WD Elements external 2tb hard drive not working
December 9th, 2013
Is this a “desktop” or a “portable” drive?
Tried it on another PC ?
Nel replied: Is this a "desktop" or a "portable" drive?
Tried it on another PC ?
Desktop and yes I have…
It sounds like a mechanical issue, but as you haven’t said it is “clicking” it may be not.
Does it show in disk management console ?
start > Run > diskmgmt.msc
Try running the WD diagnostics
http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=304&lang=en
You may be able to get this data.
However, this is a lesson of never put all your eggs in one basket – always make a 2nd or even 3rd backup of data you don’t want to lose, can be on data dvd or br.
gilly replied: It sounds like a mechanical issue, but as you haven't said it is "clicking" it may be not.
Does it show in disk management console ?
start > Run > diskmgmt.msc
Try running the WD diagnostics
http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=304&lang=en
You may be able to get this data.
However, this is a lesson of never put all your eggs in one basket - always make a 2nd or even 3rd backup of data you don't want to lose, can be on data dvd or br.
Not showing up on either, but there might be a clicking sound? If I were to describe it after the whirring there is a small series of clicks then it shuts down with the light still blinking…
If i plug it in the usb port and quickly take it out, it still goes through the whirring and clicking process if that’s any help?
I have to come back tomorrow to check for your answers as I have to sleep, I have work in the morning…
I know this will sound fairly obvious, but have you tried using a different USB cable cable to connect the drive, the one you are using could simply be flaky.
gilly replied: I know this will sound fairly obvious, but have you tried using a different USB cable cable to connect the drive, the one you are using could simply be flaky.
Tried It. Does the same thing.
Right click on my computer, click on manage.
Navigate into the Disk Management tab on the left.
there are many others having this problem. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=22-136-471&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=%28keywords%29&Page=1 from a post, it appears to be the USB to SATA interface that goes bad. which makes sense, as WD drives are the best, and very reliable. good news from that post Pros: cheap
Cons: broke after 3 months of lite use.
Other Thoughts: I posted about this previously and thought I could edit my review, but I can't, so adding this in case anyone runs into the same issue.
My drive died after 3 months. The white light just flashed once when connected to the AC cord. I used a flat head screw driver and popped the case apart, there are just a series of plastic tabs holding it in place. the drive is held by friction with tight rubber spacers. After pulling them out, lift the drive and disconnect the power adapter. the drive is sata and I stuck it my computer and retrieved all my data. Now I just have a really expensive internal drive.
Western Digital will not condone this action or provide any help. however, I reported back to the tech helping me and told him what I did, he then offered to send me a new power adapter. I threw the case and old adapter and Ac cord away so it was of no use to me. But might save someone else the trouble.
Dragon Core replied: Right click on my computer, click on manage.
Navigate into the Disk Management tab on the left.
Not showing up
radios1 replied: there are many others having this problem. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=22-136-471&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=%28keywords%29&Page=1 from a post, it appears to be the USB to SATA interface that goes bad. which makes sense, as WD drives are the best, and very reliable. good news from that post Pros: cheap
Cons: broke after 3 months of lite use.
Other Thoughts: I posted about this previously and thought I could edit my review, but I can't, so adding this in case anyone runs into the same issue.
My drive died after 3 months. The white light just flashed once when connected to the AC cord. I used a flat head screw driver and popped the case apart, there are just a series of plastic tabs holding it in place. the drive is held by friction with tight rubber spacers. After pulling them out, lift the drive and disconnect the power adapter. the drive is sata and I stuck it my computer and retrieved all my data. Now I just have a really expensive internal drive.
Western Digital will not condone this action or provide any help. however, I reported back to the tech helping me and told him what I did, he then offered to send me a new power adapter. I threw the case and old adapter and Ac cord away so it was of no use to me. But might save someone else the trouble.
So what do i do??
If it is a faulty USB to SATA interface, you would only have 2 real options.
1. RMA it and lose your data.
2. Take the HDD out of the enclosure and do as the guy in that review posted – however that would invalidate your warranty.
I’d say the data is far more important the the warranty and connecting it internally to a Desktop PC is worth a try,But
there’s also the possibility that it’s a physical problem with the HDD itself and these are not easy to tackle,Professional
data recovery for a 2TB drive is around $2100. Better keep backup next time! Unfortunately,Most ppl don’t get how important
that is til something like this happens.
