Backup HDD No Longer Recognized By Windows 7

[abba zabba]

I was in the middle of encrypting my backup harddrive when Veracrypt stopped responding and crashed.

Now there are two related issues:
1. If I boot the computer with the backup harddrive already plugged in, windows gets stuck on the BIOS splash screen for my motherboard and refuses to continue. If I boot the computer without the backup harddrive plugged in, it quickly boots and goes to the veracrypt password screen for my system drive which works normally and allows me to log in to windows.

2. If I plug in the backup harddrive while windows is running, windows does not recognize the drive under any of the following:
the computer section that shows drives
disk manager
device manager
Veracrypt itself
using diskpart -> list disk

However, the disk does spin up when plugged in and has had no previous problems (hardware problems I mean).

Is it possible that an interrupted encryption process has completely bricked this harddrive? What can I try to get it to show up in windows again/fix it?

Thanks for your time!

[Enigma2Illusion]

Hello,

What happens if you try connecting the external drive to another computer? Can it recognize the drive?

The issue may be the external drive's controller has failed even though the HDD is working.

[abba zabba]

Unfortunately the drive is an internal drive so it only has SATA connectors, and I do not have another computer available to me where I could hook up the SATA connectors.

Would a failed encryption process be likely to damage the drive's controller or is that simply what seems like the most likely cause here?

If this is the only remaining possibility then I will have to try to find a computer I can test the drive with.

Thanks.

[Enigma2Illusion]

Hello,

You were encrypting your external drive. Correct?

Hardware failure can occur at anytime. The issue is your external drive and not your internal drive or PC.

I have experienced external HDD failures in the past and experienced the freezing of the computer or longer delays or freezing when performing operations on the external HDD. That is why I believe your issue is your external HDD has gone bad since you are able to boot your PC with system encryption normally when the external HDD is not connected.