External Hard Drive wants to format

[OurFreeSociety]

Hi there,

I'm new to the forum.

I couldn't find a forum for an external, so I hope it's ok putting my question here.

So a Windows 10 update (don't get me started) ruined not just my external HD where all of my data is, but also some software on my computer.

I have no place to put my data that's backed up (most of it) because my laptop is very small compared to the WD external which is 4 TB.

I've done a system restore, so one of the software issues is resolved, but not all of them.

I really need the external fixed until I get a new one.

There's no way to get it fixed other than to format it & that may not even work, right?

Please help. I got almost no sleep all last night.

Thanks

[fink]

What is the make/model of the external drive? Is the drive and it's (right click) properties visible in device manager? Was the data on the drive encrypted? What exact symptoms are you seeing when you try to access the external drive and are there any system or error messages? Have you tried accessing the drive with another computer or a cell phone? Have you tried using a different USB port on the laptop?

[bugspop1]

They listed the Make and Size but not the Model Number (Western Digital 4TB).

Fink has asked all good questions, the more Information you can provide
the easier it is for us to help.
Fink also supplied a couple possible quick fixes.
What Drives is it showing in Device Manager and Disk Management?

If you could post a Screenshot it would be helpful.
They should look similar to the Pics below.
You may have more than One Drive Showing, I have loads of External
Drives but didn't have any that were handy to plug in before I took
my screenshots.

DeviceManager.jpg
DiskManagement.jpg

[Goatse]

The model number and other info is in tiny print on the bottom or next to the connections (depends upon the drive) on the bottom of the drive. With the drive connected to the PC, Speccy from Piriform will list the model number in the storage info. You can check the drive for errors when connected under Properties>Tools>Error Checking.

Western Digital has a suite for its internal and external drives that does many maintenance things but it's been so long since I've used it I can't recall the name of the program. Look on WD's website for downloads to find it.

[Jons_s]

I wouldn?t rush to format the drive. If the data?s still there but just not accessible, formatting could make recovery harder. Try connecting it to another computer, or using data recovery tools might help you get to the files.