Roberto400 replied: I'd say the data is far more important the the warranty and connecting it internally to a Desktop PC is worth a try,But
there's also the possibility that it's a physical problem with the HDD itself and these are not easy to tackle,Professional
data recovery for a 2TB drive is around $2100. Better keep backup next time! Unfortunately,Most ppl don't get how important
that is til something like this happens.
Too true
@ magic_mana_mike – if you don’t have enough connections to connect it internally, then you can get fairly cheap SATA to USB docking stations.
eg.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-5-3-5-SATA-HDD-USB-Docking-Station-Cradle-DOCK-/150659558996
If the HDD is working, you could also consider getting another enclosure if you want to keep the HDD as an external. You can get fairly reasonably priced ones, I usually go for aluminium ones, but you can get plastic ones much cheaper. I don’t know if I would trust using that original enclosure again even if you managed to get hold of a replacement adapter from them.
At last,Something we can both agree on!
But is there really a need to get both a dock & enclosure? An enclosure alone will do for either case (testing & using it as external if the HDD itself is OK),For the record,The enclosure material (plastic/aluminum) doesn’t really matter anymore,He most likely has a Green HDD
in there,These are very commonly used on AIO externals these days and run up to 15C cooler than standard HDDs.
Edit: It’d probably be best to first open the enclosure before getting a new one,Just to verify the USB bridge is removable,On some WD externals it’s integrated directly to the HDD.
gilly replied: Roberto400 replied: I'd say the data is far more important the the warranty and connecting it internally to a Desktop PC is worth a try,But
there's also the possibility that it's a physical problem with the HDD itself and these are not easy to tackle,Professional
data recovery for a 2TB drive is around $2100. Better keep backup next time! Unfortunately,Most ppl don't get how important
that is til something like this happens.
Too true
@ magic_mana_mike - if you don't have enough connections to connect it internally, then you can get fairly cheap SATA to USB docking stations.
eg.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-5-3-5-SATA-HDD-USB-Docking-Station-Cradle-DOCK-/150659558996
If the HDD is working, you could also consider getting another enclosure if you want to keep the HDD as an external. You can get fairly reasonably priced ones, I usually go for aluminium ones, but you can get plastic ones much cheaper. I don't know if I would trust using that original enclosure again even if you managed to get hold of a replacement adapter from them.
Roberto400 replied: At last,Something we can both agree on!
But is there really a need to get both a dock & enclosure? An enclosure alone will do for either case (testing & using it as external if the HDD itself is OK),For the record,The enclosure material (plastic/aluminum) doesn't really matter anymore,He most likely has a Green HDD
in there,These are very commonly used on AIO externals these days and run up to 15C cooler than standard HDDs.
Edit: It'd probably be best to first open the enclosure before getting a new one,Just to verify the USB bridge is removable,On some WD externals it's integrated directly to the HDD.
Ok… but another thing, the usb port on the external hard drive itself fell off. How do i put it back on?
and can i use this one?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182143
for this?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=22-136-471&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Keywords=%28keywords%29&Page=1
I had the 3TB version of this model for two weeks, died on me. Going back and building my own now. -100 for western digital.
magic_mana_mike replied: Ok... but another thing, the usb port on the external hard drive itself fell off. How do i put it back on?
Not sure you can and it’s hard to tell without pics,But forget about the original enclosure,Open it up and hook it up internally
to your desktop PC,Or get a new enclosure.
magic_mana_mike replied: and can i use this one??
USB hub = Splitter,It’s intended to provide additional USB ports and has nothing to do with this.
Edit: I see you changed the link to an enclosure,No this will not work,You’d need a 3.5″ SATA one,But make sure it supports 2TB!!
Roberto400 replied: magic_mana_mike replied: Ok... but another thing, the usb port on the external hard drive itself fell off. How do i put it back on?
Not sure you can and it's hard to tell without pics,But forget about the original enclosure,Open it up and hook it up internally
to your desktop PC,Or get a new enclosure.
magic_mana_mike replied: and can i use this one??
USB hub = Splitter,It's intended to provide additional USB ports and has nothing to do with this.
Edit: I see you changed the link to an enclosure,No this will not work,You'd need a 3.5" SATA one,But make sure it supports 2TB!!
How do i hook it up internally? And could you help me find a cheap one? I am in Australia….
magic_mana_mike replied: How do i hook it up internally?
