I have a 2TB WD 'My Passport' external hard drive that I've been using for my photos and Adobe storage since November 2022. Last night, while editing photos in Lightroom, my MacBook Pro froze, and now my hard drive won't show up on my Mac. I've checked the cord with another hard drive, and it works fine. The drive appears on the WD app, but when I run diagnostics in the WD drive utilities app, the 'drive stats check' passes, but both the 'drive quick test' and 'complete drive test' fail. Is there any way to fix this, or will I need to consult a data recovery service like Best Buy to retrieve my data?
2 Answers
If it’s a mechanical issue, you could try the freezer method. Put the drive in a Ziploc bag with the air sucked out and leave it in the freezer overnight. People have had luck with this, especially if you hear clicking noises when you plug it in. After it's cold, plug it back in and see if you can save your data quickly!
You definitely want to be careful with that! If you're not experienced with data recovery, trying to fix it yourself might not be the best idea. It's a good move to create an image of the drive if you can, but sending it to a professional for data recovery is often the safest bet, especially for valuable files.
I actually hear what seems like discs spinning when I plug it in. Think that changes things?