WD 2TB Elements desktop NOT reading:

WD External Drives External Drives for PC
1

I have had the 2TB external HDD for almost a year now & it has A LOT of important data that I need to access. Suddenly it stopped reading the other day. My desktop is older (6 years - Dell XPS Gen 5 with some upgrades) running Windows XP. I also have a brand new VAIO with Windows 7 that I hooked up the HDD to, but with no result.

When the drive is plugged into my desktop, it takes a few minutes for my computer to recognize it then come up with “Found New Hardware” message & saying it did not install properly so may not work. It doesn’t show up in My Computer. On my VAIO, it takes a minute then shows up on the bottom right, but I cannot access it. I also do not see the drive in Device Manager. 

Sifting through some other threads of similar problems, I see that some people have posted information ran on “USB device viewer”. I ran it, and it recognized my HDD in Port5…but it does not list the name on the left & there is a yellow box with an asterisk as the icon. Here is the information given on the right:

 —===>Device Information<===—

English product name: “Ext HDD 1021”

ConnectionStatus:                  

Current Config Value:              0x00   → Device Bus Speed: High

Device Address:                    0x03

Open Pipes:                           0

*!*ERROR:  No open pipes!

          ===>Device Descriptor<===

bLength:                           0x12

bDescriptorType:                   0x01

bcdUSB:                          0x0200

bDeviceClass:                      0x00   → This is an Interface Class Defined Device

bDeviceSubClass:                   0x00

bDeviceProtocol:                   0x00

bMaxPacketSize0:                   0x40 = (64) Bytes

idVendor:                        0x1058 = Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

idProduct:                       0x1021

bcdDevice:                       0x2002

iManufacturer:                     0x01

     English (United States)  “Western Digital”

iProduct:                          0x02

     English (United States)  “Ext HDD 1021”

iSerialNumber:                     0x03

     English (United States)  “”

bNumConfigurations:                0x01

          ===>Configuration Descriptor<===

bLength:                           0x09

bDescriptorType:                   0x02

wTotalLength:                    0x0020   → Validated

bNumInterfaces:                    0x01

bConfigurationValue:               0x01

iConfiguration:                    0x00

bmAttributes:                      0xC0   → Bus Powered

MaxPower:                          0x01 =   2 mA

          ===>Interface Descriptor<===

bLength:                           0x09

bDescriptorType:                   0x04

bInterfaceNumber:                  0x00

bAlternateSetting:                 0x00

bNumEndpoints:                     0x02

bInterfaceClass:                   0x08   → This is a Mass Storage USB Device Interface Class

