Repairing an external hard drive – is that possible?

If your external hard drive stops working, you don’t have to have it repaired immediately for a lot of money. You may also be able to get the hard drive working again yourself.

Repairing an external hard drive – here’s how they work

Hidden inside every external hard drive is a normal hard drive that is also used in desktop computers.

• External hard disks are more expensive than internal hard disks because a housing with connections and, in some cases, special software are included. However, the function of the hard disk inside always remains the same.

• For example, if lights on your enclosure stop working or the enclosure breaks, this is only a cosmetic defect. If the hard drive inside works, you can continue to use it normally.

• So you should first make sure what exactly is no longer working. If you hear scratching noises during operation, the chances are high that the write head of the hard disk is defective due to a vibration. Any other defects could just be a problem with the enclosure and not the hard drive itself.

• Note: The repair is done at your own risk. We accept no liability for potential damage. Please note that any damage caused by improper use may invalidate any warranty you may still have. If in doubt, it is better to contact specialists. The costs for a professional repair start at around 250 euros, but can also be considerably higher depending on the work involved.

Repair or replace external hard disk enclosure

An external hard drive enclosure is made of only plastic or aluminium and a few connectors, making it relatively easy to repair. If you think your hard drive enclosure is broken and your hard drive inside is still working properly, you should try to repair or replace the enclosure.

• Check the connections and cables first: Are there any defects in the power or USB cables? Are the connections on the housing blocked and not bent? Replacing cables often helps and can be a cost-effective solution to your problem.

• If you cannot see any defects from the outside, you will have to open the housing. To do this, remove all cables and open the enclosure at the points provided for this purpose. However, cheaper enclosures are often glued together and may be damaged when opened. A new external enclosure is available from about 10 euros.

• If you have a desktop computer, you can now remove the hard drive from the enclosure and connect it with the normal power and SATA hard drive cables in the PC. This only requires 2 connectors, which are either still free or can be briefly removed from another hard drive. Just be careful not to unplug the system hard disk. If the hard disk works without an enclosure, you can be sure that only the enclosure is broken.

• Repairing the enclosure is only possible if you see connectors that have slipped out or connectors no longer stick where they should. Look at the defect and try to repair it.