To ensure your drive lasts for years without needing a "fix," follow these best practices:

If you’ve plugged in your drive and nothing happens, don't panic. Most "WD Elements not working" issues are software-related and can be fixed in minutes. Fix 1: Check Disk Management (Windows)

Use the WD Drive Utilities software to run S.M.A.R.T. status checks. This will warn you if the drive is beginning to fail before you lose your data.