Storage devices are often vulnerable to counterfeiting and imitation, where one can purchase a device only to find that the capacity is completely different than expected. We have previously discussed ways to avoid such situations, such as how to verify if a flash drive is genuine or fake, and the steps to take before purchasing an SD Card or any storage device in general. Counterfeit storage devices are often cheaper than genuine ones, and users may unknowingly purchase a fake unit.
The issue is not limited to flash drives or SD cards, as even external hard drives have been counterfeited. Many users (even my friends) have purchased external hard drives only to discover that they bought “screws” and a flash drive! The hard drive is fake. But how can you tell? Let me tell you in this article about 3 steps you should take after purchase to determine if it is real or fake and suitable for use.
1- The hard disk is a moving part, not static!
This step is useful for those who have purchased a HDD to check if it is genuine or fake. A HDD consists of many moving parts unlike an SSD which consists of a “board”. The easiest way to determine if it is genuine or fake is to power on the hard drive and observe if there is rotational movement within the disk. You can do this by placing your hand on the metal surface of the hard drive and feeling a slight vibration due to the presence of moving mechanical parts, or by directing your ears towards the drive to hear the fast rotational movement of storage disks. If you notice movement, then the hard drive is not fake. If you don’t notice anything and the hard drive remains static without any sound, then you need to verify by dismantling the hard drive yourself.
2- Check the hard drive’s properties
This is an important step to determine if the external hard drive is genuine, fake, or a replica. This can be done by accessing its properties after connecting it to the computer. When connecting any device to the computer, the driver must be installed first to establish the connection and identify the device. This can be done by opening the Device Manager window in Windows by pressing the Windows key + R on the keyboard to open the Run window, typing “devmgmt.msc” and pressing Enter to display the window as shown in the image above.
In the Disk drives section, you can view the connected hard drives. Check if the external disk’s name appears under this section, not under Other devices or unrecognized devices. Verify that the name matches the manufacturer’s name or brand of the hard drive, such as Seagate or Western Digital. If the real name does not appear, or appears differently, search on Google with the name that appears to confirm if it is fake.
3- Verify the actual size of the hard drive
The person or company counterfeiting external drives or any storage unit modifies the capacity to appear larger, such as 1 terabyte or more, while there may only be a flash drive or two inside! To determine if the hard drive is real or fake, check that its capacity is real and not fake in two ways. Firstly, format the hard drive with FAT32 file system to see the actual capacity of the external hard drive after formatting. Alternatively, you can use the simple tool h2testw 1.4 to fill the hard disk with files to determine the maximum capacity the disk can handle based on the file size. If the hard drive is fake, it will show the actual capacity, and if it is different, then it is fake.
The above steps should help you determine whether the external drive is genuine, fake, or a replica, and protect yourself from continuing to use it. These are steps you should take immediately after purchasing a new hard drive. And if you want my advice, it is best to buy electronic devices like this from reputable sources or online shopping websites like Amazon.
