Fix: the Request Failed Due to a Fatal Device Hardware Error

Fatal device hardware error usually occurs when Windows has issues recognizing a storage device. And if you try to perform any action in this storage device, you get the error message, “The request failed due to a fatal device hardware error”. 

However, there are several reasons Windows has problems recognizing the storage device. Anything from a loose connection to a bad sector could stop the OS from detecting the storage device.

Besides this, issues with hard disk cable, outdated drivers or corrupted system files are also some possibilities for getting error message. Therefore, you might need to perform more than one solution to fix the issue.

How to Fix Request Failed Due to a Fatal Device Hardware Error?

First, make sure that you perform generic fixes. Restart your PC to make sure that a bug or glitch is not causing this issue. If that does not work, you can power cycle the device.

When you power cycle a device, it sets the device to its base state, resolving any conflicts or deadlock situations in your computer. If these generic fixes do not work, you will need to perform some advanced fixes. However, you do not need to worry as we have prepared a step-by-step guide on performing these solutions.

Check for Faulty Wires

Before getting into actual fixes, you can also make sure that the cables are not damaged. Physical damage to the wires could be the reason why the system is having issues detecting the device.

You will find two cables that go into the storage device. One connects the storage device to the motherboard, and the other one supplies power to the device. Make sure that these cables do not have any visible damage.

You will need to replace these cables if they indeed have suffered from physical damage.

Check Drive Status

You need to make sure that the storage devices connected to the system are functional. Using Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART), you can check the current status of your hard drive.

1. Press the Windows + R key simultaneously to open Run.
2. Type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run Command Prompt as Admin.
   
3. Type wmic diskdrive get model, status, and press Enter.
   
4. Status indicated as OK means that the hard drive is functional, and Pred Fail means there are some issues with the hard drive.

Scan Disk Drives

The Check Disk command scans your storage device for bad sectors and tries to recover data from these sectors. It also examines the disk space and provides a detailed report of the file system. 

To run the check disk command,

1. Press the Windows + R key to open Run.
2. Type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open Command Prompt as Admin.
   
3. Type chkdsk <volume>: /r . Here, replace <volume> with the drive letter.
   

Alternatively, you can also scan your storage drive from Windows Explorer,

1. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer.
2. Select This PC.
3. Right-click on the drive you want to scan.
4. Select Properties.
   
5. Go to the Tools tab and select Check.
   
6. Now, select Scan drive.

Change Drive Letters

When two storage devices connected to the same computer have the same drive letter, the system automatically assigns a different letter to avoid conflicts. However, there are cases where the OS does not automatically change the drive letter, resulting in fatal device hardware errors.

To fix this, you can try assigning different drive letter to the one that is causing the issue.

1. Press the Windows + X key and select Disk Management.
2. Right-click on the drive causing the issue and select Change drive letters and path.
   
3. Click on the drive name and select Change.
   
4. Check Assign the following drive letter and select the desired letter. Select OK.
   
5. Again, click OK and see if you still get the error message.

Update Disk Drive Drivers

Any hardware component connected to the PC uses dedicated drivers to communicate with the Operating system. If this driver is corrupted or outdated, its device may face complications when transferring data to and from the OS.

To make sure that this isn’t the case, you will need to keep your drivers up to date. In our case, you will need to update Disk Drive drivers.

1. Press the Windows + X key and select Device Manager.
2. Expand Disk drives.
3. Double-click on any one of the devices.
4. Now, go to the driver tab and select the Update driver.
   
5. Similarly, update all the drivers for devices mentioned inside Disk drives.

Reconnect Storage Device

Another reason the OS is facing issues detecting the storage device could be due to a loose cable. But there are cases when the cables are secured, but the system still has issues detecting the hardware. In that case, we recommend that you reconnect these cables.

To reconnect your storage device,

1. Remove all the screws that hold the side panel and remove them from the case.
   
2. Once you have access to the motherboard, search for the cable that connects the storage device to the motherboard and the PSU
   
3. Remove and reconnect this cable.
4. If reconnecting does not work, search for a different SATA port on your motherboard. If you do not know where the cable goes, search for the port to which the SATA cable was previously connected.