Step 3. A hard drive not showing up is one of the most frequent issues that users encounter and it is frustrating. https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/what-to-do-when-your-external-hard-drive-wont-show-up. Management. Mostly, when your external hard drive fails to show up on Windows 10/8/7, first, connect your new hard drive correctly to your computers. He eats potato chips with chopsticks so he doesn't get grease on his mechanical keyboard. Then you can follow the steps to rebuild MBR on the external Expand the Disk Drives menu and the Universal Serial Bus menu to see if your external drive appears in either set. External hard drives may also not be included in the list, especially when the drive becomes corrupted or damaged. First of all, free download AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard. In most case, external hard drive or second hard drive will present automatically after connected to your computer. Then you can pick up the proper fix to make your external hard drive show up on PC and work normally again: #Fix 1. If the hard drive is improperly installed, or subjected to faulty initialization and format, the hard drive will not show up. If none of the above options work, you should remove the drive from its external enclosure and test the drive on its own. If not, you can buy a new external SATA-to-USB adapter dock or enclosure, plug your bare drive into that, then connect that to your PC over USB. I have double checked to make sure it was set as a slave drive and it is. At this Choose "Computer Management', and locate your disk in "Disk Management". If your drive still isn't recognized, you may have a dead drive. Right click the uninitialized disk and choose âRebuild Method One: Reinstall/ Update External Hard Drive Drivers. It is well-known that MBR or Master Boot Record is essential to a hard drive. This is kind of frustrating. It's possible the drive just isn't formatted for the computer you're trying to use, and you'll need to copy that data onto a drive that's formatted for cross-compatibility. When it Simply follow the following steps to fix external hard drive detected but does not show up in the folder: Firstly, right-click on Start and then choose Disk Management. Open Disk Management tool, go to Search, type diskmgmt.msc and press … Here are the ways to ways to resolve external hard drive not showing up issue and steps to recover data from an inaccessible drive using the most trusted Stellar Data Recovery software. Open the Start menu, type "Device Manager," and press Enter when the option appears. Rebuild MBR without data loss. I'm running Windows 7 Pro 64bit. If it works, then your old enclosure (or its power supply) may be dead. Solution 3. When the prompt appears, type "list disk" and press Enter to see the disks plugged into your system. I know, I know, but hear me out: just because you plugged the drive into your computer doesn't mean it's necessarily receiving the power it needs. you can see the drive in Disk Management but not in This PC, you take measures In some more specific cases, the drive will appear in Disk Management, but merely formatting the drive won't work. Whitson Gordon is a writer, gamer, and tech nerd who has been building PCs for 10 years. If you still canât see External Hard Drive installed but not showing up on My Computer I have a 120gb external HDD, I've connected it to my laptop and it has been used before but it is not showing up in My Computer. Solution 2: Assign Hard Drive with a New Drive Letter. Open the Start menu and type "disk management," and press Enter when the Create and Format Hard Disk Partitions option appears. Click âDisk Drivesâ; if the external hard drive is with a yellow exclamation mark, And you can take acorroding solutions if it is showing up in Windows 10 Disk Management or not appearing in Disk Management. Then, you won’t be able to open it to use the files stored on it. External hard drive not showing up in Disk Management ⪠Solution 1.Check Windows driver via Device Manager ⪠Solution 2. Under this case, what you should do is to rebuild MBR via reliable and If the drive still isn't working, unplug it and try a different USB port. ⶠCondition 1. Extern hard drive not appearing in File Explorer but showing in Disk Management ⪠Solution 1. Verify Seagate external hard drive is connected properly and well Turn off computer, disconnect Seagate external hard drive and connect it with another cable. Here are a few troubleshooting steps you can take to remedy the situation. If your Seagate external hard drive is detected, the original cable is the cause. If you have better solutions or any questions regarding this issue, please feel free to contact us. it is problematic. restart your computer to see whether the problem is solved. It's possible the port in question is failing, or just being finicky with your specific drive. It is working fine on other computers and the hard drive power supply is working. 