External Hard Drive Stopped Detecting

Kalistoga · Post by **Kalistoga** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 6:01 am

From my understanding, this is a pretty common problem, but I can't seem to find a solution.

I've had a 1TB WD Passport for a couple months now. I've used more than half already (i shoot a lot of HD video and take photos). I'd really hate to lose all my shit.

Some things worth mentioning...

- i'm using a macbook that I bought around 2009.

- it powers up when I plug it in and the light comes on, but that's it.

- "disk utility," as well as "system preferences" SOMETIMES detects it, but it never mounts on my desktop/macintosh HD

- it almost seems like the passport isn't powering fast enough. usually the sound is louder and it vibrates more.

this all started when I was transferring a folder from my macbook to the passport. it was taking forever and was stuck on the spinning wheel. It also seemed to have froze my desktop. I got fed up with waiting so I relaunched my finder and it made my desktop blank. I then unplugged the passport and my desktop came back. Since then, I've been having the problems.

I also tried plugging into my a PC. ONE time it detected it, but i needed to download some drivers I think. I didn't have time for that. If possible, I could probably transfer my files to the PC and reformat the passport, but i'd prefer to try finding a fix first.

anyone?

deepfriedjellol · Post by **deepfriedjellol** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 9:14 am

Have you tried mapping it as a network drive?
If you always plug it into the same slot and know the drive letter, try that

Dragondude R · Post by **Dragondude R** » Sun May 01, 2011 7:13 pm

Try the WD Data LifeGuard Diagnostics and see what it tells ya

http://support.wdc.com/product/download ... =3&lang=en

Press the download button

siLLy KiD · Post by **siLLy KiD** » Mon May 02, 2011 6:33 am

i would recommend Disk Warrior. If that doesn't work, you are more than likely effed...try to back up any shit as you can and then toss it. I just hadta do this like a month or two ago. Fucking sucks. Thas why I always have 2 externas on deck at all times too....sometimes they just randomly go.

table · Post by **table** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 10:08 am

I had a Toshiba external that stopped working; I'd get a red light on the front and Windows wouldn't detect it and I was sad because I had some nice stuff on it.

Because I had nothing to lose I basically tore the aluminum chassis of the drive apart to get at the bare hard drive which I then connected to my PC with a IDE/SATA to USB bridge cable (directly mounting it in my system would've worked too). The drive was indeed damaged, it was making a weird noise, but I managed to copy everything over to another hard drive without errors.

TLDR: the drive and Windows was telling me I'd lost everything but connecting the bare drive up to my machine let me get it back.

As a last resort I'd try this with your drive.

Dudeman · Post by **Dudeman** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 10:40 pm

I'm also having an external HD problem. My Mac won't mount the Mac partition on my Lacie Rugged, but mounts the Windows volume no problem. Disk repair can't do anything. Is this Disk Warrior program legit? Anyone have a cracked version? I'm not trying to spend a bill on it.

siLLy KiD · Post by **siLLy KiD** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 11:31 pm

Dudeman wrote:I'm also having an external HD problem. My Mac won't mount the Mac partition on my Lacie Rugged, but mounts the Windows volume no problem. Disk repair can't do anything. Is this Disk Warrior program legit? Anyone have a cracked version? I'm not trying to spend a bill on it.

torrent.

Moolah · Post by **Moolah** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 12:19 am

Dudeman wrote:My Mac won't mount the Mac partition on my Lacie Rugged

Ghostface lyric.

CRASH DDZ · Post by **CRASH DDZ** » Tue Sep 06, 2011 2:00 am

Is there a Disk Warrior type program for windows machines? I have an external with pics and stuff on it that lights up but won's register. I just want to get it working to pull everything off it./