bInterfaceSubClass:                0x06

bInterfaceProtocol:                0x50

iInterface:                        0x00

          ===>Endpoint Descriptor<===

bLength:                           0x07

bDescriptorType:                   0x05

bEndpointAddress:                  0x81   → Direction: IN - EndpointID: 1

bmAttributes:                      0x02   → Bulk Transfer Type

wMaxPacketSize:                  0x0200 = 0x200 max bytes

bInterval:                         0x00

          ===>Endpoint Descriptor<===

bLength:                           0x07

bDescriptorType:                   0x05

bEndpointAddress:                  0x02   → Direction: OUT - EndpointID: 2

bmAttributes:                      0x02   → Bulk Transfer Type

wMaxPacketSize:                  0x0200 = 0x200 max bytes

bInterval:                         0x00

 —===>Device Information<===—English product name: “Ext HDD 1021”
ConnectionStatus:                  Current Config Value:              0x00   → Device Bus Speed: HighDevice Address:                    0x03Open Pipes:                           0*!*ERROR:  No open pipes!
          ===>Device Descriptor<===bLength:                           0x12bDescriptorType:                   0x01bcdUSB:                          0x0200bDeviceClass:                      0x00   → This is an Interface Class Defined DevicebDeviceSubClass:                   0x00bDeviceProtocol:                   0x00bMaxPacketSize0:                   0x40 = (64) BytesidVendor:                        0x1058 = Western Digital Technologies, Inc.idProduct:                       0x1021bcdDevice:                       0x2002iManufacturer:                     0x01     English (United States)  "Western Digital"iProduct:                          0x02     English (United States)  "Ext HDD 1021"iSerialNumber:                     0x03     English (United States)  ""bNumConfigurations:                0x01
          ===>Configuration Descriptor<===bLength:                           0x09bDescriptorType:                   0x02wTotalLength:                    0x0020   → ValidatedbNumInterfaces:                    0x01bConfigurationValue:               0x01iConfiguration:                    0x00bmAttributes:                      0xC0   → Bus PoweredMaxPower:                          0x01 =   2 mA
          ===>Interface Descriptor<===bLength:                           0x09bDescriptorType:                   0x04bInterfaceNumber:                  0x00bAlternateSetting:                 0x00bNumEndpoints:                     0x02bInterfaceClass:                   0x08   → This is a Mass Storage USB Device Interface ClassbInterfaceSubClass:                0x06bInterfaceProtocol:                0x50iInterface:                        0x00
          ===>Endpoint Descriptor<===bLength:                           0x07bDescriptorType:                   0x05bEndpointAddress:                  0x81   → Direction: IN - EndpointID: 1bmAttributes:                      0x02   → Bulk Transfer TypewMaxPacketSize:                  0x0200 = 0x200 max bytesbInterval:                         0x00
          ===>Endpoint Descriptor<===bLength:                           0x07bDescriptorType:                   0x05bEndpointAddress:                  0x02   → Direction: OUT - EndpointID: 2bmAttributes:                      0x02   → Bulk Transfer TypewMaxPacketSize:                  0x0200 = 0x200 max bytesbInterval:                         0x00

I really have no idea what else to do so I am asking for the expertise on this site. Thank you for any help you can give!

2

i dunno if this will work or not but it worth to try

look for “SES driver” on wdc download page 

you can find it on mybook studio download page

install it and see if recognize your drive

also look for WDdiag tools, and with the tools check your external hdd 

whether it have issue or not 

3

SES driver did nothing. Installed it, unplugged external HDD, plugged it back in, waited a minute & the “Found New Hardware - …” bubble popped up. Still does not show in My Computer or Device Manager.

Could not find “WDdiag tools”. 

Downloaded & ran Data Lifeguard Diagnostics & it could not find the drive either…

EDIT: don’t know if this matters, but when I plug my drive in, the light on the back flashes then stays solid.

4

 Does the drive show in the Disk Manager and what does it say? Go into the device manager delete the driver remove the drive safely then reboot the pc and plug drive back in this will load a fresh driver.

Joe

5

Datalife diagnostics same to WDdiag

it just me usually call it WD diag 

so in your case, its because the hardware not detected/installed properly 

thats why it not listed in lifeguard diagnostics

First, if you have another pc, you can try plugging it see if it working on another pc or not

if there no another pc then :

ok, can you check your device manager (control panel > system )

and see if there unknown device thinggie

we want to make sure windows detect the drive first

or  you can go to control panel > management tool > computer management

and see if you external drive listed in there or not

as if it detected, then usually the issue will be in the driver/software

if not detected, then it might something wrong with the hardware 

make sure you test on different usb port, and if possible test with another usb cable 

this just extra, but look for crystaldiskinfo SMART monitor software 

check whether crystaldiskinfo manage to detect your drive or not

6

Plugged the power source directly into the wall. Switch the USB cable with my other WD external HDD. Plugged into front USB port I know works.

Nothing showing up in Device Manager under “Disk Drives”. 

Have hooked it up to my VAIO laptop with Windows 7. After a minute, it recognized the external HDD but did not show it on My Computer or Device Manager. Can just see it under Hardware & Other Devices.

Downloaded & installed crystaldiskinfo SMART software. It is showing drives C:, F:, G: (‘G’ is my other desktop internal drive) and I: (my other external HDD). The missing drive I’m trying to get back usually shows up as K:.

7

seems something goes wrong with your wd elements

its more like the device refuse to be detected as external storage device 

try uninstall it (on device manager)… reboot and see if windows can detect it right 

*try disable antivirus while doing this, enable your AV again after windows finish detect the drive

well because the issue persist on 2 different pc then 

if still on warranty, you can try RMA it

if you need your data, consult with WD