When an external hard drive starts to malfunction or does not read changes through the computer system, it’s time to take a look at what is going on with its settings or connection points.
This is something that can lead to issues over the long term until the external hard drive stops working. This is why being proactive is the best thing you can do as a user.
One issue people report is when the external hard drive is 100% active even when it should not be.
If the external hard drive is at 100% active time, start by restarting the computer, changing the port of the hard drive, updating the drivers, and inspecting the USB platform for damage.
The most common issue tends to involve the port of the system. It can stop working or the USB platform will likely have to be repaired. This is an issue that is going to result in everything not working when connected to the port.
It is best to go through these steps to pinpoint where the issue lies. The more information you can find, the better it is for you to get the hard drive to start working again.
This guide will take a look at how to fix an external hard drive that’s 100% active time.
Tips To Fix External Hard Drive That’s 100% Active Time
1. Restart The System
Your first step is to restart the system.
This is always a recommended option because it will reset the settings on your device. You should never look to change your strategy until you do this with your computer.
Let the computer reset and see if it reads the external hard drive differently.
In most cases, this is going to be enough to get the external hard drive to work as you want it to. Go through this process and test the hard drive before moving on to the next step.

2. Update The Drivers
You will now want to take a look at the drivers for the computer and the external hard drive.
ThSome specific drivers needo be kept up-to-date for them to read the external hard drive. This also goes for the hard drive itself as you will want to go to the manufacturer’s website to find what is needed for your operating system.
It’s best to do this on day one to avoid issues later on.
It is likely the reason the external hard drive is not changing its usage when you are using it. The computer will continue to have it on 100% active time.
3. Use A Different Port
You will also want to see if the issue has to do with the port you are using.
It’s best to see if you can use a different port on the computer. This will let you get a read on whether or not the issue has to do with your computer or the external hard drive.
If it works on a different port then the main issue had to do with that specific port. If it does not, the main issue has to do with the USB platform or the external hard drive.
To test this, you are going to take something else and connect it to the port. See if that works. If it does not then the issue is the USB platform as it is not reading anything properly.
If it does read it then the external hard drive is damaged.

4. Change The USB Platform
You will want to change the USB platform if the computer is not reading anything that is connected to its ports.
This does happen and it might be due to water getting into the component or it being dropped causing damaged. You will have to get someone to change the USB platform for the ports to start working the way you want.
Final Thoughts
These are the steps to implement if the external hard drive is 100% active time.
If the external hard drive is at 100% active time, this means it is being overused by the system. To fix the issue, restart the computer, update the drivers, use a different port, and/or change the USB platform if nothing works.
For the most part, the issue is going to be the port that you are connecting to.
Your best bet is to test different devices and/or items to see what works with the ports on your computer. If nothing is working then the issue is likely a damaged USB platform.
Change the USB platform and all of the ports will begin working. This will also get the external hard drive to work as intended.
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