My Book Essential USB3 3TB: fail to initialize disk, I/O error

Portable Drives My Passport
1

I’ve used this external HDD for like 6 months with no problem. Yesterday, when I tried to connect it to my laptop, it couldn’t be recognized and said this disk needs to be format before use. Windows Explorer doesn’t assign any letter to this disk. In the Computer Management (Windows 7), it can be detected and shown after I switch it on. But after a few minutes I can hear that the hdd seems to automatically restart and it no longer display in the Computer Management. Only if I switch it off and back on, it will be shown. But still no letter assigned to it. Right click the disk I can only find ‘initialize disk’, ‘offline’ and etc. I tried to use other softwares such as HDTune pro and DiskGenius, but couldn’t get any luck. Those softwares also fail to recognize it after I hear the disk restart.

I tried the initialize disk option and it appeared to work. But when I wanted to format the disk, it said something about the device I/O error problem. Then the next time I switch it on, it still ask me to initialize the disk.

Any suggestion will be helpful! Thanks in advance!

2

Received the device as “surplus”.  All data on device was erased using KILLDISK. Windows XP Device Manager can see “WD My Book 1100 USB Device” (1 TB) and reports “The device is working properly”, but Windows Explorer (“My Computer”) cannot see it – does not show a drive letter for it.   Cannot see it, and cannot format it.  Any HELP on how to make the device work as a normal HD drive?