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Problem description: I use an external Harddisk (a 3 TB WD Elements) as a backup harddisk. I also use it to move files from my current PC to my media PC. However, I've noticed that for a while now, sometimes when I copy a folder or a set of files from my computer to the harddisk, then try to open it on my media PC, it doesn't work right. If I copied a folder, the folder might not appear - first noticed when trying to access it via the media PC, but won't be there if checked on the original machine either. If I copied a bunch of files, sometimes the last file will appear but show up as being 0 bytes. If I run CHKDSK on the drive, it fixes it and the files/folders become visible. No bad sectors are detected. Other times I'm told the drive needs fixing and it finds some incorrect file references. Note that the files/folders DO seem to appear in File Explorer on my PC when they're done copying. It's once I plug it into my media PC that I notice it's 'gone'. And if I put it back on my original PC after that it remains gone. The most recent incident was he weirdest: I had a folder full of video files on the harddisk that I deleted, then replaced with higher-quality files with the same filename. When I tried to play the files on my media PC, it played the older, smaller files that I'd already deleted earlier. When I brought the harddisk back to my main PC, it showed the files but said it couldn't find them when I tried to delete them. It looks like there's something not updating in the file system or it's getting corrupted somehow or something but I can't seem to find any info on this anywhere. Attempted fixes: Not much yet. I have made 100% sure that the copying completes on my PC before moving it to the media PC. I've made certain that I correctly disconnect the external harddisk in windows before physically removing the drive. I've also tried to shut down windows completely before removing the harddisk. Recent changes: Have you made any changes to your system/configuration recently that might have caused the problem? None. Operating system: Windows 10, 64bit on both computers System specs: Main computer: Intel Core i7-4790K @ 4 GHz, 8 GB RAM, nVidia GeForce GTX 760. Not sure about motherboard or power supply. Media PC: Not sure, but it's older and crappier than the above. Location: NZ I have Googled and read the FAQ: Yes
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Aug 29, 2019 13:18
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| # ? May 14, 2024 21:54 |
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What file system is the external drive formatted with? NTFS? My initial thought is that the drive is failing. Before continuing on, please make sure that any data you have on the drive is backed up elsewhere. WD has a program that can check the health of the external drive. Run an Extended Test and report back on the results, including the SMART values if it displays that information. https://support.wdc.com/downloads.aspx?p=3&lang=en
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Aug 30, 2019 10:31
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Actuarial Fables posted:What file system is the external drive formatted with? NTFS? Yes, it's formatted as NTFS. Here's the details form the test: Test Option: EXTENDED TEST Model Number: WD Elements 25A1 Unit Serial Number: WXE1EB69Y4S4 Firmware Number: 1013 Capacity: 3000.56 GB SMART Status: PASS Test Result: PASS Test Time: 20:22:01, September 03, 2019 SMART drive info:  I should add a couple of bits of possibly relevant info: I've had this problem before with another harddisk I used, and I thought it was failing too - that's why I got this one. Oddly I've never had the problem with that old harddisk again since I stopped using it on my media PC. Furthermore: the media PC's USB port has had intermittent issues in the past too. I've had things plugged in there that at times just won't initialize (eg, having a wireless receiver for a mouse/keyboard that sometimes won't pick up the wireless devices unless I restart). Is it possible for a USB to get weaker/lose power over time and to cause this sort of behavior in a hard disk I plug into it? Note it has no trouble detecting the harddisk, it just intermittently has trouble recognizing the changes I've made to it on my main computer.
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Sep 3, 2019 09:54
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Well, at least the drive doesn't think its failing. Could very well still be failing, but we'll see if we can't find another cause. How large are the files you're copying over? Is there another USB cable you could try using? When you run chkdsk to recover files, does it provide any other messages? The end result of your problems is most likely a file system issue, but whether that's being caused by a hardware or software issue remains to be found. --- Are the computers on the same network? Have you considered moving the files via network sharing?
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Sep 3, 2019 23:09
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