Mar 23, 2023 
Table of contents
Tried to plug in your external hard drive to your computer but the PC froze instead? Fear not, for this is not the most uncommon thing among external hard drive owners. Among the problems that you can come across with your external hard drive, this is one. This is a precarious situation solely because the reason is often unknown.
In this article, we will be discussing the various underlying causes behind hard drives freezing the computer.
Faulty External Hard Drive
The reason your external hard drive is freezing the computer could be your faulty drive. Be it faulty partitions on the drive or other internal issues, your drive could be at the core of it. The worst thing that happens with a faulty drive is the loss of all data. If you have a faulty drive with crucial information, send it to a data recovery company. They can assess the drive and fix the underlying issues. Most importantly, they will help you recover your data just in time to save them from being lost forever.
There are many ways to recover lost data, but the most common method is to use data recovery software. This software will scan your hard drive for any lost or deleted files and then attempt to recover them. This sounds easier said than done, and we always recommend experts for it. After all, when it comes to important data, you would not want to risk it all.
Data recovery is a complex process that requires specialized skills and knowledge. It can be time-consuming, so it’s best to leave it to those who have the time and expertise to do it properly. Since it is a little expensive, it’s best to leave the job to those who know what they’re doing and have the resources to do it properly.
Lack of Appropriate Permission
Many times your PC might not have the necessary permissions to read the hard drive. In such cases, you are lucky because all it will take is allowing the necessary permissions. Allow your PC to take full control of your drive and you are good to go.
Navigate to ‘My Computer/This Computer’ and right-click on the inaccessible disk. Left-click on ‘Properties’ and then click on ‘Security.’ Tap on ‘Change.’ A new window saying “Permissions for a new volume (E :)” will appear. Click on the ‘Add’ tab and it will allow your PC to read your external hard drive. Type ‘everyone’ in the open space and check the box mentioning ‘Full Control’ and tap on ‘OK’.
Outdated Drivers
Oftentimes, the reason your PC freezes after plugging in an external hard drive is due to an outdated driver. If that is the case, you are fortunate because the solution is as simple as it gets. Simply update your driver(s) and you should be good to go!
Want to check for updates for your PC including driver updates? Click on the Start button from the taskbar. Tap on the Settings icon denoted by the small gear. Choose ‘Updates & Security’ and tap on ‘Check on Updates.’ This will show you all the pending updates. You can go ahead and update all that is still outdated. This effectively solves your issue with the frozen PC.
How to Detect The Problem?
You can seek help from the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter. The process will let you in on the potential issues causing the PC to freeze. If you plugged in your external hard drive and see your PC crash, let the troubleshooter guide you to a remedy.
Here’s how to go about it:
- Tap on the Start icon, type in ‘cmd’, and select ‘Run as administrator’ under Command Prompt.
- Type in the command below and click on Enter:
- msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic
- Wait for the command to finish.
Your PC could be freezing due to glitches that are usually hard to detect without a troubleshooter. The Hardware and Devices troubleshooter will, in that case, be the primary aid.
Launching CHKDSK will also help. Here’s how to go about it:
- Launch ‘Command Prompt’ as admin.
- Type in the command below and click on ‘Enter’:
- chkdsk /f /r Y:
- Wait for the command to complete running. Replace ‘Y’ with the letter of the hard drive.
If the crash is due to a corrupt partition, running the CHKDSK command can scan and fix the issues in most cases.
Summing Up
Once you detect the problem, getting to a solution will be much simpler. It is always harder to go into remedies blind. While knowing the issue might help, we still suggest you hand over the issue to experts. You can always lose your hard drive data before you even realize it. In such situations, you would not want to take a risk. It is always better to mail your hard drive to a data recovery company and make sure everything is safe and sound.
Entrust one of the reputable shipping companies with your hard drive and send it in to the best data recovery company. Ask for the estimated timeline for the job, and await its return. Rest assured, your hard drive will be in safe hands. All you need to do is research the best one of the lot and let them do the rest.
We hope this article offers helpful insight into ways to fix the problem of external hard drives freezing computers!