1. Take it out of the enclosure,Refer to these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZUMh_H3B_Y
http://www.gearhack.com/myink/ViewPage.php?file=docs/Western%20Digital%20Elements%20External%20Hard%20Drive%20Disassembly
2. Refer to this diagram:
http://s1.postimage.org/xtg96yei6/satax.png
This requires a Desktop PC of course.
magic_mana_mike replied:
And could you help me find a cheap one? I am in Australia....
http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/169735/HARD_DRIVE_-_EXTERNAL_DRIVE_CASE_SATA_-_USB_3.5/Astone/ISO-481U3.asp
Roberto400 replied: magic_mana_mike replied: How do i hook it up internally?
1. Take it out of the enclosure,Refer to these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZUMh_H3B_Y
http://www.gearhack.com/myink/ViewPage.php?file=docs/Western%20Digital%20Elements%20External%20Hard%20Drive%20Disassembly
2. Refer to this diagram:
http://s1.postimage.org/xtg96yei6/satax.png
This requires a Desktop PC of course.
magic_mana_mike replied:
And could you help me find a cheap one? I am in Australia....
http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/169735/HARD_DRIVE_-_EXTERNAL_DRIVE_CASE_SATA_-_USB_3.5/Astone/ISO-481U3.asp
Which one do you recommend? and what are the dangers of each? Also are there cheaper ones? and how do i remove it from the case and what do i connect to the external drive case?
Off the topic, thanks for all your help though
You will need an enclosure for a 3.5″ drive such as this..
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817145084
Does work
5 out of 5 eggs
“Worked instantly when I plugged it in over USB 2.0 with 2 TB Western Digital HDD inside on Win 7 32-bit”
— 2/8/2011
EDIT… did not see the bit about Australia. Here’s one..
http://msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=1878
magic_mana_mike replied:
Which one do you recommend? and what are the dangers of each? Also are there cheaper ones? and how do i remove it from the case and what do i connect to the external drive case?
First way would be easier & more cost effective,But if you feel that you lack the experience,The second one would probably be better.
There are no risks with either,Both methods are safe,No there aren’t any cheaper ones,Not any that supports 2TB at least,And I already
gave you the howto (#1),You connect the HDD itself to the new enclosure.
Nel replied: You will need an enclosure for a 3.5" drive such as this..
I already had this one covered^
He’s from Australia btw.
I already had this one covered^
He's from Australia btw.
Duh…I musta been on the wrong page!
The WD Essential power supplies are pretty crappy from my experience..Have had to replace caps twice in mine..
Although when they go, they usually just have no power at all.
Nel replied: Here's one..
Good find,That will do,Tho for future proofing on performance (USB 3.0) I’d say it’s worth investing the extra $10
on the other one,But it all depends on the OP of course,A lot of recent motherboards & laptops come with USB 3.0,It can
also be added to existing ones as an expansion card (to a desktop that has a PCI-E x1 slot or a laptop that has an expresscard slot)
Roberto400 replied: Nel replied: Here's one..
Good find,That will do,Tho for future proofing on performance (USB 3.0) I'd say it's worth investing the extra $10
on the other one,But it all depends on the OP of course,A lot of recent motherboards & laptops come with USB 3.0,It can
also be added to existing ones as an expansion card (to a desktop that has a PCI-E x1 slot or a laptop that has an expresscard slot)
The link
http://www.gearhack.com/myink/ViewPage.php?file=docs/Western%20Digital%20Elements%20External%20Hard%20Drive%20Disassembly
Only opens the case.. and nothing else..
Also what If i connect it to it and it doesn’t work? What would the problem be?
What’s so hard to understand? External hard drives are not really one-piece,It’s just a normal HDD sitting in a box (a.k.a enclosure)
that makes it external,So you need to open your WD enclosure,Remove the HDD then put it in the new enclosure or hook it up internally
to your Desktop PC,Whichever way you prefer. As for the other question,We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,No point making speculations at this stage.
Roberto400 replied: What's so hard to understand? External hard drives are not really one-piece,It's just a normal HDD sitting in a box (a.k.a enclosure)
that makes it external,So you need to open your WD enclosure,Remove the HDD then put it in the new enclosure or hook it up internally
to your Desktop PC,Whichever way you prefer. As for the other question,We'll cross that bridge when we get to it,No point making speculations at this stage.
But, what i’m saying is don’t i have to open
http://www.gearhack.com/docs/Western%20Digital%20Elements%20External%20Hard%20Drive%20Disassembly.html.files.hidden/WD%20Internal%20SATA%20Hard%20Drive.JPG
this up?
absolutely NOT,That’s the HDD itself!
