External Hard Drive Freezing or Causing Computer to Freeze (3 Solutions)

To help you resolve the hard drive freezing issue effortlessly, we'll list all feasible solutions right from the start. Choose at least one method to fix the external hard drive that keeps freezing when opening the drive, copying files, accessing data, launching File Explorer, or simply running programs on your computer or laptop.

Three Ways to Fix a Frozen External Hard Drive

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Next, we will teach you how to use each solution from the list. This is what you have to read first. A warning: reformatting the disk in the last solution will result in data loss, so make sure to back up as much information as possible beforehand. Also, if your external hard drive froze while copying files, or Windows 7/Windows 10 freezing when copying files is caused by a hard drive issue, you can only retrieve files automatically from the currently inaccessible drive with the help of the Data Recovery Wizard software. The detailed guide for recovering data from a frozen hard drive is available in Solution 3.

Solution 1: Check and repair hard drive health

Step 1. In Windows 7/10, click Start > Computer or This PC.

Step 2: Right-click on your external hard drive.

Step 3: Click on Properties > Tools, and then click on Check (this option will check the drive for any physical problems).

If errors are detected, you can try to fix them using this utility. Restart your computer after the repair is completed.

Solution 2: Repair bad sectors on the frozen external hard drive

This fix requires knowledge of the Windows Command Prompt.

Step 1: Press Windows + X, and then choose "Command Prompt (Admin)."

Step 2. In the black window, type the command starting with the drive letter, followed by /[f/r]. Specifically, let's assume that the required drive letter is E. You would therefore input the following command line:

chkdsk /f E: (this checks and fixes errors on drive E:)
chkdsk /r E: (this locates bad sectors and recovers readable information)

Step 3: Press Enter and wait for the command to finish executing.

If you're not comfortable using the Command Prompt, try the command-line alternative – CleanGenius. Use this one-click tool to fix file system errors on your hard drive.

Step 1. Download the CleanGenius tool on your computer for free.

Step 2. Run the program. Click on "Optimize" on the left and then choose "File Display".

Select the file with the display options.

Step 3. Go to the “Select Drive” tab and choose the drive with the file system error. Check the option to “Check and fix file system errors” and click “Perform Scan”.

Step 4: Wait for CleanGenius to finish the repair process. When it's done, click Here to view the results.

Solution 3: Reformat the External Hard Drive for Reuse

Considering the importance of your data, you should perform a full backup before attempting the latter. If copying files still ends up with an unresponsive, crashed, or frozen external hard drive, you can download the tool Data Recovery Wizard to access and retrieve inaccessible data.

Major Features of the Tool Data Recovery Software:

• Recover deleted files from the Recycling Bin, as well as HDD, SSD, USB, flash drives, SD cards, external hard drives, and more
• Restore over 1000 different types of files, including photos, videos, documents, emails, and more
• Repair corrupted files while recovering data on Windows 11/10/8/7

Step 1: Select and scan the external hard drive

1. Download and install the Data Recovery tool on your computer or laptop. 2. Connect the external hard drive to your computer. 3. Run the Data Recovery wizard and select the external hard drive from the list of external drives. Then, click on Scan for lost data.

Step 2: Review the scan results

• The data recovery software will immediately scan all data on the selected drive, including deleted, corrupted, and existing data.
• You can use the filter feature to quickly locate a specific type of file, such as images, Word documents, Excel files, PDFs, videos, emails, and more.

Step 3: Preview and recover the data

• Double-click a file from the scan results to preview it. • Select the files you want and click “Recover.” • Choose a location different from the original drive to save your recovered files.

Next, try fixing the frozen external hard drive through Disk Management.

Step 1. Press Windows + R, then type diskmgmt.msc in the Run box.

Step 2: Disk Management should now be open. Right-click on the external hard drive you want to format and select "Format."

Step 3: Follow the Wizard to complete the formatting process.

Step 4. Restart your computer and check if the issue is still there.

Additional Tips for Fixing a Frozen External Hard Drive

A virus infection is another catalyst that might cause external hard drives (like Seagate, Western Digital, Toshiba, etc.) to freeze constantly. In such a case, getting rid of bad sectors won't do the trick. Therefore, try to eliminate the virus from the HDD or any other storage device that has similar issues.

You have two options to start with. An antivirus software like Avast would be a good choice, or you could also remove the virus using CMD, referring to this link < ahref="/resource/use-cmd-remove-virus-windows-10.html">here</a>. Both methods are quite helpful.

Often, people also ask the following, so read on if you're interested.

1. Can a hard drive failure cause my computer to freeze?

When you notice your hard drive freezing, it's likely that the hard drive is failing. So, yes, a faulty hard drive can significantly affect data, program opening processes, and file transfer speeds, as well as cause your mouse and keyboard to stop working. This is why your computer may freeze often when you try to access files stored in a damaged or corrupted section of the hard drive.

2. Does freezing a hard drive help?

Many experienced users recommend that freezing a malfunctioning hard disk – that is, exposing it to low temperatures – can effectively cure common ailments like slow performance or crashes. But it is a temporary fix, at best.

3. How to fix an unrecognized external hard drive issue?

When the hard drive is not showing or getting recognized by Windows, try changing the USB port or cable. Sometimes, scanning and removing viruses with an antivirus utility might help. You can learn about advanced methods to fix issues with an external hard drive not being recognized.