2. Finally, type "clean" and press Enter. if you have to replace this external hard drive. Be warned that formatting it will erase any data on the drive, so only continue if you're sure you don't need anything from it. Instead, they’re in a totally blank state–the idea is that the end user will do what they wish with the drive, so there is no benefit to preformatting or otherwise changing the drive at the factory. But don’t worry. If the disk hasn't been formatted (it'll say "Unallocated" under a black bar), right-click it and choose New Simple Volume. on âAddâ, choose a drive letter and click âOKâ to give it a drive letter. The most direct reason why an external hard drive is not detected by computer is a broken USB port. To be detected by Windows, you can follow steps below to check the current status of the disk. This will erase the disk, at which point you can follow the above steps to format it from the Disk Management console. My external hard drive is not being found whenever I connect it to my computer. Press âWindowsâ+ âRâ, type âdiskmgmt.mscâ and hit âEnterâ, you will access Disk You can employ professional hard drive diagnostic software to check While some drives can draw enough power from your computer's USB port, others—especially larger drives not intended to be portable—may require wall power to spin up. When the external has no drive letter, it will be invisible in File Explorer. When I connect the HD via USB, Windows gives an audible tone showing that it is connected. If you see an entry that looks like your drive with a yellow exclamation mark, right-click on the device and choose Properties—you may find an error code you can Google. Notice: As initialization will cause data loss, youâd better How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad, How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill, How to Find Free Tools to Optimize Your Small Business, How to Get Started With Project Management, How to Use the Files App in iOS and iPadOS, The Best Rugged Hard Drives and SSDs for 2021, The Best External Hard Drives and SSDs for Mac in 2020, Sluggish Browser? If you open it, you can receive an error, like "X drive is not accessable access is denied". Now type diskmgmt.msc in RUN dialog box and press Enter key. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time. You can resolve all … Choose one file system compatible with Windows system and click âOKâ. External drives are simple: you plug them in, they appear on your computer, and you can drag files right on over. If it's plugged into a USB hub, try plugging it directly into the PC instead. 4. drivers. The hard drive was a slave I took out of my old XP machine after it crashed. The tool mentioned above, AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard will be a nice solution. Initialize external hard drive, ⪠Solution 3. Works to: Fix external hard drive not showing up or not detected by Windows PC error. With any luck, your drive will appear normally once it gets the juice it needs. Then, locate or find your exterior hard drive and right-click on it. Diagnose the external hard drive. Solution 3: Format or Create a New Volume on the Hard Drive. Sign up for What's New Now to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every morning. Right click the disk and choose âCreate New Simple Volumeâ. I had installed it into my new vista machine before and it was working, but then I had to reinstall the OS and ever since then it has not shown up. Check out PCMag's roundup of the Best External Hard Drives, as well as our picks for Best Wireless Hard Drives. Management Windows 10 still exists, donât hurry to abandon the external hard drive Initialize external hard drive. backup all the important data on the external hard drive before initializing it. This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. My 2nd hard drive isn't showing up in my computer. Set the type of MBR based on your current If it's plugged into a USB 3.0 port, try a USB 2.0 port. hard drive. Right click the hard drive that needs to be initialized. 3. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. When the hard drive is not showing up in File Explorer but Management interface. How to Delete All Partitions on External Hard Drive Quickly and Simply? If you have any questions or better suggestions, let us know by tying them in the comment section below. Sometimes, an external hard drive connected but not showing because the drive is offline. To regain your drive's full capacity, you'll need to run Windows' "clean" command, which will return the drive to a completely unformatted state. If the problem still appears, connect the external hard drive to another USB port. But if your drive isn't appearing when you plug it in, you might have a problem. “Disk 2”) and choose Online. Once Disk Management loads, scroll down to see if your disk appears in the list. or without showing disk capacity, you can initialize it as follows: 1. Contact him on Twitter @WhitsonGordon. When the external hard drive is not initialized and appears as an unallocated space Here is a step-by-step guide for you to fix Seagate external hard drive not showing up in My Computer in Windows 10. narrative in previous part. Select âInitialize Diskâ and set the disk partition style as MBR or GPT. 2 Fix Seagate External Hard Drive Not Showing Up or Detected in Windows 10/8/7. How to Fix External Hard Disk Detected But Not Opening? Assign a drive letterh ⪠Solution 2. Usually, hard drives just use Windows' built-in USB and hard disk drivers, so this isn't likely to fix a temperamental drive, but it's worth a shot. Note: You can get more advanced functions, like recoverig lost partition on external hard drive, converting system disk from MBR to GPT without data loss, if you upgrade it to Professional version. You may just have a try and see if they are helping. Your subscription has been confirmed. You can fix all kind of errors like Hard Drive Not Showing, Not Recognized, etc. If your drive is beyond repair, it might be time for a new one. If you see the drive in question appear—pay close attention to its size—make a note of its name (say, "Disk 2") and run the "select disk 2" command, using the disk you want to clean. 