Chosen Solution
The HD can no longer connect to the computer. It had a loose USB port, which by jiggling would eventually connect. Now, no amount of jiggling allows it ti connect. It powers up fine. When I try insert the USB cable into the port it falls in. Western Digital My Book Essential 1.5TB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive WDBAAF0015HBK
this is the disassembly you could use to get to the USB port. If you are ok at soldering then I’d try resoldering the legs to the motherboard-with time and putting the cord in and out something has wobbled free and contact is broken. Obviously try this without the hard drive attached to the board…
You will have to open the drive and see if the USB female plug is damaged and connected to the circuit board. If the plug has been broken off the board, you may need to carefully solder it back to the connections. Depending on damage, you may have to replace the board with one that is an exactly the same and it has an identical parts number because your drive may use hardware data encryption.
