External hard drive takes forever to load?
Fail to access disk data?
Searching on Google, you will find that this problem is very common.

This problem does not only occur in Windows but also Mac.
Next, pick the following button to download and install thisfree data recovery softwareand start file restoration.
Double-click MiniTool Power Data Recovery Free Edition to start it.

Now, MiniTool Power Data Recovery is scanning the selected partition.
Usually, the scan time depends on how much data is saved on the unresponsive external hard drive.
To get the best scan and data recovery results, it is not recommended to stop the scan halfway.

kindly be patient and wait for the full scan to complete.
Step 2: Find the needed files by using Filter/Search/Preview.
Step 3: Click Save and specify an appropriate storage path.

Once you find all the needed files, check the checkboxes next to them and clickSave.
In the pop-up window, select a storage path to store them.
My external hard drive takes forever to load in Windows 10 and it forbids me from accessing data.

Stellar Data Recovery for Mac canrecover Mac photos, documents, videos, audio, emails, etc.
from internal/external hard drives, USB drives, memory cards, and other file storage devices.
Besides, it can be used torepair corrupted photosand videos.

Whats more, it is compatible with Mac OS X 10.11 and above.
Then, customize your scan and clickNextto continue.
Step 2: pick the drive you want to recover data from and clickScan.

Then, Stellar Data Recovery for Mac will start looking for your recoverable files.
Wait a few minutes until the scan completes.
Step 3: After the scan finishes, find the files that you want to recover.

Then check them and clickRecoverto choose a secure location to store them.
Here, we will walk you through the solutions to this problem in Windows and Mac.
Fix External Hard Drive Takes a Long Time to Load Windows
1.

Use Different Cable
A problematic USB connection is a big cause of slow-loading external hard drives.
To rule this out, check the USB cable connected to the external hard drive for any damage.
Replace the cable or connect the external hard drive to another machine to see if the problem persists.
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If yes, try the next solution.
Orcheck the hard drive healthin File Explorer.
Perform Disk Defragmentation
Step 1.

Typedefragmentin the Windows search box and selectDefragment and Optimize Drivesfrom the best match result.
In the new window, snag the target external hard drive and click theOptimizebutton.
Typevirus & threat protectionin the Windows search box and clickVirus & threat protection.

In the pop-up window, click theQuick scanbutton to start the virus scan.
Format the External Hard Drive
Formatting is a good way to fix disk problems likelocation is not available.
When an external hard drive infinite loading issue occurs, you might make a run at format it.

First, right-click theWindows logobutton to selectDisk Management.
Next, right-snag the target drive and chooseFormat.
After that, specify its file system, cluster size, and volume label.
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you could only replace the damaged disk with a new one.
OpenFinder, clickGo>Utilities, and double-clickDisk Utilityto open it.
Here are the effective solutions!
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Bottom Line
The external hard drive takes forever to load in Windows and Mac?
Recover data from this target disk first of all and then take the measures above to fix this issue.
External Hard Drive Slow and Unresponsive FAQ
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