Questions tagged [external-hard-drive]
A hard drive designed to be connected to a computer via an external interface such as USB, eSATA, Thunderbolt, or IEEE 1394.
3,422
questions
0
votes
1
answer
54
views
How to use an external harddrive as the main harddrive [closed]
What I mean by this is that I hope to eliminate the use for an internal hard drive since I'm having some issues with it that I'd rather just leave behind
0
votes
3
answers
54
views
How can I make three 10TB external hard drives act as one 30TB hard drive?
I have a huge collection of videos I am using for a book. I have over 30TB of data. When I am searching for and downloading new videos for my research, it is a huge benefit for me if I do not download ...
0
votes
1
answer
21
views
External power for 3,5" HDD with USB-C charger
I'm trying to use one of my 2 HDDs (requiring 0,75A and less on both 5V and 12V) as external drive for storage. I tried using UGREEN Sata to USB-C adapter, but it has not enough power.
I know, that 3,...
0
votes
1
answer
57
views
Understanding the Relationship between Device IOPS and Throughput
I'm trying to understand the relationship between device IOPS and throughput. I used AmorphousDiskMark to gather some information, and I have one question:
My SSD disk is based on 4KB per block. So, I ...
0
votes
1
answer
27
views
Windows Drive Name Is Permanently Renamed?
When I plug in any external drive, the drive name keep showing as E: PANDORY, which I did rename one drive to in the past, but they used to show up as the blank name of the drive manufacturer, how do ...
0
votes
0
answers
13
views
"Device not configured" after external HD improperly unmounted
I accidently unplugged my external HD before the eject was done :-/
/Volumes/Red is still there and can't be deleted.
The HD still mounts but as /Volumes/Red 1.
How can I remove /Volumes/Red?
$ gls -...
2
votes
1
answer
47
views
TestDisk - rebuild NTFS partition on dead WD Elements [from macos]
I have a 5TB WD Elements external USB disk, which was formatted as a single 5TB NTFS partition without about 4TB of files. It's not a bootable disk. It stopped mounting, so I pulled it apart and ...
1
vote
0
answers
48
views
Building a NAS - cannot get HDDs to work, is there something I'm doing wrong?
I am trying to build a NAS, here are the specs of the system:
- AMD Ryzen 9 7950x3D
- 128GB DDR4 (3200MHz?)
- RTX 4070
- 1TB 970 evo
- 4 6TB WD Red Plus
- Focus GX-1000 1000w PSU
So whenever I plug ...
0
votes
1
answer
142
views
How to interpret SMART Reallocated Sectors Count (WD Elements)
Update, 23 later: the drive failed, most data can't be read, even though the SMART values did not deteriorate a lot. I wanted to replace it in two weeks, since I was busy. Don't fall into a "this ...
0
votes
0
answers
35
views
Can't access HDD External
So I have 2 HDD external that can't be accessed
Both showing at devices and printer
But doesn't show at computer
In devices and printer it says BUP portable and expansion but I can't access both
Light ...
0
votes
1
answer
206
views
Linux backup of USB drive using rsync hangs
I have a Western Digital My Book 4TB external USB drive.
If I attempt backup using the tar command
tar cvf - . | ( cd $bkdir ; tar xvpf - )
I have no problem performing the backup.
If I attempt the ...
2
votes
0
answers
54
views
How to reach the maximum bandwidth on many USB drives?
I have many (~60 at now) external USB drives which I need to occasionally, but regularly, connect to one Linux workstation because I need to run a sanity check program on data saved on them.
I don't ...
0
votes
0
answers
19
views
external HD RAW, then what?
Argh. It is one of these bad days really.
I had my work archive external 6tb HD attached on my main computer
(no bootable system on it)
I don't really know what happened, but when I put it back on, ...
0
votes
1
answer
43
views
What are my options for installing Windows (10/11) on an external m.2 ssd, to later be used on an internal one, and is using windows to go okay?
My friend's birthday is coming up, me and some mutual friends are planning on building him a computer. I have been given the SSD and have been tasked with preparing it so it's ready to go asap (we are ...
0
votes
1
answer
21
views
Trying to diagnose external hard drive malfunction
What's the issue with this Seagate external hard drive:
its activity light stays on after I issue the 'safely remove hardware' command on laptop 1 (before physically removing it from the laptop); ...
0
votes
0
answers
22
views
Symlink Messages Library Data
My hard drive is completely full on my mac, mostly due to my extensive Messages archive. I have an external drive and would like to move the data over to it using a symlink (or other solution). When I ...
0
votes
1
answer
50
views
Are disks in multi-bay enclosure seen as individual disks or one?
