Introduction
A slow external hard drive can be frustrating. As someone who relies on external storage to backup photos, videos, and important documents, I know the pain of waiting for files to transfer or applications to load from a sluggish drive.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially fix an external hard drive running slower than expected. In this article, I’ll share troubleshooting tips I’ve learned from personal experience.
Check Drive Errors
The first thing to check is if the drive has errors. Problems like bad sectors can slow down read/write speeds.
To scan for errors on Windows, right-click the drive in File Explorer and select Properties > Tools > Check. This will scan the drive for file system errors and bad sectors.
On Mac, open Disk Utility and select the external drive. Click First Aid and then click Run to check for errors.
If errors are found, you can try to repair them. But if the drive has excessive bad sectors, it may need to be reformatted or replaced.
Change USB Port
If the drive doesn’t show errors, try plugging it into a different USB port on your computer. Some ports may have slower transfer rates or drivers issues that hamper performance.
I once struggled with an external HDD that kept disconnecting and running awfully slow. Switching the USB port completely fixed the issue.
If you have a desktop computer, plug directly into a rear motherboard USB port for maximum speed. Avoid using hub extensions which can reduce power delivery.
Check Drive Format
Another possible culprit is the file system format.
For example, NTFS is optimized for Windows while Macs work best with APFS or HFS+. A cross-platform format like exFAT may perform slower than a native OS format.
You can check the format in Windows by right-clicking the drive and selecting Properties > General > File System.
On Mac, select the drive in Finder and press Command + I, then look at the Format field.
If the format isn’t optimal for your OS, you may want to reformat the drive. Just be sure to backup all data first, as formatting will erase the drive.
Fragmentation Issues
Fragmentation is when data is scattered across different parts of a drive. This requires additional drive head movement to access files, slowing down read/write times.
To defragment an external HDD on Windows, open the Optimize Drives utility. Right-click the drive and select Analyze to check the current fragmentation level. If high, select Optimize to defrag the drive.
Macs running OS X 10.11+ automatically defrag external HDDs so this shouldn’t be an issue. But you can analyze fragmentation with a third-party utility like iDefrag if needed.
Upgrade USB Cable
The included USB cable that came with an external drive may be a cheaper, lower-quality cable. Upgrading to a better USB 3.0 or 3.1 cable can provide faster transfer speeds.
Check that you’re using at least a USB 3.0 cable to match the connection type of the drive. Look for cables certified by USB-IF with the official SuperSpeed USB icon.
A USB-C to USB-C cable will offer the fastest interface for USB 3.1 Gen2 drives. Thunderbolt cables are another high-speed option if your computer supports Thunderbolt ports.
Get a Faster Drive
If you’ve tried the above suggestions and your external HDD is still too slow, the drive itself may be the limitation.
HDD technology has slower random read/write speeds compared to solid-state drives (SSDs), especially for larger files like videos. An external SSD will offer much faster transfer rates and speed up loading applications stored on the drive.
Another option is to get a higher RPM HDD, like a 7200 RPM model instead of 5400 RPM. Just keep in mind that faster drives tend to be more expensive.
Final Thoughts
Troubleshooting an external hard drive running slower than expected isn’t too difficult. Try scanning for errors, changing USB ports, checking the format, defragmenting, upgrading cables, or getting a faster drive.
With a bit of effort, you should be able to resolve speed issues and boost the performance of a sluggish external HDD. Let me know in the comments if you have any other tips for speeding up external drives!
