External hard drive issue

[Judd]

I have an WD external drive that we use to store items like pictures, computer backups etc. Its 1TB Western Digital, about 4-5 years old I think. Probably has 600-700GB on it. It has a USB port and seperate power supply. When I connect it to any of my laptops and search for something, it is painfully slow. 15 to 20 minute scans, and it will usually lock the laptop up.

Could there be something wrong with it or maybe a defrag would help it?

I would like to start using it more and would like to clean it up as there are tons of pictures from kids sporting events that could get deleted. We have a Canon SLR so it was nothing to take 1000+ pictures per weekend of softball.

[Iowatech]

Re: External hard drive issue

I don't know about that drive, but I had to download a new version of WD Smartware recently for a 500MB "My Book" drive recently. If your drive uses "Smartware", that might help.
If your drive is connected by a USB cable, you might try a new cable.
However, it does sound like you should check the drive for errors. How to do that depends on what operating system you are using.

[Judd]

Re: External hard drive issue

Thanks. I finally got a chance to really address it and it would not defrag or analyze. So i scanned for errors, and it put 50 or so file in a folder. Then did a defrag, and it took a while but finished (a while meaning took a shower, ate dinner etc). Now I can explore the drive with ease and it appears to be working fine.

See what a lack of PM causes... LOL

[qbert69]

Re: External hard drive issue

ZFS - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia4-5 years is a general lifespan for a Hard Disk Drive.

Errors can be caused by a defective hard drive or dirty power.

If you have a power "brownout" or power sag for an extended period of time during a read/write cycle, that can also cause disk errors.

If at all possible, make sure the External Hard Disk Drive is connected to a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). Doing so will ensure protection and stability.

That isn't to say that you still won't have data degradation:

Data degradation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

One file system type that is worth noting is the ZFS file system:

ZFS - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The only problem is, is that many of these systems require a configured array of disks to implement which is beyond the use of most individuals.

Best thing to do is move your data to a new Hard Drive, Stay connected to a UPS and mirror your data to the cloud.

Cheers!