WD External Hard Drive Not Spinning and Receiving Fatal Error Message

Summary: This blog discusses the causes of the WD External HDD not spinning issue and some simple solutions to troubleshoot this issue. If the hard drive is physically damaged, the best option is to contact a professional data recovery services provider. Get FREE Quote

When you plug in an external hard drive to your system, you hear a spinning sound. It indicates that the drive starts processing and you can access the data stored on it. The fact is that a hard drive (internal or external) has a platter that stores data on it and a read/write head that reads and writes the data. As soon as you connect the WD external HDD to the system, the platter starts rotating. So, the moving platter makes the spinning sound that you hear.

However, if you don’t hear that spinning sound, it means your WD external HDD is not functioning properly or not detected by the system. This issue may occur due to several factors.

Let’s discuss the causes of the WD external hard drive not spinning issue and the solutions to fix the problem.

Table of Content

• Causes of WD External Hard Drive Not Spinning Issue
  • Failed Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 
  • Read/Write Head Gets Stuck
  • Spindle Motor Gets Seized
• Ways to Fix WD External Hard Drive Not Spinning Issue
  • Check the Power Supply
  • Connect WD External HDD with other Computer System
  • Shake the Drive Carefully
  • Seek the Third-Party Data Recovery Services
• Case Study: Data Recovered from WD External Hard Drive
• Why choose Stellar Data Recovery Services?
• Tips to Prevent Data Loss from your External Hard Drive

Causes of WD External Hard Drive Not Spinning Issue

Here are some probable causes behind the WD external hard drive not spinning issue.

• Failed Printed Circuit Board (PCB)

When the hard drive starts, the power flows through the PCB and the spindle motor subsequently, making the platter rotate. So, if PCB is damaged, the spindle motor doesn’t initiate. As a result, the HDD does not spin. In some instances, when you plug in the WD external HDD to your system, the PCB gets failed and emits smoke. It is actually completely shorted, which will induce data inaccessibility.

• Read/Write Head Gets Stuck

Maybe the read/write head gets stuck on the platter, causing the hindrance to the platter to rotate. You may hear the clipping sound. It is when the external HDD tries to spin and the head comes along its way. There are chances that you accidentally drop the external HDD, resulting in damage to the head. In that case, the WD external HDD stops spinning and you can’t access the data.

• Spindle Motor Gets Seized

The spindle motor is seized due to multiple reasons such as unintentional WD external HDD drop, sudden shock, etc. Due to this, the lubricated motor bearings will seize since they are very sensitive. On the same note, the lubricant also dries up over time, making the motor less powerful to bear friction forces. As a result, it will seize the spindle motor. Hence, the WD external HDD does not spin.

Ways to Fix WD External Hard Drive Not Spinning Issue

Here are some workarounds that you can try to resolve the issue of WD external HDD not spinning. However, if the HDD is damaged, seek the help of a third-party data recovery services provider.

1. Check the Power Supply

Connect the WD external hard drive to another power supply and check if the HDD is working. Or, you can also change the cable that connects the external drive to the computer system to check if the cable is defective.

2. Connect WD External HDD with other Computer System

At times, connecting the WD external hard drive to another computer system may resolve the issue of the HDD not spinning. It is because of moving the HDD around, differences in voltage level, or the software configurations in different computer systems.

3. Shake the Drive Carefully

Though it is not a technical solution, you can give this method a try. Flip the WD external HDD, turn it upside down, roll it, and shake it. These tiny movements may release the minor platter lockups. When you switch on the power, you can hear the spinning sound while shaking it. However, make sure to do this activity very carefully. An accidental drop will damage the WD external HDD physically.

4. Seek the Third-Party Data Recovery Services

If the above workarounds do not work, take the help of third-party data recovery services professionals, like Stellar Data Recovery, to recover the data from such a hard drive. They have the advanced Class 100 Cleanroom Lab with a dust-free and air-controlled environment that is required to open an external or internal HDD. The lab professionals at Stellar have profound experience in recovering data from damaged or broken hard drives.

Also Read: WD vs SEAGATE

Case Study: Data Recovered from WD External Hard Drive

Name of the client: Individual Client

City of Clients: Mumbai

Goal: Recover data from WD External HDD not Detecting

Method: Stellar Data Recovery Mumbai helped recover the data. from the customer’s external WD hard drive.

Challenges faced by Client :

The client was having issues with his WD External Hard Drive as it was not detecting in his Computer. He has a 2 TB WD20NMVW External Hard Drive. Additionally, he was unable to find his essential personal data on his WD External Hard Drive.

Stellar Data Recovery’s Process of Saving the Day:

1. Stellar Data Recovery’s preliminary investigation found that the WD External Hard Drive has a detecting issue. The WD External HDD did not detect any data.
2. Stellar’s analysis revealed that the WD External Hard Drive contains significant bad sectors.
3. After that, Stellar Data Recovery requested and received the client’s approval for tempering. And after tempering, a further issue—in the head—was discovered. Following the replacement of the head by Stellar, the WD External Hard Drive was cloned, and all lost data was recovered.

Client Comments Regarding Our Services:

The customer was happy with both his important data and our data recovery services. This was made possible by our exceptional quality and first-rate services.

Why choose Stellar Data Recovery Services?  

• More than 30 years of experience in successfully rescuing data from all types of HDDs.
• Specialized Class 100 Cleanroom Lab to open the hard drives.
• A renowned brand with a ‘No Recovery, No Charge’ policy.
• Strict data privacy policies and adherence to all security protocols throughout the data recovery procedure.
• Recovery of data with quality and originality.
• Unparalleled data recovery success rate of 80%.

Tips to Prevent Data Loss from your External Hard Drive

A single thought of data loss is not less than a nightmare. So, why take the risk? Instead, be proactive and follow these tips to prevent your WD external hard drive from getting into a pool of hitches.

• Keep a regular backup of the data stored on the WD external hard drive.
• Handle the drive carefully to prevent accidental drop.
• Monitor the health of the WD external drive on a regular basis.
• Don’t overuse the drive at an instance. It will make it overheated and can cause damage.

In a Nutshell

If you’re facing the WD external hard drive not spinning issue, you can follow the workarounds mentioned in this post to resolve the issue. However, it is recommended to approach a professional data recovery services provider, such as Stellar WD Hard Drive Recovery. They have profuse experience in recovering data from physically damaged external or internal hard drives, especially the WD HDDs.

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