It’s common knowledge that computers cannot function properly without a working internal HDD. So, what do you do if you discover that your internal or external hard drive keeps disconnecting?
There are numerous reasons that can cause drive failure and many solutions to fix external hard drive that keeps disconnecting issue, but the trick is to understand which solution you specifically need at the moment.
If you mess up the data recovery process, there could be data loss, and it would be pointless to fix the issue.
In this in-depth guide, I will walk you through the steps that can help you ease your headache. This post will show you some of the best proven, tested, and practical solutions to solve your internal hard disk disconnecting issues.
Keep reading and precisely follow the instructions.
Why does the internal hard drive keep disconnecting?
One of the frustrating problems faced by computer users is the sudden disconnection of the internal hard drive, which can cause data loss and interruptions to workflow.
There are various reasons why this may occur, including corrupted system files, outdated or malfunctioning drivers, or hardware issues with the hard drive itself. It is important to identify the root cause of the problem before attempting to fix it. Checking for any updates or performing a system scan can help diagnose the issue.
Additionally, it is important to ensure that the hard drive’s connections are secure and clean. Sometimes, the issue might be with the hard drive’s power source, in which case replacing the power supply can help.
If the problem persists, it may be necessary to repair the hard drive or even replace it altogether. In some cases, people might opt to fix an external hard drive and transfer their data from an external hard drive to avoid further data loss. It is vital to backup the data from the first hard drive to avoid losing important files.
Your hard drive may also fail due to aging so in order to fix the internal hard drive, you may need to replace it.
Overall, it is crucial to address any issues with the hard drive to your computer, before it results in significant data loss or hardware damage.
How to Fix Internal Hard Disk Keeps Disconnecting And Reconnecting
Before we look at the solutions, you need to understand the cause.
So, why does the internal hard disk keeps disconnecting?
Your internal hard disk is continuously disconnecting and reconnecting automatically on your computer because maybe your SATA cable is damaged, using an incompatible USB driver. Also, corrupted hard drive issue, power plan issue, or degraded surface on your hard drive.
This section will demonstrate several tested and proven solutions to fix external hard drive keeps disconnecting issue.
So, let’s dive right in to know the solution to the problem.
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Here are the steps to fix the internal hard drive keeps disconnecting and reconnecting:
1. Check Cables and Connections
Cables and connections are vital things on your computer or other electrical devices. Without a proper and correct cables connection between your computer components, you can not run your computer accurately.
Whether you’re using a desktop or a laptop, all computer systems have more than one USB port. So, whenever any issue happens, you should first try to disconnect your external hard drive from the first port and try another USB port on your PC.
Here are the steps to check cables and connections:
- Turn off your computer.
- Hold the power button for a few seconds to discharge the power.
- Open your CPU protective case.
- Look for any signs of stress, strain, or physical damage in all sockets and wires.
- Pull out cables on the hard disk.
- Pull out all cables inside the motherboard if necessary.
- Clean all plugs, cables, and sockets.
- Replug all cables into sockets carefully after ensuring no connection is loose and damaged.
- Repair or change the port, cables, and connection if any ports or cords are loose or damaged.
- Turn on your computer after repairing ports or connection issues.
- Check to see whether your problem is solved or not. If your problem still exists, then follow the next solution.
If it’s a minor issue, simply swapping the USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports can fix this problem.
2. Check your Hard Drive
After checking your computer cables and connections, if your hard drive disk continuous disconnecting issue is not solved, you need to try repairing hard drive errors.
You need to check and repair hard drive because ensuring the problem is not with the hard drive itself.
Your cables and connections may be good, but your hard drive is faulty or damaged. For this reason, you get the issue on your PC.
So to do this, disconnect your external hard drive and check the connection. If the hard drive still connects but keeps disconnected, your hard drive itself is the problem.
To fix your internal hard drive, remove your HDD on your computer, connect it to another computer, and check its performance. If it works correctly, then your drive is fine, and if not, the problem is your hard drive.
Now, you need to buy a new hard drive or repair your existing hard drive if possible to solve the problem.
If you can’t do that, try to fix file system errors by formatting the hard drive.
