Can't Copy Files to External Drive? Fix! 0x8007045D

When your file transfers freeze or error 0x8007045D pops up, it usually means Windows has hit a bad physical sector on your drive while trying to read or write data. It is incredibly frustrating when your drive slows to a crawl, but we can verify if this is a simple connection issue or a failing drive.

Why this happens

This is an I/O device error that occurs when the drive hardware cannot communicate properly with Windows. It is frequently caused by a faulty USB port, a damaged cable, or physical corruption on the drive platters.

What you'll need

You will need administrative access to your computer to run repair commands. If you suspect hardware failure, download the free tool CrystalDiskInfo to check your drive health.

Steps

1. 01
   Unplug your drive and plug it into a different USB port on your computer, ideally one on the back of the motherboard if you are using a desktop. If you have a spare USB cable, swap it now to rule out a physical connection failure.
2. 02
   Download and run CrystalDiskInfo. If the status shows 'Caution' or 'Bad' in yellow or red, stop immediately, back up any files you can access, and replace the drive because it is physically failing.
3. 03
   Open the Start menu, type 'cmd', right-click it, and select 'Run as administrator'.
4. 04
   Type chkdsk X: /f /r into the window, replacing 'X' with your external drive's actual letter. If prompted to schedule a check upon restart, type 'Y' and hit Enter, then reboot your computer to let Windows mark the bad sectors.

Still not working?

If CrystalDiskInfo showed 'Caution' or 'Bad', the drive is suffering from physical hardware degradation and no software fix will resolve it; your only option is to recover data immediately and retire the hardware. If the drive reports 'Good' status but the command still hangs or fails, the file system architecture may be too corrupted to repair, indicating the drive's controller or interface is failing.

Frequently asked questions

Does this error mean my files are permanently lost?

Not necessarily, but it does mean your data is at risk. If you can access the files, copy them to a safe location immediately before attempting any repairs.

Is it safe to keep using a drive that had bad sectors?

Once a drive begins developing bad sectors, it is usually a sign of hardware wear. Use it for temporary data only, never for your primary backups.