Written by
Wilsey YoungWindows users who prefer external hard drives may encounter the "external hard drive taking forever to load" problem. When an external hard drive is connected to the Windows PC and we open it in File Explorer, nothing shows up and the drive seems unable to load anything. Another situation is that accessing the files could take a very long time, like data transfer or video playing.
This post focuses on the "external hard drive taking forever to load Windows 10/11" issue and shows how to fix this issue using the built-in tools or utilities on Windows 10/11.
Fix the external hard drive taking forever to load Windows 10/11
Carefully inspect your external hard drive (HDD) for any physical damage, which can be judged by abnormal noise, whether the drive is on and rotating continuously. If the external hard drive seems to be physically working well, the following methods can help fix the "external hard drive taking forever to load" problem.
Swap the USB port or cable for another
A faulty USB port or cable/wire may cause the "external hard drive taking forever to load" issue. In this case, switching to another interface or connecting cable is worth trying before using other solutions.
Scan for viruses or malware
Use the built-in on Windows to scan for possible viruses or malware that may lead to the external hard drive taking forever to load problem.
- Press the Windows+I keys or click the gear icon in the Start menu to open Settings.
- Choose Update & Security.
- Tap on Windows Security on the left side pane and choose "Virus & threat protection" on the right.
- Click "Quick scan" to start scanning.
- Alternatively, click "Scan options" to run a deep scan.
Clear thumbnail cache of C drive
Some users notice that the accumulated thumbnail cache on the C drive cache may result in the "external hard drive taking forever to load" issue on Windows 10/11 PC. Clearing the thumbnail cache could solve the problem. Here's how:
- Right-click on C Drive/System C/Local Disk C in File Explore and choose Properties.
- Click the Disk Cleanup under the General tab.
- Tick Thumbnails under the "Files to delete" section.
- Click the OK button to start the cleanup.
Update disk driver
The outdated disk driver may be to blame for the "external hard drive taking forever to load". Here's how to update the disk driver on Windows.
- Right-click on the Start menu button and choose Device Manager. Alternatively, search for Device Manager through the Windows search box.
- Locate the external hard drive and right-click on it to choose "Update driver."
- Restart the PC when the update is finished.
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Run CHKDSK scan
When the external hard drive is taking forever to load, it can be caused by file system issues, bad sectors, or other disk-related problems. Running the CHKDSK tool through Command Prompt on Windows can help scan for and repair issues that might cause a storage device to malfunction.
- Type cmd in the Windows search box and select "Run as administrator."
- Input chkdsk X: /r, replace X with the actual letter of the target drive, and hit the Enter key on your keyboard. For example:
- Restart your PC and reconnect the drive.
Defragment the external hard drive
The external hard drive takes forever to load up when the drive is highly fragmented. Performing the disk defragmentation may help resolve the issue:
- Type "defragment and optimize drives" in the Windows search box and click the result to open.
- Select the external hard drive from the list and click the Analyze button.
- Restart the PC and reconnect the drive after disk defragmentation.
What is disk fragmentation? Can we defragment an SSD? Read the following article for more details: Should You Defrag SSD? Here's the Best Answer You Want!
Format the external hard drive
Some Windows users report formatting the external hard drive can fix the external hard drive taking forever to load.
Note: Be sure to recover and back up the data before formatting the drive, as formatting will erase all the files stored on the drive.
Step 1: Rescue the data from the external hard drive
Though the external hard drive takes forever to load up in File Explorer, you can recover the files through iBoysoft Data Recovery for Windows, an easy-to-use and professional data recovery tool.
This tool can help easily retrieve lost or deleted data from HDD, SSD, USB drive, SD card, or other storage devices, even if the target device is taking forever to load, corrupted, inaccessible, or formatted.
- Download, install, and launch iBoysoft Data Recovery for Windows.
- Choose the Data Recovery module.
- Select the target drive and click Next.
- Preview the found files to see if they are recoverable.
- Tick the wanted files, click the Recover button, and save the files to a different storage device.
Step 2: Format the external hard drive
Now, you can format the drive to fix the external hard drive taking forever to load.
- Open File Explorer, right-click on the drive, and choose Format.
- Choose file system and Quick Format.
- Click the Start button to start the formatting.
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