I have only experience with single disk enclosure, so sorry for naive question.
Let's say I buy 2-bay disk enclosure and put there 2 disks. Will I see them as two separate disks (this is what I would ...
0
votes
2
answers
59
views
Is it possible to use a PC to simulate an external hard drive?
What I would like to do is to divide a hard drive into partitions, and connect my PC to other devices. While connected, I want the other device to recognize a partition of the hard drive as if it were ...
0
votes
2
answers
213
views
How to find what programs are using an external SSD?
After buying a Samsung Portable SSD T7 shield I connected it to my Asus computer (running Windows 10) and then opened a setup file and followed the steps to install and put a password on the drive. ...
0
votes
0
answers
63
views
Why does my external USB hard drive (bus powered) keep making noise long after it's unmounted?
Why does my external USB hard drive (bus powered) keep making noise long after it's unmounted? I am using macOS 14.3.1.
The noise is very similar to, or the same as, that the drive makes when writing ...
0
votes
0
answers
108
views
Can a faulty motherboard kill external HDDs?
Last year I got a new external HDD (drive 1) which failed without warning in less than 2 months. I got it replaced with a different but also new external drive (drive 2), and now four months later it ...
0
votes
0
answers
16
views
MacOs, Ext. Hard drives killing computers?
in the same week, I’ve had 3 computers fail to turn on when being connected to my two external HDDs. The drives are a LaCie 500Gb and an IBM 250 Gb in an OWC case. Both connect through Firewire 800 or ...
0
votes
1
answer
29
views
How can I test external HDDs after 3 computers fail to turn on after using external HDDs?
In the same week, I’ve had 3 computers fail to turn on when being connected to my two external HDDs. The drives are a LaCie 500Gb and an IBM 250Gb in an OWC case. Both connect through Firewire 800 or ...
0
votes
2
answers
125
views
File Transfer of ISO files using ROBOCOPY and Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V
I have these two products:
Virtual iODD External Encrypted Enclosure Virtual
Samsung SSD 4TB
I have a Sabrent SATA Driver Enclosure on the side connected to my main computer, with a Windows 10 OS. ...
-3
votes
1
answer
91
views
Why is my WD HDD making a curious sound?
I've tried to access an 3.0TB Hard-Drive from Western Digital (Model WD30EZRX).
The hard drive is not being shown by the operating system and it creates the following (repeating) sound:
https://...
0
votes
3
answers
171
views
REALLOCATED SECTOR COUNT 4948. Request for advice
I felt need of testing because some of my stored games were failing to boot properly. Quick test from HD Tune Pro app displayed 3 red blocks in one of the test runs and a full test always reports 3 ...
2
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How can I use the full 6 Gbit/s mode on my SATA HDD?
I am using an old WD My Book (don't know which version, but it's most likely the one from the video How to open a WD my book case) with a WD 2 TB HDD. It is connected via mini USB b <=> USB A to ...
1
vote
1
answer
45
views
WD External Drive Stopped Working - Are there any Non-Destructive Diagnostic Options? What's the Best Course Of Action?
I'm having problems with my Western Digital My Passport 4TB External Drive.
This model, specifically: WDBYFT004BBK-0A
I was in the process of cross-backing-up data between my live setup (laptop), my ...
0
votes
1
answer
63
views
Should I be worried about my SMART values of my drive?
From what I gather, this is really really bad. I should probably replace my drive. But could I get verification that I am correct before doing so?
SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 16
...
0
votes
0
answers
108
views
Problems with usb3 attached drive ERROR: Transfer event for disabled endpoint or incorrect stream ring
I have a HP Microserver gen8 that I'm using for testing and some minor backup.
This machine has a debian 9 installation, I'm planning to upgrade it to debian 12 when I will have some time, the machine ...
0
votes
0
answers
40
views
Automated dismounting & mounting of external hard drive
I have an external hard drive for my backups, but to better protect it against ransomware, I want to have a scheduled script after the backup finishes, that dismounts the drive, and then a similar one ...
0
votes
0
answers
110
views
Bootable External Drive Issue on Apple Silicon M2- Need Help Resolving
Note: It is working Fine on M1 machine.
I've been encountering difficulties with my bootable external drive on my Apple Silicon Mac.
I've tried creating the bootable drive using ASR, Carbon Copy ...
0
votes
0
answers
70
views
How can I delete at least some data from an external HDD with write/read problems without physically damaging the drive?
I'm seeking advice on how to handle a faulty hard drive that I need to return to Amazon.
There are many articles suggesting ways to wipe or physically destroy a drive, but these options aren't viable ...
