WD drive won’t connect to drive keep spinning

If your **WD (Western Digital) drive keeps spinning but doesn't connect**, it usually indicates a hardware or connection issue. Here's a checklist of steps to help you diagnose and fix the problem:

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### 🔍 **1. Basic Troubleshooting**

* **Try a different USB port** (especially a USB 3.0 if you're using 2.0 or vice versa).

* **Try a different cable** – damaged cables are a common cause.

* **Try on another computer** – this will rule out OS or driver issues.

* **Listen to the sounds**:

* *Normal spinning* = motor OK

* *Clicking or beeping* = possible head crash or power issue

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### ⚡ **2. Power Supply Issues**

* If it’s a **desktop external HDD (3.5" drive)**, make sure it's getting enough power.

* Use the original power adapter if it has one.

* For some drives, a **Y-cable** (dual USB plug) might help supply enough power.

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### 💻 **3. Disk Management (Windows)**

1. Right-click **Start > Disk Management**

2. Look for:

* **Unallocated space** (could mean the partition table is gone)

* **RAW file system** (corrupted partition)

* Drive shows up without a letter? Assign one.

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### 🧰 **4. Device Manager**

* Go to **Device Manager > Disk Drives**

* See if the drive is listed.

* Right-click > **Uninstall**, then unplug and reconnect it.

* Under **Universal Serial Bus controllers**, uninstall "USB Mass Storage Device" entries, then restart.

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### 💽 **5. Drive Shows in BIOS but Not OS**

If your BIOS detects the drive but it’s not loading in Windows:

* Boot into **Safe Mode** to rule out driver conflicts.

* Try a Linux Live USB (like Ubuntu) – sometimes Linux can access failing drives better than Windows.

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### 🔄 **6. Drive Recovery Mode**

If data recovery is your priority:

* Try tools like:

* **Recuva** (free)

* **EaseUS Data Recovery**

* **Disk Drill**

* **TestDisk** (for advanced users)

* Don’t format the drive unless you’re sure you don’t need the data.

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### ❗ **7. Still Not Working?**

* It could be a **failed PCB** or **mechanical failure**.

* **Professional data recovery** is the safest route if the data is valuable.

* If under warranty, consider **RMA with WD** (they won’t recover data).

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Would you like help with data recovery tools or checking warranty status with WD?