External 500 GB scorpio blue WD 2.5". It worked a long time AGO as an external, and then it was in my ps3 until i thought it wasn't working (turned out to be my ps3 after I tried another HDD). I have it inside a Nexstar TX enclosure. Running Vista 64.

I formatted it to work with my computer, and I dumped my video onto it for backup. My computer freezes very often for no *censored* REASON, and countless installs/replacements have never fixed it, and when I tried to use my HDD, windows said it needed to be formatted again. I did, and put all my videos on it again. Later, my computer froze once more. When it came back, the hdd once again needed to be formatted. The HDD is not MAKING any noises and appears to be running perfectly fine.

1. Is the freezing causing this?
2. Is it only because I didn't shut it down properly before the freeze?
3. Is there anyway I can avoid formatting the drive again?They make a CD iso that nyou can burn.
Boot from it and run long tests. The drive may be dying slowly.
http://support.wdc.com/download/
You will have to select your EXACT model.
The drive is not under warranty?This drive is over two years old, if I remember correctly. I suppose I'll download the iso.Well, I accidentally interrupted the test an hour before it finished. But, it still failed the test even without VIEWING the entire drive. Not only that, but it failed the quick test. The HDD just started making noise and has died. Thank you for trying to help me.