External Hard Drive Freezes Your Computer? Fix It Now!

External Hard Drive Freezes Computer?

Some users report that their computers freeze every time they plug in an external hard drive. This frustrating issue often appears as an unresponsive system, Windows Explorer crashes, the drive not showing up, or frequent “Not Responding” messages. Sounds terrible, right? So, why does it happen? There are several common causes, including:

➤ A faulty USB port or cable

➤ Insufficient power supply

➤ Driver conflicts or outdated drivers

➤ File system errors

➤ Bad sectors

➤ Malware and Virus

Fortunately, this issue is not without solutions. If you're facing the same problem, keep reading to discover the most effective ways to fix it.

4 Ways to Fix an External Hard Drive Causing a Computer to Freeze

This section offers 4 practical ways to fix the issue of your external hard drive freezing your computer. Just follow the steps, and you’ll be well on your way to solving the problem.

If your computer completely freezes when you plug in the drive, try entering Safe Mode first. Alternatively, you can create a bootable USB to restart and troubleshoot your PC.

Fix 1. Format the External Hard Drive

If your computer still freezes after confirming there are no issues with the USB port or power supply, the problem might lie within the drive itself. One of the most effective ways to resolve this is by formatting the drive. This process removes corrupted data or incompatible file systems that may interfere with your operating system.

However, keep in mind that formatting will erase all data on the drive. If the drive is still accessible, be sure to back up any important files before proceeding. If it’s not accessible, don’t worry—we’ll cover how to recover data from a formatted drive later.

Follow these steps to format your external hard drive in Windows:

Step 1: Plug the external hard drive into your computer.

Step 2: Open File Explorer, right-click the drive, and select Format.

Step 3: Choose a file system based on your needs.

Step 4: Click Start and wait for the process to complete. Once formatting is done, the drive should work properly when connected to your computer.

Fix 2. Run CHKDSK and SFC to Repair Errors

If you don’t want to reformat your drive, consider running CHKDSK and SFC to fix bad sectors or file system errors. These tools can fix issues that might be causing your external hard drive to freeze your computer.

Here’s how to run CHKDSK and SFC on Windows:

Step 1: Press the Windows key and type cmd. Then, right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

Step 2: In the Command Prompt window, type chkdsk f: /f /r /x and press Enter. Replace f: with the actual drive letter of your external hard drive.

• /f fixes detected file system errors.
• /r locates bad sectors and recovers readable data.
• /x forces the drive to dismount before scanning.

Step 3: If you suspect system file corruption, run the System File Checker tool afterward by typing sfc /scannow. Then press Enter.

Step 4: After both tools have completed their scans and repairs, reconnect the external drive and check if it works normally.

Fix 3. Run a Full System Scan

Sometimes, a computer freezing when plugging in an external hard drive could also be a sign of malware. Viruses on the drive may affect your system’s performance. You can follow these steps to run a full system scan to detect and remove these threats:

Step 1: Type defender in the search box and click on Windows Defender to open the tool.

Step 2: In the tool, click on Scan options and select Full scan.

Step 3: Click Scan now to start the scan.

Step 4: Follow the on-screen prompts to remove these threats. 

Fix 4. Update Your Drivers

Additionally, outdated or corrupted drivers can cause system instability when you plug in a device. Updating or reinstalling your USB and disk drivers can prevent your external hard drive from causing your computer to freeze. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Press Windows + X and select Device Manager.

Step 2: Locate the device you want to update (usually under Universal Serial Bus Controllers or Disk Drives).

Step 3: Right-click on the device and select Update Driver.

Step 4: In the Update Drivers window, choose one of the following options:

• Search automatically for drivers: Windows will search for and install compatible drivers automatically.
• Browse my computer for drivers: Manually specify the location of new drivers.

Pro Tips: Recover Lost Data from Formatted External Hard Drive

The four solutions outlined above are effective in resolving most issues. However, among them, formatting the drive is often the most straightforward and reliable method. That said, formatting can result in unintended data loss. If you've already formatted your external hard drive and lost important files, don’t worry—recovery is still possible. AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery offers an advanced technology that enables you to effortlessly retrieve data from various loss scenarios.

✔️ Features an intuitive, user-friendly interface for easy navigation.
✔️ Recovers over 1,000 types of files from a wide range of storage devices.
✔️ Delivers a high recovery success rate to minimize the risk of permanent data loss.
✔️ Fully compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8/8.1, 7, and Windows Server editions.

Here’s how to recover data from a formatted drive using AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery:

Step 1: Download and install AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery, and then choose the formatted drive to scan.

Step 2: Scan your disk to find the deleted files. It offers two modes:

• Quick Scan: Quickly searches for recently deleted files.
• Deep Scan: Thoroughly scans your storage device to find lost data from more complex loss situations.

Step 3: Upon scanning completion, all missing files will be displayed. Kindly choose the desired files and then click Recover.

Step 4: Specify a path for the recovered files and wait for the process to complete.

Summary

When your external hard drive freezes your computer, it can be both frustrating and alarming. But as we've seen, there are several effective solutions to address this issue. If you opt to format the drive and experience data loss as a result, AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery can assist with safe and reliable data recovery. By following these steps, you can restore your system to normal functionality without data loss.

FAQs

Q1: Could my USB port or cable be the cause of the freezing?

Yes. A damaged USB port or faulty cable can cause communication issues between the drive and computer, potentially leading to freezing or system instability.

Q2: Can formatting fix a freezing external hard drive?

Yes. Formatting removes damaged files and file system errors. However, it erases all data, so always back up first or recover afterward.

Q3: How can I prevent my external hard drive from freezing my computer in the future?

Safely eject the drive after use, scan it regularly for errors and viruses, and store it properly to prevent physical damage.