I recently got a new WD 6TB HDD and just finished the initialization and encryption process with BitLocker. While backing up some files, I encountered an error. Each time I tried to retry the backup, Windows Explorer would crash when I attempted to access the drive. Interestingly, other drives were working fine. My initial thought was that the HDD might already be failing, but a simple restart seemed to fix the issue. What should I do? Is this a sign that my HDD might be in trouble?
5 Answers
Honestly, it sounds like a bad drive, which doesn't help at all. It could also be a connectivity issue though.
So far, there's no clear sign that the HDD is defective. Have you tried using a different cable or plugging it into another USB port? Sometimes that can solve the issue.
It's risky to attempt data recovery without the right skills since you could lose everything. Before trying anything drastic, take an image of your drive. If the data is really important, you might want to send it off to a professional data recovery service for safety.
There are a lot of variables at play. If you're on Windows 11, there might be underlying issues there too. Check for overheating and errors logged in the system. Run a few more backup attempts and see if the problem comes back consistently. If it does without any clear error indicators, you might need to swap the drive out, as manufacturing defects can happen.
Check the drive's health using CrystalDiskInfo; it can give you insights into its condition. If you can, post a screenshot here for others to look at!
Here's a screenshot of the drive health: [Screenshot](https://i.imgur.com/JyoPD4y.png)