To do so, press Windows Key + X(or right-click the Start button) to open the Power User menu and selectDisk Management from the list. You can also open theRun dialog withWindows + R and enterdiskmgmt.msc to open this utility. This usually happens because many users disconnect their hard drives without choosing the "Safely Remove Hardware?" option.

When you try another machine, be sure to check whether it appears in the computer’s Disk Management window, not justThis PC, as discussed above. You should see your external drive listed in the Disk Management window, likely below your primary and any secondary disks. Even if it doesn’t appear in theThis PC window because it doesn’t contain any partitions, it should show up here as Removable.

Run A Full Check Disk

If your device showed up in Disk Management in Step 1 or one of the above troubleshooting steps made it show up, you’re ready to initialize the drive so it’s usable. Aside from showing you basic information, the Disk Management tool can fix partition and file system issues with your drive. Expand the Disk drives category and check for any devices with a yellow exclamation point next to them. If you see a this symbol, that device has a driver problem. If the drive doesn’t work on any computer you plug it into, the drive itself is likely dead and you’ll need to replace it.

Here is a way to fix this issue without formatting your hard drive. If your drive is spinning but the system doesn't recognize your hard drive, follow the next series of steps to Get More Information manually check the settings on your computer. Compare the sound with failing hard drive sounds listed by Data Cent. If the external hard disk enclosure is not the issue, you need to dig further to find out the culprit by following up on another series of steps. Next are some other questions related to scanning and repairing drive stuck.

The functionality of this software can cause additional damage to potentially recoverable data when used by individuals with insufficient training. Restoration is a small free file recovery software. Its main characteristic is simplicity, as it doesn’t require a complex installation, but only a click on the .exe file. In brief, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard presents a practical option for casual data losses.

  • Once it is done, you will get a “Bootable USB flash drive completed” message.
  • The next window will show a progress bar that shows the files being added to the drive you and its conversion taking place.
  • Choose the unbootable hard drive and click the “start” button.
  • The hard drive has a read/write head which works on the platter.

The Best 5 Hard Disk Bad Sector Removal Software

There are tested and proven cases that indicate being patient and waiting is a workable solution. Have you moved around the PC recently or done something familiar that is likely to displace the computer disks? If you have, the cause of the "Scanning and repairing drive" stuck might be the connection issues between the disk and the computer. If possible, recheck the cable and port to ensure the disks have been connected to the PC correctly. This article has been approved by Brett Johnson, Data Recovery Engineer at ACE Data Recovery.

If there is a minor issue on the drive, that process won't take long. However, if the drive is in a bad condition, it may take hours for the "Scanning and repairing drive" process to complete.

Enterbcdedit /set current recoveryenabled yes to turn on Automatic Repair in Windows. How long should scanning and repairing drive take?

Brett has a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Systems and Network, 12 years of experience. Overall, TestDisk is a very specialized tool that will not serve the needs of average users suffering from inadvertent data loss.