged this disk for the second time at FNAC (WD 500 Go Passport Essential).
First one received: it was randomly whistling!
Second one: worked correctly, but the USB cable was messed up, the connector was crooked (thank you for the finish and quality of WD!). Yesterday, it fell from 2 poor cm, and the thing was dead, defective sectors, I had to switch to Linux to recover half of it, half of which was corrupted. Horrible!
I believe this little 500 is very, very, very fragile. Too fragile. If the third one fails on me, it's over with WD (even though I used to trust them, I only have WD products at home!)
philmae.
Hello,
I have the same issue. I have an internal IDE hard drive that I put in an external casing (USB + power). It works for a while, then suddenly it's no longer recognized. I simply took the hard drive out of its casing and everything works perfectly. I think it's due to overheating of the drive. Good luck to everyone.
I have the same issue. I have an internal IDE hard drive that I put in an external casing (USB + power). It works for a while, then suddenly it's no longer recognized. I simply took the hard drive out of its casing and everything works perfectly. I think it's due to overheating of the drive. Good luck to everyone.
I have a 1TB WD internal drive and it's the second time it's broken, and it makes this noise too. Personally, I think the 1TB Green drives from WD are too fragile and fail easily.
Both hard drives died within two months...
Personally, I'm done with WD, I won't even exchange it because each time there are data losses!
Good luck to everyone, I know it's hard to lose your data, I'm fed up!
Both hard drives died within two months...
Personally, I'm done with WD, I won't even exchange it because each time there are data losses!
Good luck to everyone, I know it's hard to lose your data, I'm fed up!
I specify my problems from 2003 (during the heatwave). I was working remotely in a company with my own equipment. In an unair-conditioned office.
A first hard drive (HD) felt bad. I blamed it (age + temperature). A second one, new, lasted 48 hours. I attributed that to a unfortunate coincidence, but after the third one, also new, I finally started asking myself other questions!
Actually, it was the power supply of the PC and therefore the voltages supplied to the HDs that were fluctuating, but the motherboard of the PC either had some regulation or was less susceptible and held up.
A friend also had the same problems; several video capture cards, among others, were destroyed, and the power supply of the PC was also to blame (however, when it was not required to deliver power, the voltages were normal).
He had to go through his insurance to have the seller acknowledge the warranty claim.
Since then, I have had other issues with a 200GB external HD and a LiveBox. Each time, the power supply was the culprit (overheating). This is difficult to check because there is nothing accessible to test it.
Another friend, seeing his router crash, disassembled the power supply and found that the electrolytic capacitors barely measured half of their value! By replacing them with more professional models (low internal resistance and 105°C or even 125°C + longer lifespan) and adding a 100nF ceramic capacitor in parallel, it worked like a charm. Cost of the capacitors: less than 10€. That said, a single bad solder joint can bring you back to square one, but for a DIY enthusiast, it's worth trying.
For Hakku, it is entirely possible to boot from a CD containing a version of Linux without needing to install it on the HD.
A first hard drive (HD) felt bad. I blamed it (age + temperature). A second one, new, lasted 48 hours. I attributed that to a unfortunate coincidence, but after the third one, also new, I finally started asking myself other questions!
Actually, it was the power supply of the PC and therefore the voltages supplied to the HDs that were fluctuating, but the motherboard of the PC either had some regulation or was less susceptible and held up.
A friend also had the same problems; several video capture cards, among others, were destroyed, and the power supply of the PC was also to blame (however, when it was not required to deliver power, the voltages were normal).
He had to go through his insurance to have the seller acknowledge the warranty claim.
Since then, I have had other issues with a 200GB external HD and a LiveBox. Each time, the power supply was the culprit (overheating). This is difficult to check because there is nothing accessible to test it.
Another friend, seeing his router crash, disassembled the power supply and found that the electrolytic capacitors barely measured half of their value! By replacing them with more professional models (low internal resistance and 105°C or even 125°C + longer lifespan) and adding a 100nF ceramic capacitor in parallel, it worked like a charm. Cost of the capacitors: less than 10€. That said, a single bad solder joint can bring you back to square one, but for a DIY enthusiast, it's worth trying.
For Hakku, it is entirely possible to boot from a CD containing a version of Linux without needing to install it on the HD.
A hard drive that makes a tick tick tick noise at startup is 99.99% broken, sorry for the news. The shock from a week ago probably knocked it off balance =(. The arm holding the read heads likely took a hit. When it makes that tick tick tick noise, it's definitely broken. But check with a computer store to get their opinion on the noise.
I think it's time to buy a new hard drive =(, bye
--
Vista ultimate 64bit
I think it's time to buy a new hard drive =(, bye
--
Vista ultimate 64bit
Well, it's because it's still relevant. I dropped my 500 GB WD today (I didn't realize the USB cable was too short), so it fell from ten cm just as it was starting up and, sure enough, it happened. It's impossible to recognize it on the computers; it beeps five times at startup. Anyway, I'm not getting my hopes up. So hard drives are done for me, and long live DVDs, even though they're far from being as practical.
Hello everyone, this is the first time I'm posting on this forum and I want to share my experience.
I bought an external hard drive of 320 GB, the WD Passport, because I also got a WD TV to play my movies and photos on my 1080p LCD.
I had problems connecting it to my desktop PC; it wouldn’t work, so I thought it was dead. I tested it on my daughter's recent HP laptop and miraculously, it worked perfectly.
So, I plugged it into my PC using a powered USB hub, and to my surprise, it connected without any problem. Moreover, with my Freebox HD, there was no connection; it made a clicking noise and the LED was blinking. While searching online, I found that there are Y-shaped USB cables to increase the power supply.
What’s strange is that my desktop PC has a 500-watt power supply.
There you go, I hope my analysis can be of help.
I bought an external hard drive of 320 GB, the WD Passport, because I also got a WD TV to play my movies and photos on my 1080p LCD.
I had problems connecting it to my desktop PC; it wouldn’t work, so I thought it was dead. I tested it on my daughter's recent HP laptop and miraculously, it worked perfectly.
So, I plugged it into my PC using a powered USB hub, and to my surprise, it connected without any problem. Moreover, with my Freebox HD, there was no connection; it made a clicking noise and the LED was blinking. While searching online, I found that there are Y-shaped USB cables to increase the power supply.
What’s strange is that my desktop PC has a 500-watt power supply.
There you go, I hope my analysis can be of help.
If the HDD works on any PC, it means it is okay.
The problem with this type of bus-powered HDD is that it needs a good power supply; otherwise, it may not initialize. I think it's a power consumption issue.
Also, I noticed that it sometimes disconnects by itself.
There you go, hoping to have helped you.
The problem with this type of bus-powered HDD is that it needs a good power supply; otherwise, it may not initialize. I think it's a power consumption issue.
Also, I noticed that it sometimes disconnects by itself.
There you go, hoping to have helped you.
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Another user managed to recover their data by leaving the disk in the freezer for several hours (as soon as it warms up, the faults usually come back, so you need to act quickly)
For my part, I recovered 4 almost entirely with the software "GetDataBack"
Good luck