I have this external hard drive that was bought in 2015, when i plug it to my laptop it shows that i need to be formatted and when i click it on this pc it restarts the windows explorer both on win 7, 10 and 11. I have tried a free file retriever on reddit but i forgot the name. Also, i have tried to attach it on our led tv it works when i put it upside down making the cable like a fold then it detects after a few times. How to recover the files or how to fix it?
Your external hard drive is showing signs of hardware failure, likely with the USB interface or the drive’s internal controller. The fact that it crashes Windows Explorer, asks to be formatted, and only works when the cable is bent or positioned a certain way indicates a physical problem rather than a software issue. Do not format the drive, as this could cause permanent data loss. To recover your files, try stabilizing the connection with a good-quality cable or powered hub, or remove the drive from its enclosure and connect it directly to a desktop via SATA. Once the connection is stable, use recovery software such as R-Studio, ReclaiMe, or TestDisk/PhotoRec in read-only mode to copy your data. If the files are very important and the drive remains unstable, a professional data recovery service is the safest option, as they can access the drive directly and recover the data. Every attempt carries some risk, so focus on protecting the data first.
1 Like
I got you. Thank you for the detailed information. I actually tried a recovery software but I forgot the name though. Is it advisable to replace it’s enclosure as well as the USB cable?
Yes, but in your case, it is absolutely reasonable to replace both the USB cable and the enclosure, only if you do so in the correct order.
1 Like
Thank you so much. Will purchase one that’s reliable and not cheap
