Friday, December 19, 2008

Western Digital external hard drive Click of Death - possible fixes

Just some suggestions for the desperate. I have a different model WD external with similar issues. Starts clicking and you can't access the drive, or the current operation hangs. Try a couple of things:
  1. Try a different USB port. Sometimes this makes a difference.
  2. Sounds silly, but this "kick started" it - try holding the drive at a different angle (sideways, upside down, etc.) until it stops clicking. This enabled me to write/read some data.
  3. Make sure your USB cable is not longer than 22", as this may cause power issues, according to WD.
  4. Go to the WD site -> Support -> Replacement/RMA and follow the instructions to see if you can get a replacement.