I have a USB 3.0 4TB G-Drive (model GDREU3G1EB40001BDB) connected to an iMac via an external usb-hub that suddenly stopped working (light went off). Have confirmed with other peripherals that USB-hub is not defective. Have checked power cable on different outlet, swapped the power, connected the usb cable to another iMac, and connected using a different cable. No luck. Any ideas? Could the motherboard be blown? If so, does anyone have tips on disassembly and removal of the HDD? Many thanks in advance 
On these G-Drives, if the light is completely dead and there’s no spin sound, it’s usually the internal power board or USB bridge that failed, not the hard drive inside. The drive’s motherboard being “blown” is far less common. Before assuming data loss, the smart move is to open the enclosure, remove the bare drive, and test it in a simple SATA to USB dock or directly inside another computer. If it spins up there, your data is fine and you just had an enclosure failure.
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Many thanks for your kind, helpful reply! As it happens, turns out my adapter had blown and my early attempts to swap power were amateurish. Switching to a more compatible adapter with a slightly higher output amper (0,9 kontra 0,5) did the trick So relieved that my HDD and contents are secure.
After a power failure like this, it’s smart to back up the drive immediately. Even when it starts working again, unstable or incorrect power can shorten a drive’s life without obvious signs. Stick with the exact rated power adapter going forward and keep a backup, because this kind of issue tends to come back when you least expect it.
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Many thanks for good advice - have now secured adapter with exact rated power and will soon backup the drive to be on safe side. Cheers !!
Hi, I have a faulty internal board, the disk is not spinning, the power supply is fine. The disk in a simple SATA-USB is spinning. Replacing the board probably won’t be possible, can it be repaired?
(model WDBFJK0040HBK-04)
This usually comes down to power. If the adapter cannot supply enough current the drive will look totally dead even though the HDD is fine. Higher amperage is okay as long as the voltage is an exact match. The enclosure electronics fail far more often than the drive itself so testing the bare drive outside the case is the quickest way to confirm your data is safe.