0
votes
0
answers
57
views
HDD suddenly disappeared from Explorer
I have an older Seagate 120 GB HDD, that I'm connecting to my laptop with an IDE/SATA to USB adapter. The drive is easily 15 years old, but when I connected to the SATA/USB adapter (which is powered),...
0
votes
0
answers
34
views
What is the expected write-speed drop for SSDs [duplicate]
Basically, the problem is this:
An external SSD (SATA drive in an enclosure) drops the write speed after some time when uploading large files/ a lot of files.
I first noticed this when just uploading ...
0
votes
0
answers
163
views
Changing a folder icon on an external hard drive not working
So I've been putting custom icons on folders for years. I do it on my desktop. I do it on any external hard drive folders I have....just for fun and it looks better.
Here is the method I use:
Take ...
0
votes
0
answers
34
views
How to Programmatically Eject a Drive for Immutable Backups with Physical Connection?
We are looking for a practical and cost-effective way to enhance the security of our backups. Our initial idea was to go for immutable backups but unfortunately, due to cost constraints, we are ...
0
votes
1
answer
166
views
Dropped HDD seems to be working fine with Windows, makes clicking noise when connected to Raspberry Pi 5
I dropped my External HDD (WD My Passport 5TB) while unplugging it from my Windows PCs USB port. Drop height was about 1m/3ft and it fell on the floor immediately after USB was disconnected. I'm ...
0
votes
0
answers
132
views
How to save data from an external disk that died
A little under 4 years ago I bought a Seagate Backup Plus Portable 5 TB external hard drive. It's worked fine for years, but recently it started having problems - it would disconnect and then ...
1
vote
1
answer
111
views
Mounting external HDD initiates high-resource background processes in Windows 11
It is basically not possible for me to unmount and disconnect my externall HDD because as soon as I plug it in, Windows Explorer uses massive disk usage (>100 MB/s) for about 10 minutes, and then ...
0
votes
0
answers
240
views
Unable to merge all partitions (including the Recovery partition) in my Old Laptop hard drive turned external drive
I have the hard drive of my laptop that was replaced with a SSD so I wanted to use it as an external storage space by combining them all into one. There were 3 partitions previously that I formatted ...
0
votes
0
answers
44
views
Disk Malfunctioned But They All Disappeared - Is This Disk Still Trustworthy?
I have encountered a situation I have never seen before. I recently bought an Seagate One Touch 5TB external HDD, and to ensure it would store data properly, I tried to run chkdsk. However before that,...
1
vote
0
answers
427
views
How to delete ProgramFiles x86 and Windows folders (external hard drive)
I’ve upgraded an old HDD on a laptop to an SSD (the SSD has already windows on it, last update, drivers etc, so the laptop is fully operational).
I’d like to delete the ProgramFiles, ProgramFiles (x86)...
15
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Could a low quality SSD enclosure prevent the TRIM functionality on my SSD?
I'm about to purchase an external SSD enclosure (case) for my Samsung 860 QVO. Some case manufacturers mention "supports TRIM" in the description, some don't. Reading online, I only could ...
0
votes
0
answers
40
views
My new laptop keeps killing externals
My HP Envy x360 2 in 1 laptop 15-fe0053dx that I got this last (2023) black Friday keeps killing my external hard drives. After purchasing it I also bought a 1tb Crucial external SDD and a 1TB Seagate ...
0
votes
0
answers
86
views
ddrescue 0% recovered - is the external hard drive dead?
I assume my external exFAT hard drive is dead. There are many questions about ddrescue but typically the poster manages to recover something. I just want an analysis of my results.
ddrescue shows:
I ...
1
vote
1
answer
456
views
Drive not appearing in Optimise Drives (Windows 10)
Running Windows 10 with two 16GB pen drives (mapped to F: and P:) and a larger 4TB WD external disk (mapped to W:). All drives work correctly, appear in Windows Explorer, Disk Management, you can ...
0
votes
0
answers
313
views
Sandisk Extreme Portable SSD (1TB) not visible
I have a SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD (1TB), and have been using it for two years without any issue.
This weekend I connected it to a new Synology NAS (DS223) and tried to copy the files over. The ...
2
votes
1
answer
90
views
External hard drive unmounts when spun down
I'm using a Raspberry Pi 5 with an external hard drive connected via USB 3. On boot, it is mounted with the following entry in /etc/fstab:
LABEL=external /mnt/external ext4 defaults,noatime,nofail 0 2
...
0
votes
1
answer
42
views
Trying to understand SmartCRTL results: Normed value less than the worst value?
Please see the below output of smartctl for external hard drive. For attribute: Offline_Uncorrectable, the current normed-value is less that the worst value.
How is it possible? It should be always ...