Getting “Fatal Device Hardware Error” on Windows – No Data Loss Yet

Hello there,
I’m getting the error “The request failed due to a fatal device hardware error” when trying to access my external drive on Windows 11. The drive is still detected by the system, and I haven’t lost any data yet, but I can’t open or copy files from it.
I’ve tried basic steps like changing the USB port, restarting the system, and updating drivers, but the issue persists.
Has anyone dealt with this error before it led to data loss? Any safe troubleshooting steps I can follow to prevent it from getting worse?

Thanks in advance!