External hard drive not responding - what to do?

If your external hard drive stops responding, this can have a number of causes. The solutions are sometimes quite simple - we show you the most promising solutions.

Solutions: External hard drive stops responding

• Check the cable: First you should check the cable. If there is a defect or loose contact, the problem is quickly resolved.
• USB problems: The free tool USB Troubleshooter goes through various sources of error with you and clearly shows you how to check and eliminate the possible problems.
• Other tools: If that did not help either, you can repair your hard drive with the programs HD Tune or TestDisc. With the Restorer2000, the data can also be saved under certain circumstances.

External hard drive is not responding: data recovery and repair

If you cannot solve the problem yourself, all you have to do is save the data and / or professional repair.

• Manufacturer: The manufacturer will replace the hard drive under warranty, but usually will not back up the data. Almost no manufacturer offers such a service.
• Saving data: If you still want to save your data, you can take the external hard drive out of the housing and plug it into a desktop PC. In many cases, the data can still be read out and transmitted.
• Repair: There are companies that specialize in the rescue of data carriers. However, this also has its price for which you could buy at least one new hard drive.
• Hardware defect: In many cases, local electronics stores with a small workshop can often help you. In our test, we had an external hard drive with a broken USB plug repaired. All data remained on the hard disk.

In this practical tip, we will tell you why the "safe removal" of external hard drives is so important.