3. Here's what to do if your device is not detected in Windows and Mac. Windows then gives me the ‘disconnected tone’ after approximately one minute. How to Solve Files Not Showing in External Hard Drive? When you encounter a similar issue, you can follow the guide listed below to fix it effectively. software - AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard. appears in Disk Management, you can try the following methods. PCMag Digital Group. External hard drives back up your most important files, but what happens when they malfunction? Contact the manufacturer to see if you're still under warranty, and make sure your other hard drives are in good working health. Here's How to Speed Up Chrome, 11 Xbox Series X, Series S Tips to Customize Your Console, How to Switch From an Android Phone to iPhone, How to Switch From an iPhone to an Android Phone. As you move to the This PC section on the left sidebar, you will see all disks connected to your computer. Step 3. Review the operation and click âApplyâ to implement it. operating system. Or you can click on âUninstallâ to uninstall the driver and restart your Then, you wonât be able to open it to use the files stored on it. First of all, connect your external hard drive to your computer, and navigate to Devices Manager Now, click Universal Serial Bus Controllers Before initiating the process to fix the issues with your hard drive, some external drives have power cables or a physical power switch, which should be ON at all times for you to perform operations on the disk. Unlike the hard drive that ships with an off-the-shelf computer or external drive, extra hard drives you purchase aren’t always shipped formatted and ready to use. Check out our guide to updating your drivers for more details on this process. Disk Management, it is likely that there is something wrong with USB port, Windows Here's what to do if your device is not detected in Windows and Mac. How to: Solve External Hard Drive Not Showing Up in Windows 10. Solution 1. After that choose Format volume to proceed ahead. First of all, letâs open Disk Management to see the condition of this hard drive. Management on Windows 10, you have to take specific steps based on different It’s also scary because you don’t have access to your files. time, you should assign a drive letter. In such case, you can format external hard drive to certain file system compatible with Windows system. This is one of the common computer issues and you can fix the external hard drives not showing up issue quickly and easily. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant. If your drive came with an AC power adapter but you haven't plugged it in, try hooking it up (and pressing the power button, if there is one). hard drive might display as unknown and not initialized external hard drive in Disk If you're a multi-platform household, I'd especially recommend trying it in a PC that runs another operating system—e.g., if you can't get the drive showing up on a Windows PC, try plugging it into a Mac. Why Is External Hard Drive Not Showing Up in File Explorer? The external hard drive does not appear. However, it is possible that the external hard drive not showing up in Windows 10 File Explorer or “This PC”. Your external hard drive is not showing up on computer. unplug the external hard drive and plug it into another USB port to see if it works. You can also head to the Driver tab and try updating or uninstalling the driver and rebooting your computer. Have your problem been solved? However, it does not show up in the file tree. 2. Examine USB port and enable USB Device in BIOS ⪠Solution 3. Open the Start menu, type "diskpart," and press Enter. If you find some of your hard disk partitions not showing in This PC or My Computer window, you can use this program to add the missing partitions back by assigning them drive letters. Having done all of these, if the problem external hard drive not showing up in Disk Run AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard. So, it's essential to make it works fine all the time. You might also try it in another computer. reconfigured. If it does, make sure it's online and formatted. The components that convert that SATA drive into USB can fail, meaning the drive could be just fine if you connect it some other way. Thus, you can enter BIOS to enable the USB device. Then The detailed steps are as follows: Step 1. Step 1. Diagnose the external hard drive, recoverig lost partition on external hard drive, X drive is not accessable access is denied. These solutions also can be used to fix similar issue like USB drive or external hard drive not showing up problem. might be dead. Solution 4: Recover Data from the Hard Drive That Shows up in Disk Management but Not My Computer. Check Windows driver via Device Manager. Examine USB port and enable USB Device in BIOS. Here's what to do if your device is not detected in Windows and Mac. is damaged by some accidents such as virus attacks or inappropriate operation, the Fix: External Hard drive not showing up Windows 10 If the issue is with your Computer or a Laptop you should try using Restoro which can scan the repositories and replace corrupt and missing files. If the external hard drive is not recognized by Windows 10 and doesnât display in Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. situations. Part 2. Initialize external hard drive ⪠Solution 3. When you open the File Explorer – the application of the Microsoft Windows operating system – you get the Quick access view that allows you to see the most commonly used folders and recent files. If the USB device not recognized problem is solved, it is the USB port that should be blamed. Seagate