Just remove the USB bridge (detachable)
Roberto400 replied: absolutely NOT,That's the HDD itself!
Just remove the USB bridge (detachable)
Ah, thanks didn’t know it was detactable, will report once I buy it, maybe tomorrow….
open it up, theres probably something stuck inside. Same thing happened with mine.
huzibizi replied: open it up, theres probably something stuck inside. Same thing happened with mine.
Not sure what your referring to as you haven’t been specific and your post was just under the HDD pic,But just for the
record,An HDD should never be opened down to the platter level by an individual,Only by a data recovery specialist working from a clean room.
Nel replied: You will need an enclosure for a 3.5" drive such as this..
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817145084
Does work
5 out of 5 eggs
“Worked instantly when I plugged it in over USB 2.0 with 2 TB Western Digital HDD inside on Win 7 32-bit”
— 2/8/2011
EDIT... did not see the bit about Australia. Here's one..
http://msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=1878
And that ones sold out in my state…
Roberto400 replied:
http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/169735/HARD_DRIVE_-_EXTERNAL_DRIVE_CASE_SATA_-_USB_3.5/Astone/ISO-481U3.asp
And are you sure this one will work with usb 2.0?
USB 3.0 is backwards compatable for drives and connectors.
Just be careful of Seagate USB 3.0 externals, as they have a different type of USB 3.0 cable (different connectors just to be awkward).
Most SATA enclosures will work with a 2TB drive. Above 2.25 TB you run into problems.
gilly replied: USB 3.0 is backwards compatable
Indeed.
gilly replied: Just be careful of Seagate USB 3.0 externals, as they have a different type of USB 3.0 cable (different connectors just to be awkward)
I don’t see how this is relevant to this discussion.
gilly replied: Most SATA enclosures will work with a 2TB drive. Above 2.25 TB you run into problems.
I’d say this is true for most 3.5″ USB3 enclosures but not for USB2 ones,One should always check the maximum
supported capacity before buying,Btw the one I picked supports up to 3TB.
Roberto400 replied: gilly replied: USB 3.0 is backwards compatable
Indeed.
gilly replied: Just be careful of Seagate USB 3.0 externals, as they have a different type of USB 3.0 cable (different connectors just to be awkward)
I don't see how this is relevant to this discussion.
gilly replied: Most SATA enclosures will work with a 2TB drive. Above 2.25 TB you run into problems.
I'd say this is true for most 3.5" USB3 enclosures but not for USB2 ones,One should always check the maximum
supported capacity before buying,Btw the one I picked supports up to 3TB.
Ok FINALLY got it, inserted it and the same thing happens…
Get a big magnet and put it next to it. Leave it for an hour, set it on fire and throw it off a mountain!
Ker91 replied: Get a big magnet and put it next to it. Leave it for an hour, set it on fire and throw it off a mountain!
The point is I want all my stuff on there, there are some important documents on there.
Now that you verified the clicking is not caused by lack of power but the HDD itself,The only option left is professional data
recovery,Which of course would cost you a fortune so think twice about this! I recommend you go with this company:
http://www.toba.com.au/
Do note however that this is not an HDD repair service,You’ll get the data back on either DVD discs (if it’s not too big)
or on another HDD (which you can provide em in advance or purchase from em)
You could try the old freezer trick..nuthin’ to loose!
http://www.lancelhoff.com/freeze-a-clicking-hard-drive-to-recover-data/
Nel replied: You could try the old freezer trick
This method is not practical for large amounts of data,If it’d even work,He’d only have 10-15 mins per freezeup which is not good enough.
Now just for the record,The guy who made that tutorial got it wrong for the most part,When the HDD is the OS drive,Booting
from it after freezing is a plain bad idea as it’d warm up faster and wouldn’t last as long,Using a LiveCD would be better,Also,Since
speed is up the essence,Having both (faulty & backup hdd) connected internally would be best.
Roberto400 replied: Now that you verified the clicking is not caused by lack of power but the HDD itself,The only option left is professional data
recovery,Which of course would cost you a fortune so think twice about this! I recommend you go with this company:
http://www.toba.com.au/
Do note however that this is not an HDD repair service,You'll get the data back on either DVD discs (if it's not too big)
or on another HDD (which you can provide em in advance or purchase from em)
Well the recovery that is supported by Western Digital charges a $99 investigation fee and then a quote of $500-$1500 and 10% off the price.
Not sure what your talking about,Mind being more specific? WD themselves don’t do data recovery,And from where did you get
that quote? Sounds too good to be true for a 2TB drive,Toba don’t charge an evaluation fee btw.
