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External Drive Does Not Power On, Off, or Down with Computer


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Drive Will Not Power On

  1. Shut down the computer.

  2. Remove the USB and power cable from the drive.
    Turn the computer on.

  3. Connect the power adapter.
    Wait 60 seconds for the drive to power on.

    Unplug other devices if a power strip is used.
    External Portable drives do not require a power adapter.
    For these skip steps 3 and 4, and move to step 5.

  4. Press the power button if the drive has one.

  5. Connect the data cable from the drive directly to the computer.
    DO NOT use a USB hub.

    Need more help?
    Answer ID 30483: USB Hub, PCI, PC Card Not Recommended for External Drives.

  6. Install any updates or drivers for the computer system.

    Need more help?
    Answer ID 13977: How to Install WD Drivers for Windows and macOS for External Drives.

  7. Check to see if the drive is shown in Disk Management (Windows) or Disk Utility (macOS).
    The drive may need to be formatted if it seen but will not mount.

    Need more help?

The drive can be connected with a different cable or computer if it still is not seen by the system.


Drive Does Not Power Down When the Computer is Shut Down

A common reason a drive will not shut down with the computer is that the drive may have a power sensing feature.

Power Sensing

  • Allows the drive to sense if the computer is on or off.
  • Determines whether the drive should stay on.
  • May see the data port as active.

Using a powered USB hub can cause the drive to stay on. It's best to connect directly into the computer ports. Drives should be safely removed and ejected before shutting down the computer.

Need more help?



Data Recovery

The drive may need to be replaced if it is not detected in Disk Management (Windows) or Disk Utility (macOS).

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Failed or Damaged Drive Warranty Replacement

The drive can be replaced if it is under warranty.

Need more help?
Answer ID 10336: Steps to Get a Warranty Replacement, Power Supply, or USB Cable


Data Recovery Service

IMPORTANT:

Western Digital does not perform data recovery services.
Contact one of our Data Recovery Partners.

Any agreement you may reach with the service provider is a matter between you and the service provider. Western Digital makes no warranty, express or implied, regarding the services provided by the service provider, including but not limited to, any warranty regarding the quality or reliability of services performed by it. Your selection of the service provider is at your own risk. Western Digital assumes no liability for any loss or damages of any kind that relate to, arise out of or result from the performance of services by the service provider, including, but not limited to any loss of data contained on a Western Digital hard drive.

Need more help?
Western Digital Warranty Policy


Details
Answer ID 13181
Published 08/20/2018 01:53 AM
Updated 01/19/2024 08:42 AM

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