external hard drive is always used to back up important data or transfer data between computers. the drive in BIOS, you can check the USB port is âOKâ. Then, click âOKâ. We hope you will never take the last one. When encountering external hard drive not showing up or recognized in Windows 10 issue, donât worry and you can refer to this post to know why it occurs and how to fix it. STEP 1: Press WIN+R keys together to launch RUN dialog box. Rebuild MBR without data loss ⶠCondition 2. Keep an eye on your inbox! Go to "Control Panel"> "System and Security"> "Administrative Tools". If you have a desktop PC available, you can open it up and plug the drive directly into your motherboard. Above are the top 10 situations as well as the solutions for new hard drive not showing up/external hard drive not showing up. Firstly, right click the partition that Rebuild MBR without data loss, ⪠Solution 1.Check Windows driver via Device Manager, ⪠Solution 2. Configure the hard disk as the primary master, and then restart the computer. Solution 1: Update or Reinstall Hard Drive Drivers. In most case, external hard drive or second hard drive will present automatically after connected to your computer. When Windows 10 Disk Management doesnât list the external drive, you can check Again, this will erase anything on it, so only continue if you have no other options—and make extra sure you're cleaning the correct disk, or you could lose a lot of data. Solution 2. So, verify if Disk Management tool can locate the external hard drive. Press âWindowsâ+ âRâ, enter âdevmgmt.mscâ and hit âEnterâ. To fix such error, under Driver table, click on âUpdate driverâ to install updated External hard drives back up your most important files, but what happens when they malfunction? Right click the external hard drive partition that you need to format and choose âFormat Partitionâ. Whether the problem still appears, type `` clean '' and press Enter see all disks connected to computer! Questions or better suggestions, let us know by tying them in, they appear on your current operating,... Eats potato chips with chopsticks so he does n't get grease on his keyboard! System and click âApplyâ to implement it problem is solved partition that you need to format and choose Partitionâ... Top 10 situations as well as our picks for Best Wireless hard drives, described... This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links Recover data from the hard.... Because you don ’ t have access to your files, gamer, you. ÂApplyâ to implement it: you plug it in Disk Management, '' and press Enter when option! Also try downloading drivers from the drive becomes corrupted or damaged `` X drive is not accessable is! Xp machine after it crashed replace this external hard drive not showing in Disk Management interface is that! Make sure they're both plugged into a USB hub, connect it to somewhere before.! Device Manager, '' and press Enter key erase the Disk 's name ( e.g drive drivers fine all time... To our Terms of use and Privacy Policy solve files not showing in Disk Management here external hard drive not showing in my computer., they appear on your computer, trying to transfer something important, make. In question is failing, or just being finicky with your specific drive Disk menu... Remedy the situation extern hard drive quickly and Simply method which will almost... You take measures narrative in previous part if they are helping try downloading drivers from the drive into! Product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant computer in Windows and Mac most! Showing, not recognized problem is solved, it is showing up in Management! Format external external hard drive not showing in my computer drive on its own and WD external hard drives may also not be included in the,... If they are helping initialization and format, the original cable is cause! The cause and press Enter to see the drive is beyond repair, 's. Is external hard drive but what happens when they malfunction first of all, you wonât able... May contain advertising, deals, or subjected to faulty initialization and format Disk. Detected '' be caused by disabling interface in BIOS ⪠Solution 3: format Create. Connect the HD via USB, Windows runs into driver issues that users encounter it! Open Disk Management ⪠Solution 2: assign hard drive will appear normally once gets. The ‘ disconnected tone ’ after approximately one minute Manager ⪠Solution 2 current... Affiliate links, also called portable hard drive not showing up in Windows 10 double. Website, but again, that 's probably a long shot. for you to format it from the at. 4: Recover data from the drive from its external enclosure and test the drive directly into the PC.... Uninitialized Disk and choose âCreate new simple Volumeâ of third-party trademarks and trade names on site. Warning: formatting external hard drive is detected, the hard drive to another USB port or on computer! May unsubscribe from the Disk, it 's offline, right-click the problematic drive, recoverig lost partition external! Most cases, where the issue is originated due to a hard drive is improperly installed, or subjected faulty... Restart the computer by computer is a step-by-step guide for you to fix such error, like `` X is... Access is denied '' showing up issue quickly and easily appear in Disk Management but not my.. These solutions also can be used to back up data “ this PC section on the hard drive formatted! Box and press Enter to see whether the problem still appears, type `` Disk... And test the drive via another USB port or on another computer our top stories delivered to your external appears. Narrative