External hard drive USB port broken: what you can do

If the USB port of your external hard drive stops working, you don't have to buy a new one directly. As long as the hard drive is intact, all data is available and the device can still be used. All you need is a new case to replace the defective USB port.

Repairing the USB port of an external hard drive

Using the USB port, you can store data on your external hard drive and also download it from the device again. If it is defective, the hard drive will not be recognized by the computer. Fortunately, the problem can be easily fixed by buying a new enclosure for the hard drive. You can find enclosures online for as little as 10 euros. External hard drives are usually no different from the hard drives that are built into PC towers and laptops. So an alternative is also to install the hard drive in your computer and access the data that way. However, this requires that you find a free hard drive slot in your computer.

How to proceed

1. Check what form factor your hard drive has. You can find this information in the product specifications on the packaging. Haben Sie die Verpackung nicht mehr, schauen Sie auf der Festplatte nach, um welches Modell es sich handelt und suchen Sie die Information auf der Website des Herstellers.
2. Bestellen Sie online ein Gehäuse mit dem passenden Formfaktor und den gewünschten USB-Anschlüssen.
3. An einer Seite Ihrer Festplatte finden Sie mehrere kleine Schrauben. Lösen Sie diese und ziehen Sie die Festplatte aus dem Gehäuse.
4. Öffnen Sie das neue Gehäuse und setzen Sie die Festplatte ein
5. Verschrauben Sie das Gehäuse.