DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

DIGIT-ARC / Hardware / Hardware Q&A

WD external Disk 1TB 0 byte error

14 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/wd-external-disk-1tb-0-byte-error.144945/

S
shaffysid Original post #1
Aug 10, 2011 at 3:00 PM
Hi All,

I recently purchased a TB WD My Passport Essential SE USB 3.0.

All was working fine at my home PC(Windows 7) and filled it up to 300GB. On of my colleague asked for some movies. I asked him to bring his laptop(Win 7). There was some problem initially in connect and detecting the hard disk to laptop, but it finally connected.

After copying the files, we connected it to another laptop. Now here is where the problem started. The Disk wasnt detected at all. On pluging it out, got the message that u need to format the disk. I tired at the work PC(Win XP), in which the disk connected but showed 0Bytes available of 0Bytes.

According to the guys on net and at WD, the file system is now corrupt. I have tried everything mentioned on the blogs, chkdsk, disk management. I simply cant access the disk or click on it in windows 7. In windows xp, it still shows 0byte. cant even format it.

Please help me out as have huge data on the drive.

Thanks
asingh
asingh #2
Aug 10, 2011 at 3:05 PM
^^
Can you install Easeaus Partition manager. Then plug in the disk, see if this software recognizes it. Probably you will see it without a drive letter. Assign it on, it should be fine.
Skud
Skud #3
Aug 10, 2011 at 4:45 PM
Try accessing the HDD by booting through a Ubuntu LiveCD. Do some file operations on the HDD, if it is mounted. In my case it has saved me 3-4 times. Don't know what's the mechanism behind it. :)
d6bmg
d6bmg #4
Aug 10, 2011 at 5:08 PM
Skud said:
Try accessing the HDD by booting through a Ubuntu LiveCD. Do some file operations on the HDD, if it is mounted. In my case it has saved me 3-4 times. Don't know what's the mechanism behind it. :)
Click to expand...

^^ This is the best way to go for you or try some active data recovery software.
S
shaffysid #5
Aug 12, 2011 at 9:57 PM
Ok...tried a software name icare format recovery..it wont even start!!!...will give a try to easus recovery..
d6bmg
d6bmg #6
Aug 12, 2011 at 11:46 PM
shaffysid said:
Ok...tried a software name icare format recovery..it wont even start!!!...will give a try to easus recovery..
Click to expand...

Well good luck while trying it. :cool:
tkin
tkin #7
Aug 12, 2011 at 11:58 PM
Download this software and see if its being detected, then do a sector scan.
HD Tune website
S
shaffysid #8
Aug 13, 2011 at 11:51 AM
ok..tried Easus Partition...couldnt start the software..basically..whenever i connect the disk to pc, these softwares stop responding..as soon as i plug the disk out..the software startsup.
Zangetsu
Zangetsu #9
Aug 13, 2011 at 12:03 PM
@shaffysid: Same thing happend with my Seagate Drive....tried so many tools but finally sent for RMA... :(

the drivers of HDD is corrupt & also the FAT32 or NTFS is corrupt thats why u see 0bytes
Skud
Skud #10
Aug 13, 2011 at 12:21 PM
@OP: Have you tried with any Linux distro? In any case, it looks like it's now time for RMA.
d6bmg
d6bmg #11
Aug 13, 2011 at 11:44 PM
shaffysid said:
ok..tried Easus Partition...couldnt start the software..basically..whenever i connect the disk to pc, these softwares stop responding..as soon as i plug the disk out..the software startsup.
Click to expand...

Then go for RMA.
S
shaffysid #12
Aug 16, 2011 at 2:31 PM
Nuthing worked...have asked for RMA. even that too is gonna take around 3 weeks...now i keep on thinking...why i didnt get an internal harddisk!!!

One point to note though...the forum at WD is full of such problem, yet, the same hardware is going for all disk..with no solutions. One user(technical support of WD) mentioned that u should always keep a backup of data.

Well i bought the disk for keeping the backup. and 300 gb lost.

One thing for sure. never gonna buy another WD product.
Vyom
Vyom #13
Aug 16, 2011 at 11:37 PM
WHAT! And I was going to buy WD 1 TB hard drive myself, after watching it on Flipkart, since that is most VFM! Just 2900 for 1TB!

But, this has made me worried! :(
I
insaneYLN #14
Aug 17, 2011 at 2:28 AM
@ shaffysid
My friend, i too own a Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 1TB USB 3.0 portable hard disk which i purchased on 30 April 2011 from The ITWares online store.

I too was compelled to send my drive for RMA as the drive reportedly had "too many bad sectors". Since it was borrowed by friends & relatives, i can never know how they might have used it. I was baffled with the aforementioned issue coupled with the Delayed Write Failed error.

I have received the replacement but am very apprehensive because there is no telling if another issue arises. I too, at a certain extent regret purchasing the drive. Perhaps i should have either settled for a 500GB or maybe a USB 2.0 drive.
Are large capacity portable drives plagued with such issues? I am a confused soul.
:?

My sincerest apologies for hijacking your thread, friend.
:neutral: