I have a WD Passport 320 GB USB Hard Disc. It has stopped working and is making a weird noise. What is the best way to resolve this
‘‘Weird noises’’, that sounds bad… Some steps to try outlined below:
-Use a different USB cable
-Plug the drive to a different computer
-Plug the USB directly to the computer (No USB Hubs)
-Does your computer makes a recognition sound when the USB is inserted?.
Emmmm, Hope it helps.
I have the same problem; it makes a 4 little clicking sounds, as if it’s trying to get the disc to spin, then the noise stops. And it’s not found in My Computer anymore.
I’ve just tried plugging it into another laptop and using another USB cable but the same thing happens.
Yes, my laptop does make a recognition sound when I plug it in though and a little bubble comes up saying something like ‘device software has been installed’. Also, it is still recognised as a WD HDD in Device Manager.
How do I ‘plug the USB directly to the computer’ ? With a SATA port? Is that what I’ll have to do from now on?
Fitzy & agairola,
If the USB cable or ports have no problem, this is a definite indication of a disk drive failure. Drive may show on Device Manager as electronic interface is still functioning. It is high time to claim for warranty replacement.
If the computer makes a recognition sound, maybe the drive is not getting enough power to be recognized. I would recommend you to contact WD and ask for a free power booster cable. This is a dual USB cable which will provide enough power to your drive. See below how to contact WD:
http://support.wdc.com/contact/index.asp?lang=en
If the issue persist, then, I would recommend that you replace the unit.
Thanks guys.
Well, I’ve had mine for 3 or 4 years so I’m not sure it’s in the warranty anymore.
I’ll certainly see about the dual USB cable.
Do you think I’ll lose all my stuff if I have to replace it? What about those recovery tool programs? I downloaded two, Recovery and Testdisc but I don’t know what to do with them!
Hi,
I’ve included a link for you to check your drive’s warranty:
http://websupport.wdc.com/warranty/serialinput.asp?custtype=end&requesttype=warranty&lang=en
I don’t think your drive is bad (Your computer makes a recognition sound when the USB is inserted). I do believe that it is a power issue or maybe the drive’s file system is corrupted. Have you check under disk management to see if the drive is listed in there?. See the link below for info on how to access disk management:
If the drive is not seen under disk magament, you will not be able to use a data recovery software. If it is, smile 
your data can be recovered. If is not, next step will be the dual USB cable.
Hope it helps,
