The request failed due to a fatal device hardware error can be scary. But it isn't necessarily as bad as it first appears. Read on to learn how to fix this problem and recover your files.
What does the 'fatal device hardware error' mean? This usually appears when the operating system can no longer access the hard drive or is unable to perform read and write operations upon it.
So what caused this error and how to define if you are having this error on your drive? Check the table below:
Causes:
Symptoms:
So how do I fix "the request failed due to fatal device hardware error" on my external hard drive? Here we listed 5 effective ways that can help:
If these don't fix the problem, you can try the options outlined below.
SMART stands for Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology. Checking a drive's SMART attributes, it can help you determine whether a drive is damaged as well as assessing the extent of the problem.
This is how to check a hard drive SMART status:
Step 1. Press Windows + X keys to open the Quick Links menu, then select Command Prompt (Admin).
Step 2. Type wmic diskdrive get status and hit Enter.
Step 3. The command returns four different statuses: "OK", "Bad", "Unknown", and "Caution".
Bad sectors are not as horrible as you might think unless they are spread out across the hard disk. We often use the Windows DiskPart utility to check and repair file system corruption and hard disk bad sectors. It's a good tool and well worth trying for the majority of hard drive inaccessibility issues.
This is how to run the Diskpart command to fix bad errors:
Step 1. Press Windows + S keys, type cmd in the Search box.
Step 2. Right-click Command Prompt, select "Run as Administrator".
Step 3. Type chkdsk F: /f or chkdsk F: /f /r /x and hit Ener.
(F: represents the drive letter of the problematic HDD, so change the letter to match that of your drive when entering the command.)
The syntax for check disk:
If the driver for the problematic storage device is outdated, then this can cause the fatal device hardware error. Therefore, updating the driver can fix the issue.
Here are the steps:
Step 1. Press Windows + S keys, type device manager in the Search box.
Step 2. Expand "Disk drives", locate and check the state of the hard drive with fatal device error.
See if it's covered by a yellow exclamation mark as shown below, if yes, update the disk driver with Step 3.
Step 3. Right-click the problematic hard drive and select "Update driver".
Step 4. Click "Automatically search for driver software online" and wait for the process to complete.
After this, restart the computer and see if you can now access the drive.
If you've tried the methods outlined above, but still have a problem with the drive, the last option is to take it in for repair. In most cases, you'll have options open to you.
When 'The request failed due to a fatal device hardware error' occurs, your HDD, external hard disk, or removable disk turns inaccessible. You must fix the error first.
Once the 'fatal device hardware error' is fixed, you may still find that your data is missing. To get it all back you'll want to use a reliable recovery tool like the Deep Data Recovery. This enables you to scan the problematic drive, find all of your files and move them to another storage device.
Key features of Qiling hard drive data recovery software:
3-Step Guide to Recover Data After Fixing Fatal Device Hardware Error:
Step 1. Select file types and click "Next" to start
Launch Deep Data Recovery. Select file types and click "Next" to start.
Step 2. Scan the hard drive partition
Select the drive on your hard disk where you lost or deleted files. Click "Scan" and let Qiling data recovery software scan for all lost data and files on the selected drive.
Step 3. Check the results
When the scan completes, you can apply the "Filter" feature or click the "Search files or folders" option to find the lost files on the hard drive.
Step 4. Restore lost hard drive data
Select wanted files that you lost on the drive and click "Recover" to save them to another location.
Hopefully now, after following the methods above, you will have a working hard drive or at the very least managed to recover your precious data. Hardware is prone to failure when you least expect it though, so we'd advise always having a copy of the Deep Data Recovery on hand to salvage your data immediately if disaster strikes.
Remember, whenever you have this problem with your storage devices, stop using the drive first. On this page, we discussed what is the request failed due to a fatal device hardware error, common symptoms, and 5 reliable ways that work to fix your problematic device to a normal state.
If you have valuable files saved on the problematic device, remember to run the best data recovery software - Deep Data Recovery and restore all your data immediately after fixing this error.