How to Troubleshoot a Western Digital SATA Hard Drive

Western Digital is a well-known hard drive manufacturer.

Western Digital is a widely known hard drive manufacturer. In the past, there were only a few number of hard drive manufacturers, but today there are more manufacturers and there is not as much variation between hard drive brands. Regardless, troubleshooting hard drives has been and still is pretty standard procedure. SATA drives are the newest technology in hard drives, but when it comes to troubleshooting them, the only difference between SATA and the older IDE drives is the connection to the computer.

Instructions

1. Right-click on the hard drive and select "Properties." Choose the "Tools" tab and choose "Check Now" to run Scan Disk. This may find and resolve problems with the hard drive.

2. Test the hard drive connection. Turn off the computer. Open the computer case's access door by unscrewing it from the back of the case. Unplug the cables and plug them back in fully.

3. Remove the hard drive from the computer if you are still having problems. Disconnect and unscrew the hard drive from the computer and try it out in another computer. If the hard drive does not work in either computer, you may have to replace it.