WD 1TB External Hard Drive Not Accessible: Help Needed!

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Hello everyone,

I’m facing a problem with my 1TB WD external hard drive, which I use monthly for backups from my Windows 7 laptop. Today, when I connected the drive, I was unable to access my files. It shows up on my desktop, but only after a delay of about 2 minutes, and it’s recognized as a “Local Disk,” which seems off.

Everything looks normal when I plug it in—there are no unusual noises, and the LED indicator works fine. However, when I try to open it through Windows Explorer, the system attempts to load the files but eventually fails, showing me a “not accessible” error.

In the past, I had a similar issue, and I resolved it using CHKDSK. This time, after running CHKDSK, things got worse. Now, I can’t even rerun CHKDSK because it hangs indefinitely, even after several hours of waiting.

Additionally, I’ve encountered other problems when the hard drive is plugged in:

Diskpart Command Failure: When I run “diskpart” and then “list disk” in Command Prompt, the command fails to work if the drive is connected. It only works once the drive is unplugged.
PC Inspector File Recovery Crash: I installed “PC Inspector File Recovery,” but it crashes when scanning with the hard drive connected. Once I unplug the drive, the software works fine.
TestDisk Crash: “TestDisk” also crashes when the problematic hard drive is connected but works normally once the drive is unplugged.
Here’s what I’ve tried so far, without success:

Accessing via Ubuntu Laptop: Failed
Changing Cables: Failed
Connecting to Other Computers: Failed
Running CHKDSK: Failed once, and now it won’t run again
Using PC Inspector File Recovery: Crashes
Has anyone experienced something similar or can offer advice on how to fix this issue? Any help would be appreciated!

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je ne comprends pas : vous etes sur windows ou sur linux ? le lecteur/hdd est formate en exfat ou ntfs ou en bfrs ou en ext4 ? il semble qu’il s’agisse soit d’une update non-faite ou mal configure ou encore d’un acces (conflit ? ) non-autorise : donc essayer sous ubuntu de coché acces admin et d’inserer votre mdp puis rafraichir , vous devriez le voir et y acceder. Sur windows selon la version si ce n’est pas reconnu il vaut voir prudemment sur un forum windows (11 ?) cela peut venir de l’anti-virus ? de toute facon jouer avec des outils comme chkdsk ou test-disk - essayer gparted + rafraichir - (peut-etre ) ne correspond à cet usage à mon humble avis a moins que vouliez decouvrir et reparer des erreurs de disk-hdd ou reformater ou installer un o.s ou un disque/soft particulier.

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Try a windows based laptop and go find a new USB disk. I suggests using exFAT for Windows and Linux compatibility

I suggest 3-4 USB sticks for backups in rotation as 128GB are good and now 256GB are becoming affordable.

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Your external hard drive might have serious issues, either corruption or hardware failure. Here’s what you can do:

  1. Stop using CHKDSK since it made things worse.
  2. Try using Stellar Data Recovery, iSkysoft Data Recovery, or PC Inspector File Recovery to recover the lost data.
  3. Use a different USB enclosure or connect the drive directly via SATA to see if it helps.
  4. If possible, create a sector-by-sector backup using tools like dd or Clonezilla.
  5. If nothing works, consider professional data recovery services.
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cela fonctionne tres bien : tout depends si vous voulez recuperez votre disque ou les donnes : pour les donnes voir plus haut ; pour le disk , il y a des chances qu’il soit soit trop “vieux” , soit corrompu.
les reponses de vegetalien sont exellentes et a suivre.

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This is a clear indication that your drive is suffering from read errors due to a few reasons and I will advice to stop all scans and disconnect the drive no software can fix this. Do you need any data from the drive ?

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A low cost USB box might be an idea for recovering your hard disk as these sell cheap with USB and tool free assembly

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I’m having the exact same issue with mine as well. Did you find a solution?

My computer is asking me to format the drive but I don’t want to do that unless I have absolutely no option.

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Hi @lacroixcardellikh921 ,

If your WD 1TB external hard drive is not accessible, there are several steps to try before considering it permanently damaged. Here are solutions to troubleshoot the issue:

  1. Check Connection: Ensure the USB cable is securely connected and try a different USB port on your computer. You could also try connecting it to another computer to see if it’s detected.

  2. Update Drivers: Outdated drivers can cause access issues. Go to Device Manager, find your external drive under “Disk Drives,” right-click, and select “Update driver.”

  3. Use Disk Management: If your drive shows in Disk Management but not in File Explorer, it might be unallocated or have no drive letter assigned. In Disk Management, right-click the drive, select “Change Drive Letter and Paths,” and assign a letter. Here’s a helpful guide on using Disk Management: Disk Management in Windows.

  4. Run CHKDSK Command: The CHKDSK utility can help fix file system errors. Open Command Prompt as an administrator, type chkdsk /f X: (replace “X” with your drive letter), and press Enter. This may take some time, but it can resolve access issues.

  5. Reformat (Last Resort): If data recovery isn’t critical, reformatting may help, although it will erase all data. In Disk Management, right-click the drive, select “Format,” and choose the appropriate file system (NTFS or exFAT).

If these steps don’t help, the drive may be physically damaged and need professional recovery services. Here’s a more detailed troubleshooting guide from WD Support: WD Troubleshooting.

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This answer is no longer available !
il faut verifier les links avant de poster svp

Voici un guide de dépannage plus détaillé de l’assistance WD : Dépannage WD.