Here is an update on my Western Digital drive problem.
It seems it is constantly overheating. When it overheats, it loses it's connection to the computer and becomes unreadable. I am running it in very short time frames and transferring files. Then I have to shut it down, let it cool off and restart the process. It was my backup drive and contains 250 gigs of data. Grrrrr.
  Here is my Western digital experience in the past year. Note that all of these drives are less than 1 year old and under warranty.

1. 500 gig drive that was the main drive on a brand new  computer. It  contained my os etc.
   Fried itself in less than 8 months.

2. Since the drive is under warranty i returned it to the store. I had to purchase an new drive because even though it is under warranty, it had to go back to the western Digital factory.
   Required me to pay a $20 shipping fee to send it back.

3. 2 months later,a refurbished drive arrives and will not even boot up. Another $20.00 shipping fee required. The store technicians tell me when the new "refurbished' one finally comes in to be very careful with what I put on it because the "refurbished' ones have a history of being flakey.

4. Purchased at a different store (Costco) a 500 gig Western Digital "my Book" The one that is now overheating after 7 months.

Western Digital is not on my warm and fuzzy list.
cheerio
lululee