I've experienced a frustrating issue over the past six months where three of my external hard drives have failed. The drives include a 6 TB Seagate External Desktop, an 8 TB Seagate External Desktop, and a 5 TB Seagate External Portable. I suspect the failures might be linked to bad power or failing enclosures since I haven't noticed any typical sounds like clacking or clicking from the drives. I'm hoping to salvage the desktop drives because they've stored a large collection of movies, TV shows, and music. To troubleshoot, I'm ordering a SATA to USB adapter with a power supply to test these drives. What are the chances that they are still okay? Also, how can I best use these drives moving forward? I'm looking into getting new enclosures too.
5 Answers
It's pretty unusual for three drives to fail in such a short span, especially since they are Seagates. You might want to check the USB ports or hubs you're using for any potential power issues.
I've had two Seagate external enclosures fail on me, but the drives themselves were fine! If you still want external access, you might want to check out replacement enclosures to give them another shot. They can be a good investment!
I've had bad luck with drives in portable enclosures, mainly because they get jostled around too much. You might want to consider a more stable setup.
Testing the drives by shucking them and putting them into a desktop could be a great idea! You might find that they are still functional. Also, have you checked the SMART data from the drives?
You should definitely look into the power supply. Insufficient voltage or spikes can really mess up hard drives without affecting other components. Consider using a stronger power adapter that meets the drive's requirements.
Do you have any recommendations for good enclosures? I'm also wondering if it's better to get individual enclosures or a multi-drive one.