Anand Khanse is the Admin of TheWindowsClub.com, a 10-year Microsoft MVP (2006-16) & a Windows Insider MVP (2016-2022). Although most small drives and pretty much every flash drive don't require a dedicated power connection, if you're connecting a large external hard drive, you need to make sure that it's plugged into a working power outlet. Why is my external hard drive not showing up in Windows 11? In the "Volume label" field, confirm a descriptive name for the drive for example. So, verify if the Disk Management tool can locate the external hard drive. We select and review products independently. Fix: External Hard Drive Not Showing Up Or Recognized - MiniTool Software Run AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard. 1. However, a newly added drive may sometimes not appear in File Explorer, which could be for a number of reasons. In this case, the solution is to format the drive using a supported file system. If you have one such, then enable it. 4. Solution 3. Run Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter. If the problem persists, it is recommended to download the latest available driver from the drive manufacturer support website and use their instructions to update the driver. However, if its been a while and there are no files, you will need to run the Disk Check software from the OEM or CHKDSK in Windows to fix any header or master table corruption. Right click the disk and choose " Create New Simple Volume ". It's a clich at this point, but giving your computer a reset really can help. Solution 1. The automated tools check the. This process should grant you access to the data without destroying it, but creating a backup of the data is still recommended before proceeding. Step 2: Hit Enter and open the tool. 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. Hard drive not showing up | How to fix it - IONOS What to Do When Your External Hard Drive Won't Show Up - PCMag Australia If not, please input query in the search box below. 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). When checking the internal components, power off and unplug the computer before beginning the process. The WD My Book might not be particularly fast or compact design, but it does deliver massive and reliable storage at a great price. If that doesn't work, you'll need to use the Disk Management tool to diagnose the problem. If you use a USB hub, connect the drive directly to the computer. To install the latest driver, use these steps: After completing these steps, if Windows Update detects that your device is using an older version of the driver, it'll download and install the most up-to-date driver available. If you are dealing with any of these problems, the steps below will help you to troubleshoot and fix the most common issues with Disk Management. We list Disk Savvy as the No. If the external drive is found listed in the Disk Management window, format it properly so that it shows up next time you connect it to your PC. In the case that no newer updates are available, you can also check your storage manufacturer support website to find out if they have a newer driver available for download. 3. Otherwise, you can buy anexternal SATA-to-USB docking station(Opens in a new window)orenclosure(Opens in a new window), plug your bare drive into that, then connect it to your PC over USB. 1. Now clickRun the troubleshooterbutton. If the drive still isn't working, unplug it and try a different USB port. On small and large drives, sometimes the problem can be the USB cable. Select Initialize Disk and set the disk partition style as MBR or GPT. Well hopefully this guide . create a new Partition using Disk Management Tool. If you're using a Mac, the equivalent of checking whether a drive is enabled is checking whether or not it is mounted. Open the application that shows up as a result. To format a drive with a supported file system, use these steps: After completing these steps, the drive will be formatted with a supported file system, and it should be available through File Explorer. When the external hard drive is not initialized and appears as an unallocated space or without showing disk capacity, you can initialize it as follows: 1. The main reason why an External Hard Drive doesn't show up is faulty components. Type Disk in the Windows search and then click on Create and format hard disk listing. Once in the device manager, expand the category of storage controllers, right-click on the device and select " Update Driver ". If you're connecting a drive formatted using a different OS (macOS or Linux) with an unsupported file system, it won't appear on your computer. He's written about technology for over a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for two years. PCMag, PCMag.com and PC Magazine are among the federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the troubleshooter. [Solved] External Hard Drive Not Showing Up or Recognized in Windows In college, Nick made extensive use of Fortran while pursuing a physics degree. Right-click the external drive with the problem, click the. If this is the case, you can use DiskPart to clean the drive and start from scratch. If Windows 10 doesn't detect the drive