If formatting a hard drive does not solve your problem, then go to the computer hardware technician to fix the problem.
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3. Perform a Clean Boot
To diagnose and troubleshoot complex Windows issues, use Clean Boot State. The clean boot technique can help you solve any Windows problem quickly and effectively.
If your computer’s hard disk is repeatedly disconnecting, you can try running Windows in Safe Mode to resolve the issue. Perform a Clean Boot if the problem doesn’t appear in Safe Mode.
Here are the steps below to perform a clean boot:
- Press Win + R keys on your keyboard to open the Windows Run
- Type msconfig in the Run dialogue box and press the Enter key or click on the OK button to open the System Configuration
- Select the General tab window.
- Select Normal Startup under Startup selection.
- Choose the Services
- Check the Hide all Microsoft services
- Click on the Disable all button to disable all the Windows Services.
- Select the Startup tab and click on the Open Task Manager.
- Select and disable all the items under the Task Manager Startup tab and close the Task Manager window.
- Click on the Apply button to save the changes and click the OK
- Restart your computer to perform a clean boot and check to see whether your problem is solved or not.
- If your problem still exists, disable the Startup items one by one, then restart your computer each time to perform a clean boot and check to see whether your problem is solved or not.
- Repeat the steps until you find the problematic program. After discovering the troublesome program, disable or remove it permanently to solve your problem.
You may also reset BIOS settings for a cleaner boot. Make sure to disable USB legacy support in BIOS before rebooting.
I hope this solution solves your hard drive disconnecting problem. If the solution does not solve your problem, follow the next solution.
4. Update the Driver
An outdated disk driver can also cause your external hard disk to start randomly disconnecting from your PC.
If your computer’s hard disk is disconnecting continuously, you should try updating your hard drive driver to fix this issue.
Here are the steps below to update the hard drive driver:
- Press Windows Key + X on your keyboard and select Device Manager from the list. Or,
- Type Device Manager on the Windows search bar and press Enter button to open the Device Manager.
- Select the Disk drives option and click on it to expand to see the available drives list on your computer.
- Select your hard disk drive, right-click on it, select the Properties, or hit the Enter button to open the driver Properties window.
- Select the Driver
- Click on the Update Driver button to start the update process.
- Select Search automatically for drivers.
- Wait a few times to search for a newly available driver on the internet for your system.
- Update your driver if any update is available by following the on-screen instructions. Otherwise, you can see a message: The best drivers for your device are already installed.
- Click on the Close button to close the window. Image no: 2.9
- Check to see whether your problem is solved or not.
5. Check Power Plan
Sometimes, the faulty power supply can create an internal hard drive disconnecting issue, and it also can create other problems which can harm your computer components.
A malfunctioning power source is the primary cause of the internal hard drive disconnecting.
To solve your problem, you need to check your computer power supply to ensure your power supply is working correctly.
So, check your power supply if you can. You can learn from YouTube videos how to check a power supply. Otherwise, you can go to a hardware specialist.
You also need to check your computer power plan. To do this, follow the steps below:
Here are the steps to check the power plan:
- Type control panel into the Windows Search bar and hit the Enter button to open the Control Panel.
- Set your Control Panel view with Large icons.
- Click on Power Options to open the Power Options
- Click on the Change when the computer sleeps option on the left side panel.
- Click on the Change advanced power settings.
- Select the Turn off hard disk setting after under the Hard disk.
- Set zero (0) minutes or Never.
- Click on Apply to save the changes and click the OK
- Check to see whether your issue is solved or not.
Note that it is recommended to restart the PC after you repair your hard disk or external drive in order to make sure Windows detects the external hard drive connection.
Final Thoughts
Your internal hard disk is continuously disconnecting and reconnecting automatically on your computer because of technical reasons. In this post, I discuss why the internal hard disk is constantly disconnecting from your computer.
Here, I demonstrate the five best proven and practical methods to fix the internal hard disk disconnecting issue on your computer.
You can successfully solve your internal hard disk disconnecting problem quickly by applying these proven and tested methods.
If you find a solution, please let me know which strategy worked for you.
I hope this article is beneficial for you. If you’re interested in learning more about similar topics, you can also browse other posts.
