How to Fix a Portable Hard Drive
- 1). Try plugging the hard drive into a different USB port. Most portable hard drives conform to the USB 2.0 standard, which is incompatible with ports that conform to the lower standard. If you have a computer manufactured before 2006, you may have a mix of different USB port protocols, so make sure to try each one.
- 2). Try putting the hard drive in a different area. Hard drives are very sensitive to heat and cold and can malfunction if exposed to extreme temperatures. Put the hard drive in an area that is far enough away from your computer to prevent heat damage, but in a place that is protected from air conditioning vents.
- 3). Scan your drive for errors. If you suspect that there is a bad sector or corrupted cluster causing your portable hard drive, you can scan it for errors. Go to "My Computer" and then select your hard drive. Then right-click and select "properties from the sub-menu. Then select "Tools" from the new window that pops up. At the top of the Window, click on the "Check Now" button under the "Error Checking" heading. Windows will automatically scan and correct any errors affecting your portable hard drive's performance.
- 4). Change the file system to NTFS. If you are running Windows Vista or Windows Vista, and your portable hard drive is running the FAT filesystem, it could cause errors. Back up your files, and then format the portable hard drive by selecting it in the "Control Panel," right-clicking, selecting "Format," and then selecting "NTFS" from the file system menu. Then press the "OK" button. Note: Formatting the hard drive will erase all your content, so make sure to back up all your important files before continuing.
