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In my Windows 10 computer, I have a Toshiba 6TB HDD [D:] and occasionally the disk completely disappears (there is no more D: disk), with the disk remaining invisible until a reboot, always returning afterward.

Getting a recursive list of all the directories seems to make the event more frequent, but I still don't have a way to consistently reproduce the issue; on the other hand, working hard on the disk does not seem to have any effect.

Do you have any idea what could cause the problem and how I can solve it?

=== START OF INFORMATION SECTION ===
Model Family:     Toshiba X300
Device Model:     TOSHIBA HDWE160
Serial Number:    ***
LU WWN Device Id: 5 000039 84c401b41
Firmware Version: FS2A
User Capacity:    6,001,175,126,016 bytes [6.00 TB]
Sector Sizes:     512 bytes logical, 4096 bytes physical
Rotation Rate:    7200 rpm
Form Factor:      3.5 inches
Device is:        In smartctl database [for details use: -P show]
ATA Version is:   ATA8-ACS (minor revision not indicated)
SATA Version is:  SATA 3.0, 6.0 Gb/s (current: 3.0 Gb/s)
Local Time is:    Tue Jun  1 07:31:21 2021 UTC
SMART support is: Available - device has SMART capability.
SMART support is: Enabled

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART overall-health self-assessment test result: PASSED

General SMART Values:
Offline data collection status: (0x82)
          Offline data collection activity was completed without error.
          Auto Offline Data Collection: Enabled.

Self-test execution status:     (   0)
          The previous self-test routine completed without
          error or no self-test has ever been run.

Total time to complete Offline data collection:             (  120) seconds.

Offline data collection capabilities:                       (0x5b)
          SMART execute Offline immediate.
          Auto Offline data collection on/off support.
          Suspend Offline collection upon new
          command.
          Offline surface scan supported.
          Self-test supported.
          No Conveyance Self-test supported.
          Selective Self-test supported.

SMART capabilities:             (0x0003)
          Saves SMART data before entering power-saving mode.
          Supports SMART auto save timer.

Error logging capability:       (0x01)
          Error logging supported.
          General Purpose Logging supported.

Short self-test routine recommended polling time:       (   2) minutes.
Extended self-test routine recommended polling time:    ( 646) minutes.

SCT capabilities:               (0x003d)
          SCT Status supported.
          SCT Error Recovery Control supported.
          SCT Feature Control supported.
          SCT Data Table supported.

SMART Attributes Data Structure revision number: 16

Vendor Specific SMART Attributes with Thresholds:
ID# ATTRIBUTE_NAME          FLAG     VALUE WORST THRESH TYPE      UPDATED  WHEN_FAILED RAW_VALUE
  1 Raw_Read_Error_Rate     0x000b   100   100   050    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  2 Throughput_Performance  0x0005   100   100   050    Pre-fail  Offline      -       0
  3 Spin_Up_Time            0x0027   100   100   001    Pre-fail  Always       -       632
  4 Start_Stop_Count        0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       10557
  5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct   0x0033   100   100   050    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  7 Seek_Error_Rate         0x000b   100   100   050    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
  8 Seek_Time_Performance   0x0005   100   100   050    Pre-fail  Offline      -       0
  9 Power_On_Hours          0x0032   066   066   000    Old_age   Always       -       13838
10 Spin_Retry_Count         0x0033   253   100   030    Pre-fail  Always       -       0
12 Power_Cycle_Count        0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       1105
191 G-Sense_Error_Rate      0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
192 Power-Off_Retract_Count 0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       188
193 Load_Cycle_Count        0x0032   099   099   000    Old_age   Always       -       12135
194 Temperature_Celsius     0x0022   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       30 (Min/Max 18/47)
196 Reallocated_Event_Count 0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
197 Current_Pending_Sector  0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
198 Offline_Uncorrectable   0x0030   100   100   000    Old_age   Offline      -       0
199 UDMA_CRC_Error_Count    0x0032   200   253   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
220 Disk_Shift              0x0002   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
222 Loaded_Hours            0x0032   088   088   000    Old_age   Always       -       5163
223 Load_Retry_Count        0x0032   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
224 Load_Friction           0x0022   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       0
226 Load-in_Time            0x0026   100   100   000    Old_age   Always       -       537
240 Head_Flying_Hours       0x0001   100   100   001    Pre-fail  Offline      -       0

SMART Error Log Version: 1
No Errors Logged

SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
No self-tests have been logged.  [To run self-tests, use: smartctl -t]

SMART Selective self-test log data structure revision number 1
SPAN  MIN_LBA  MAX_LBA  CURRENT_TEST_STATUS
    1        0        0  Not_testing
    2        0        0  Not_testing
    3        0        0  Not_testing
    4        0        0  Not_testing
    5        0        0  Not_testing

Selective self-test flags (0x0):
  After scanning selected spans, do NOT read-scan remainder of disk.
  If Selective self-test is pending on power-up, resume after 0 minute delay.
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  • Far from scientific, but I might consider backing up any data on that disk. May 27, 2021 at 11:39
  • 1
    One of four things is likely happening, with the first or second being the most likely: HDD is failing, filesystem is corrupted (run: ChkDsk D: /OfflineScanAndFix), SATA/SAS cable is failing, motherboard SATA/SAS port has an issue. To determine if the HDD is failing, perform a short and long S.M.A.R.T test and review the S.M.A.R.T data via an Ubuntu install USB. If everything comes back fine, swap the SATA/SAS cable with a known good one, then try a different motherboard port if that doesn't resolve.
    – JW0914
    May 27, 2021 at 12:09
  • @Anaksunaman It's unfortunate that this kind of advice is necessary. Automated, unattended backups should be a norm, not something you do when you suspect the drive is failing. But yeah, you're right, so few people do this that your comment is very appropriate.
    – gronostaj
    May 27, 2021 at 12:18
  • 1
    My backups are ok. But, well done suggesting that. May 27, 2021 at 18:30
  • @JW0914 Would you please change your comment into an answer? I have added to my question a screenshot of the SMART report, which seems ok to me (but I am no expert here). Please check it, and let me know if you find something. I see that you have not listed, among the possibilities, a glitch in the operating system, which was the first thing I considered. Do you consider that possible/likely? May 27, 2021 at 20:28

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