WD 4TB Elements Questions / Problems

WD External and Portable SSD Portable SSD
1

WD 4TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive from Amazon

Whenever this is connected to my Windows 10 PC the computer at some point slows to a crawl. Sometimes typing or using a mouse or focusing on a window can take 30 seconds to a minute and then all the typed characters start coming in. If I unplug the drive, the computer immediately goes back to normal.

Downloaded the WD Dashboard app. There is a setting for disabling background tasks but no info about it in the app or online.

I also see options for Performance > Policy for Removal and Better Performance. Should I check that and just make sure I safely remove the drive if I eject it?

Will these or anything else stop the lag?

Also, I am considering returning this and want to wipe the drive, but CCleaner says it’s an SSD and not to. I don’t believe this is an SSD. Is it? Amazon doesn’t say it is. Is it safe to do an erase?

Thanks!

2

The drive is either faulty … and sounds fishy if CCleaner reports it as an SSD (which it’s not)

fishy meaning … fake hard drives from online re-sellers eg. Ebay, Amazon etc is not un-common.

This is my 4TB Elements Portable specs (Serial Number blurred for privacy as it’s used for warranty purposes) in … WD Data Lifeguard Diagnostic for Windows

wd
wd629×476 109 KB

and in CrystalDisklnfo

C
C680×411 108 KB

Lastly, do a WD Warranty Status Check … if it does not accept the Serial Number, then definitely fishy

3

Thanks. Seems to be working if I move it to a USB port on the other side of the computer away from the usb for the wireless / bluettoth mouse and keyboard. Perhaps that was it.

I did check the serial # with the WD tool you provided and it is legit.

4

You probably have a Device-Managed Shingled Magnetic Recording (DMSMR) drive inside.

It’s unclear if CCleaner doesn’t do more harm then good for SMR disks. Once the drive management software thinks all sectors have been written to, performance might be down the drain.

(Have a look here for more info.)