Roberto400 replied: Not sure what your talking about,Mind being more specific? WD themselves don't do data recovery,And from where did you get
that quote? Sounds too good to be true for a 2TB drive,Toba don't charge an evaluation fee btw.
For Toba it is:
Yes it is possible to recover and the cost is $297 from the WD 2TB hard drive provided there is no electromechanical damage (internal), if there is an assessment is required to determine the fault in order to provide a firm quote and duration to recover and a no recovery no charge policy applies. Feel free to call or email me if you have any questions. For internal damage the cost will vary between $600 and $2200 and an attempt fee of $330 may apply (if parts are required). Please include a copy of this email should you wish to proceed.
And since it probably is internal damage I think that is what you said before, its going to cost $600-$2200…
More likely $2100-2200 and not any cheaper,Anyways,If you got the money and the data is important,Go for it,Otherwise don’t waste
your time and carry on.
Roberto400 replied: More likely $2100-2200 and not any cheaper,Anyways,If you got the money and the data is important,Go for it,Otherwise don't waste
your time and carry on.
Well when i messaged OnTrackDataRecovery the first time they said:
Thank you for your inquiry on our data recovery service. Here is a brief explanation of our process:
The first step is to complete an evaluation on your media to find out exactly what the problem is and determine what needs to be done to recover the data. The evaluation fee is $99. After this is completed we will provide you with the results of the evaluation including a complete file listing of recoverable data. You will also be given a quote to complete the recovery which will be between $500-$1500 depending on the difficulty of the recovery (Western Digital customers’ receive a 10% discount on this fee). You can decide at this point after receiving the results and quote if you want to continue with the recovery. If you decide to go forward the data will be backed up to the most appropriate media and sent back along with the failed device. The typical turn around time for the entire service is 5 – 10 days. We also have faster service levels available if needed.
If you would like to begin the process, please let me know and I will email you the form you need. Please contact us if you have questions or would like to send in your media for data recovery.
And when i asked:
“The usb port on the hard drive has fallen off is this a problem? Also I have opened the hard drive, too see what happened to the usb port of course is that a problem as well?”
She replied:
No that shouldn’t be too much of an issue as we see that from time to time. The fact that you’ve opened the drive isn’t great as drives need to be opened in a clean room environment to prevent contamination but it doesn’t necessarily mean the drive will be unrecoverable.
And I said:
I have not open the drive but the enclosure around the hard drive. I have figured it to be an internal problem, would that still cost between $600-$1500?
She replied:
Oh that’s good you haven’t opened the actual drive. Yes the recovery will still fall within that range.
That sounds better,But just to verify,You did tell em (or picked from the online form) that you have a 2TB right?
try and go get a new one
Roberto400 replied: More likely $2100-2200 and not any cheaper,Anyways,If you got the money and the data is important,Go for it,Otherwise don't waste
your time and carry on.
Exactly !
Throw it in the bin, learn from the mistake of not having a backup, and move forward.
gilly replied: Throw it in the bin
Easy for you to say,It’s not your data going down the drain,If he can afford it,Professional data recovery is certainly worth it.
Roberto400 replied: gilly replied: Throw it in the bin
Easy for you to say,It's not your data going down the drain,If he can afford it,Professional data recovery is certainly worth it.
If you read my post above – I agreed with your post, ie. pay or bin.
If he can’t afford it, then the only options are to bin it, or keep it safe until he can afford it.
I didn’t mean it to sound flippant, but unless people start to learn from their mistakes such as not backing up any data they don’t want to lose, then they won’t be able to move forward. No point dwelling on the fact. It’s life, move on.
gilly replied:
If you read my post above - I agreed with your post, ie. pay or bin.
Actually,You didn’t,Or at least didn’t put it right,You just wrote “Exactly” followed by “Throw it in the bin” and didn’t mention
one word about agreeing with the rest.
gilly replied: I didn't mean it to sound flippant, but unless people start to learn from their mistakes such as not backing up any data they don't want to lose, then they won't be able to move forward
I agree,But there’s really no need to rub it in,I’m sure the OP is well aware of this by now,Also,Both of us have already pointed this
out on the first page.
Roberto400 replied: That sounds better,But just to verify,You did tell em (or picked from the online form) that you have a 2TB right?
Yes, I wrote to them:
The hard drive is a 2tb one, just wondering if I had already told you before.
And they replied:
No problem