How do I fix the error to need to format external hard disk?
Sudden power outages can lead to problems in external hdd, some times virus attack or bad sectors can be the reason for this error to show. Formatting drive should not be the first preferance, here are few methods that can be applied to get data1. Try connecting drive to different USB port - the chances are USB port is not working and hence the issue.2. Restart the PC/Laptop again3. Connect the drive to another computer- to check So as to verify if your computer is the culprit.4.Use CHKDSK to check the drive for logical issues5. Run anti-virus software to scan the drive6. Format it and use a third party tool to recover dataUnfortunately, if you have no backup and all the methods have failed. The best resort is to format the drive and use professional data recovery tool to get the data back.
External Hard Drive Volume is Dirty?
Do a full format back to NFTS and then do a full format to FAT. That should fix it. Which box are you using the format the drive? You might need to try the other Windows PC/Laptop. If its corrupting your format, there might be something wrong with your OS. Edit: Are you using the WD Passport tool to format the drive or using Window's program to do it?