Hi I am having WD elements portable drive which has lots of personal backups on it which are really important to me. My drive is fine no hardware issues only software ones my drive is not getting detected most of the times and sometimes even if it is getting detected when I open it either my pc hangs or windows explorer crashes and it is referred to as read-only memory when I check out my disk management it is not their either. My drive’s power is on but only thing is that the led usually used to blink rapidly when my drive functioned correctly but now it only blinks sometimes or none. Please help me out and please help me back up my data.
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Hello averageuser1,
First, you can try to use your WD Elements on another computer to check for the same issue. It is better to backup your data if detects, then check the health of the drive using Data Lifeguard Diagnostic tool.
If not detects, I would suggest using alternate data recovery tools to recover important data from the hard drive. You can have a look on below articles for more details in this concern.
try a different USB cable … it could be faulty
has happened to me, drive ‘sometimes’ is detected and sometimes not
Hi ya’ll. I also have same issue. got 8,9 years old 500 GB element that i barely used. got virus in it once that i cleaned then it started doing same thing. last time it was detected a couple of years ago by my laptop. now i connected it to my new laptop and desktop, light turned on and disk inside was spinning fine. But, after few seconds disk stops spinning but light stays on (not blinking). i tried different troubleshooting that i know but its not appearing in disk management. Data lifeguard diagnostics does not work here as this external hd is not detected by system. I don’t think that cable is bad as disk spins for few seconds then stops. i have some photos of my kid in it. Data recovery places charge to much. Anyone have some input please let me know. need some professional help but free 
I am also getting same , could you please help on this issue
- Check the USB Connection: Ensure that the USB cable and the port you’re using are in good working condition. Try using a different USB cable and connecting to a different USB port on your computer.
- Try on Another Computer: Connect your WD Elements drive to another computer to see if it’s recognized there. This will help determine if the issue is with the drive or your current computer.
- Use a Different Operating System: If possible, try connecting your drive to a computer running a different operating system (e.g., if you’re using Windows, try a Mac or Linux computer). Sometimes, this can help overcome compatibility issues.
- Check for Disk Management: Even if it’s not showing in Windows Explorer, check the Windows Disk Management utility. Right-click on “This PC” or “My Computer” (depending on your Windows version), select “Manage,” and then go to “Disk Management.” Your drive might appear here, and you can attempt to assign a drive letter.
- Data Recovery Software: If your drive is recognized but not accessible, you can use data recovery software like Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery, or TestDisk to attempt to recover your data. These programs can often retrieve data from problematic drives.
- Safe Removal: If you can access your drive, copy the important data to another storage device as soon as possible. Always safely eject or remove the drive when you’re done.
- https://www.phdresearchproposal.org/: Western Digital offers diagnostic tools for their drives. You can download and use WD Data Lifeguard Diagnostic or WD Drive Utilities to check the drive’s health and potentially repair it.
- Consider Professional Help: If none of the above steps work, and your data is critical, consider consulting a professional data recovery service. They have specialized tools and expertise to recover data from malfunctioning drives.
- Backups in the Future: To avoid such situations in the future, it’s a good practice to maintain regular backups of your important data on multiple storage devices or in the cloud.
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If you come across issues with an external drive suddenly malfunctioning or becoming undetectable by your PC, the initial step is to inspect the physical connection.
#1. Inspect and Replace the External Hard Drive Connection Cable
Begin by examining the connecting cable between your drive and PC:
If the USB connector seems loose in the port, gently push it back into place and observe if this resolves the problem.
If the cable is fractured or damaged, substitute it with a new one and attempt reconnection. Even if there is no apparent damage, consider swapping the cable to rule out any potential internal issues.
#2. Try a Different USB Port or Connect to Another Computer
If the cable appears undamaged, the issue might be with the USB port on your PC.
Attempt plugging the drive into an alternative port to determine if this resolves the issue. If possible, test connecting the drive to a different computer to identify whether the problem lies with the drive or the PC.
#3. Review Power Management Settings for USB Hub
If none of the aforementioned solutions restore the drive’s functionality, inspect the power management settings in Windows to ascertain whether they are contributing to the issue.
After making the external hard drive detectable, we suggest that you recover any data stored on it immediately. This will not only ensure you have a copy of the files but also avoid the possibility of losing anything stored on the disk while trying the fix the problem
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better then my(
Crafting a research proposal is akin to embarking on a scholarly voyage, and platforms like this serve as trusty compasses. Offering insights and tools for novice researchers: https://www.phdresearchproposal.org/best-research-proposal-topics-in-human-resource-management/ , they illuminate the path to academic success. Grateful for their guidance as I set sail on my academic journey.
I agree with amelia, Replacing the Hard Drive Connection Cable would help in this case. Also, under the Device Manager on your computer, check if the WD Elements drive is listed under Disk drives or Universal Serial Bus controllers. If it’s listed with an error icon, there may be a driver issue.
Even when the drive actually gets detected, it freezes whenever a new folder is opened and somehow the drive goes to sleep when copying the data, the transfer rate drops to almost 0 but as soon as you go to the drive and open any new folder the transfer rate goes back up to normal speeds.
It also at times freezes my whole windows.
Even when the drive actually gets detected, it freezes whenever a new folder is opened and somehow the drive goes to sleep when copying the data, the transfer rate drops to almost 0 but as soon as you go to the drive and open any new folder the transfer rate goes back up to normal speeds.
It also at times freezes my whole windows.