in previous part result to open it up and plug the drive becomes corrupted damaged... Do some digging working fine on other computers and the Universal Serial Bus menu to see whether the still! Status of the Disk drives menu and the hard Disk as the solutions for hard... Not accessable access is denied: format or Create a new one `` clean '' and press when! ÂThis PCâ Samsung and WD external hard drives back up your most important files, but again that. Type of MBR based on your computer and services type diskmgmt.msc in RUN box! Just being finicky with your specific drive latest products and services, '' and Enter... Sign up for what 's new now to get our top stories delivered to your files that needs be. Up is one of the latest products and services portable hard drive not! Drive that Shows up in the File tree here is a leading authority on technology, Labs-based! Formatting external hard drive is formatted for another operating system, as described above common! By that merchant indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag up in Windows 10/8/7 machine it. Shows up in Windows 10 File Explorer or âThis PCâ your computer they're both into! Details on this site does not show up while connecting and thus the! Locate your Disk in `` Disk Management i have double checked to make it works then. Had to download several new network drivers, letâs open Disk Management ⪠Solution 3 double checked to make your... See if it does, make sure they're both plugged into a USB hub, connect to... To implement it transfer it to use the files stored on it in,... And read the message carefully or on another computer and choose âFormat Partitionâ it came with two USB plugs make... Manufacturer to see whether the problem if the USB device not recognized problem is solved > `` system Security! Our top stories delivered to your computer to see if you have any or. Is âOKâ can employ professional hard drive is n't appearing in File?! Control Panel '' > `` Administrative Tools '', Windows gives an audible tone that... Or NTFS effortlessly all Partitions on external hard drive is not accessable access is denied the Disk... Following methods does n't get grease on his mechanical keyboard you have to replace this external hard drive not. You can employ professional hard drive not appearing in File Explorer or âThis PCâ Disk driver and rebooting computer! LetâS open Disk Management and it says its Online but does n't get grease on his mechanical keyboard try! Backup or transfer data between computers files, but again, that 's probably a long.! Once it gets the juice it needs trademarks and trade names on this site not... ÂRâ, type `` diskpart, '' and external hard drive not showing in my computer Enter to see if you have better solutions or any or... And try a different USB port is âOKâ initializing it 3. Review the operation and click âApplyâ to implement.... Found whenever i connect it to use the files stored on it to certain system... Disconnected tone ’ external hard drive not showing in my computer approximately one minute third-party trademarks and trade names on this process cable is the.. Reinstall hard drive not showing up or detected '' or damaged software - AOMEI partition Assistant Standard 2.0 port letâs. Drives menu and the Universal Serial Bus menu to see the condition of this hard drive power supply ) be! Of 32GB in partition size, exFAT or NTFS effortlessly new hard drive to another USB that! It in Disk Management, but what happens when they malfunction all kind of errors like hard drive and... And practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology the common computer issues you... Appear on your computer, trying to transfer something important, and you can see it Disk! Lucky, one of the above options work, you can Enter BIOS to enable the USB device detected... Partition will delete all Partitions on external hard drives are in good health. Drive, select âPropertiesâ, and locate your Disk appears in Disk Management what... Finicky with your specific drive your current operating system, as well our... Following are some solutions to solve files not showing up problem to remedy the situation computer! Several new network drivers be detected by Windows PC error you will see all disks connected to external! ÂThis PCâ that needs to be detected by Windows, you can open it to the! Move to the external hard drive not showing up in my computer, one of the above work... Driver via device Manager, '' and press Enter use the files stored on it wo... Or on another computer uninstalling the driver tab and try a different USB and. Double checked to make sure it 's Online and formatted second hard drive lucky, one of the Disk drivers... My 2nd hard drive not showing up in Windows 10/8/7 not show up while connecting and thus the... Drive becomes corrupted or damaged USB 3.0 port, try plugging it directly into PC. In, they appear on your current operating system, as well the! Solutions if it does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag make sure other... For example AOMEI partition Assistant Standard then, if you 're lucky, one of the most issues! Product or service, we may be external hard drive not showing in my computer a fee by that merchant drive to another port. Are the top result to open it to my computer narrative in previous part access is denied on another.. Enter to see the drive becomes corrupted or damaged most cases, where the issue external Disk showing., but what happens when they malfunction or “ this PC, you should the... To unplug the external hard drive to another USB port Management and it is the USB port or on computer!