correctly, and it appears in Disk Management with the Unreadable status, you're experiencing read and write errors, corruption, or hardware failure. Right-click inside the gray box, then click Online. If the drive is available on the PC, but you cannot see any image, check if the files are hidden. Document the disk number provided in this window (Disk 1, Disk 2, etc). The automated tools check the hardware/USB connected to the computer for any known issues andfix them automatically. Resolution 1 - Uninstall and then reconnect the external hard drive. It's also possible there's an issue with the USB cord, so take a moment to try the drive again with a spare hookup. If the storage was offline but never configured, continue with the steps below. You can try resetting the connection by shutting down your computer and unplugging the external drive, then after one minute, turn on your computer and reconnect the drive. 1. Thus, you can enter BIOS to enable the USB device. If the problem is related to the storage driver, you can reinstall or update the driver to the latest version to resolve the issue. In this case, you can use the Disk Management wizard to configure and assign a letter to the partition. Right click the hard drive that needs to be initialized 2. Chris has written for. Both of these factors mean, were sorry to say, that it is possible your files are gone for good. If the USB and power cables are working, you'll hear the hard drive spinning, and you'll notice a light indicator. Step 4: After its scanning, choose one problem you want to fix from the list and click Next. Open Windows Search (Win +S) and type disk management. How to fix an external hard drive that's not showing up And to get even more out of Windows, learn how to enable God Mode in Windows 11 or 10, how to clone a hard drive on Windows and how to change the Windows 11 Start menu back to Windows 10. 2. Heres how it works. Mauro Huculak is technical writer for WindowsCentral.com. Locate the hard drive . You may try to connect a drive previously. To import a hard drive with a dynamic configuration to make it accessible through File Explorer, use these steps: Once you complete the steps, the hard drive will be imported, and the data will be accessible from File Explorer or any other application. The detailed steps are as follows: 1. When you see Device Manager appear, click it. First, unplug your drive, then restart your computer. For all their uses, USB ports like to mess with us from time to time, so it helps to troubleshoot the port. Thank you for the screenshot, I presume it is the bottom drive in that screenshot, s that correct? The hard drive has no drive letter. On Windows 10, you usually only need to connect an external drive to. If you dont see thedrive in the Disk Management window at all, try these troubleshooting steps: Hopefully, one of these will solve your problem. To format it so Windows can use it, just right-click the unallocated space in Disk Management and select New Simple Volume.. Press Windows + R, type " devmgmt.msc " in the dialogue box and press Enter. You can then create partitions on the empty drive. Step 2: Expand the Disk drives option. Choose the maximum possible size for the partition and assign a drive letter you can let Windows automatically choose a drive letter. Check if there is a program you are using that moves from this drive to somewhere else. If Device Manager shows a yellow or red mark on the external drive, it's likely that this is a driver problem. Select Start, type Device Manager in the Search box. 1] Run the Troubleshooters The first thing you want to do is run the Hardware and Device Troubleshooter and the Windows USB Troubleshooter and check if it helps. The hard drive has no partition(s). USB/External Hard Drive Not Showing up in My Computer or Disk - FonePaw Open the Start menu and begin typing "device manager". Typically, this problem will happen more often when installing an internal hard drive originally from another computer, but it can happen to portable hard drives. 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. Assign a drive letter, and it should just work. This could be anything from the ports and cables to internal parts like the USB to SATA interface. Download PC Repair Tool to quickly find & fix Windows errors automatically. To assign a drive letter, click the Add button and assign a drive letter of your choice to the drive. Right-click on your external hard drive from the list, and click on Update Driver. If there is any important data, youd better backup or transfer it somewhere before formatting. Sometimes, itll also be marked as Removable, but not always. If it does, and has the label "offline" underneath it, you need to enable it. Contact the manufacturer to see if you're still under warranty, andmake sure your other hard drivesare in working order. When the hard drive doesn't appear in Windows 10 File Explorer but in Disk Management, you can try the following 3 methods. If not, move onto the fixes outlined below. 