Why is my external hard drive not showing up on my computer?
Removable disk drives, like USB flash drives, SD cards, and external hard drives should be easy to use with your computer. But sometimes you might face the Hard disk not detected a problem with Windows PC. This problem has several possible causes:
Drivers on Windows are outdated.
Partition issues on the external drive.Bugs in the file system, or any issue in partition.
Using the wrong file system.
The power supply is insufficient
Dead USB ports, or driver issues in Windows.
USB outlets or hard drive is damaged,
In a worst-case scenario, the drive itself may be dead.
Best Ways to Fix External Storage Not Showing up on Windows
Disconnect USB Device
Disconnect the USB devices from your computer
Restart your computer
Reconnect USB devices to your computer
Try Another USB Port and Computer
If it’s plugged into a USB 3.0 port, try a USB 2.0 port. If you’ve plugged the drive into a USB hub, try connecting it directly to the computer instead. And if you have another computer nearby, try plugging the external disk into that to check whether it’s detected.
Make sure your USB cable isn’t faulty
If it still doesn’t power on, check the USB cable for possible faults. Try swapping it with a different cable to see if the problem is with the USB ports, USB cable or the drive itself.
Check the Drive in Disk Management
You can open the Run dialog with Win + R and enter diskmgmt.msc to open this utility. You should see your external drive listed in the Disk Management window, likely below your primary and any secondary disks.
Even if it doesn’t appear in the This PC window because it doesn’t contain any partitions, it should show up here as a Removable volume. If you do see the drive here, There, you’ll partition and or format your drive properly so Windows and other devices can access it.
Assign a Drive Letter for the Drive
If the external hard drive letter is missing or is conflicted with another drive, then it will not show on your PC. You can check if the drive is assigned a drive letter in Windows Disk Management.
Update Your Drivers
Drivers enable your operating system to communicate with your external hard drive and other devices. If the drivers are outdated, you may be missing out on important compatibility updates. Open the Start menu, type “device manager,” and press Enter when the option appears. This will open up the Device Manager window. In the Device Manager window, expand the Drivers tab. Check if any of the connected hard drives are showing a yellow exclamation mark. It means that your hard drive is having issues with drivers. To update the driver, right-click the hard drive that shows the yellow mark. Click on the Update Driver option, and click on “Search Automatically For Drivers,” (You can also try downloading drivers from the drive manufacturer’s website.)
Published on: Aug 31, 2021 – Last edited: 16-02-2024