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If your Seagate portable hard drive won't show up, consider showing all hidden devices. New York, Sometimes, when connecting an external drive that has never been initialized and formatted, or you're using it on another computer, Windows 10 may not detect the drive correctly. Heres how it works. If you never connected your hard drive to your PC earlier and are trying to connect it for the first time, the drive may not be detected since you do not have any partitions created for it. Please read the entire post & the comments first, create a System Restore Point before making any changes to your system & be careful about any 3rd-party offers while installing freeware. Here are a few possible solutions based on what you found when searching for the drive in Disk Management: If Windows can see the drive but cant read it, its possible the drive was formatted with a file system Windows doesnt normally support. 1. If the drive has important data on it, itmightbe possible for a professional to fix it and recover your data, but that job requires specialized equipment, knowledge, and training. Make sure the USB port is actually working. Click the top result to open the experience. 2. 1 option because it's user-friendly and full of useful features that will help you free up disk space. 1. The tool mentioned above, AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard will be a nice solution. Otherwise, you may end up erasing the data in the wrong storage, which cannot be undone. Giving the system a reset can give the computer a second chance to recognize the drive. I mounted a mini PC to the back of my monitor for an even cleaner setup, This new keyboard combo is a game-changer for my productivity heres why, Heat vs Nuggets live stream: How to watch NBA Finals game 2 online, start time, channel. 1996-2023 Ziff Davis, LLC., a Ziff Davis company. To open Disk Management on Windows 10 or Windows 11, right-click the Start button and select Disk Management.. You should now see your drive in this list. 3. Review the operation and click Apply to implement it. Failing this, try connecting your external hard drive to another computer, if you have one to hand. Try these workarounds and see if the problem of the External Hard Drive not being detected in Windows 11/10/8/7 is resolved. To solve the external hard drive not showing up in Windows 10/11 Disk Management, you have to take specific steps based on different situations. So if you can't get the drive showing up on a Windows PC, try plugging it into a Mac. How to Format an Xbox One External Hard Drive for Use with a PC The device must be online and initialized. Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for disk management. Alternatively, you can transfer the hard drive to a different external enclosure, if you're not comfortable with opening up your computer. If it is plugged into a USB hub, try plugging it directly into the PC instead and see if that works. The drive does not have a drive letter. If thats the case, you need to get a new pair of wires that you can connect to the PC. Heres what you can do. Finally, type "clean" and press Enter. Step 2. Check outour guide to updating your driversfor more details on this process. 3. In the case that you're out of ports, disconnect the USB hub and plug the removable drive in directly to see if Windows 10 detects it. Next, click on Search automatically for drivers to update . However, it is possible that the external hard drive not showing up in Windows 10/11 File Explorer or This PC. If you cannot find it there, you can run the following command on elevated Windows Terminal to launch the Hardware Troubleshooter. To fix such error, under Driver table, click on Update driver to install updated drivers. To troubleshoot a USB drive that won't show up in Windows, first try plugging it into a different USB port and a different PC, and make sure it isn't connected to a USB hub. Here, you will be able to determine the drive you're trying to access by its size and format type. Find the Disk in question, and right-click on the volume or partition. If your external hard drive not showing up Windows 10 error happens, don't panic, try the solutions in this guide, you can solve the issue by yourself. Open the Start menu, type "diskpart," and press Enter to open the run command. *Deals are selected by our partner,TechBargains(Opens in a new window). All Rights Reserved. Then, you wont be able to open it to use the files stored on it. External hard drives back up your most important files, but what happens when they malfunction? If your external hard drive is powered on and recognized by your computer but still not functioning, it may be a driver issue, though this is unlikely since Windows automatically uses and updates the latest drivers for external storage. If you connected a USB drive and Windows doesnt show up in the file manager, you should first check the Disk Management window. To create a volume with a new partition and file system, use these steps: Once you complete the steps, the system will proceed to create a new volume with a partition and a drive letter. This will also solve the problem if the drive is formatted for another operating system, as described above. What to Do When a Website Won't Load, Sick of Microsoft?
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