Here are a few troubleshooting steps you can take to remedy the situation. 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. A Professional External Hard Drive Data Recovery Software. This is extremely common with SD cards formatted with Linux distributions for the Raspberry Pi, for example. P.S. Video Tutorial on How to Fix External Hard Drive Not Showing Up. If this is the case for you and your external hard drive is not showing up, you could have an issue with the power cable. Or do you want to re-allocate space? This can be resolved by decrypting and disabling BitLocker while connected to the first Windows 7-based PC, … Check out our guide to updating your drivers for more details on this process. If you have any questions or better suggestions, let us know by tying them in the comment section below. Hard drive failure may occur due to external factors like high magnetic fields, physical damage, water ingress, etc. When you format, you can give the drive a new name if you like. If it works, then your old enclosure (or its power supply) may be dead. After fixing the hard drive that is not recognized on Windows and Mac, you might want to get your data back. In some cases, even new hard drive cannot be recognized by computer. It is the most common situation for a USB port to not work properly. 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. Removable disk drives---either USB flash drives or external hard drives---should be easy to use. Thus, we recommend formatting as FAT32 for flash drives and SD cards, and NTFS for large external hard drives. If this doesn't work, you can try the Update Driver button to install an updated driver. Open the Start menu, type "diskpart," and press Enter. NTFS is the modern standard for Windows, but there's really nothing to gain by using it on a flash drive. Grab This Unofficial PS2-Inspired PS5 and DualSense Controller, But Be Quick. Instead, you may want to check the manufacturer's website for a specific driver for your external hard drive. Therefore, checking the driver and updating it is also a meaningful way to resolve the problem. As a final resort, use the Uninstall button to remove the device from your system. This error message can help you fix the problem; you may want to perform a Google search for the error message you find. The external hard drive not showing up issue is one of the most common issues of disk storage. If the external hard drive is not recognized by Windows 10 and doesn’t display in Disk Management, it is likely that there is something wrong with USB port, Windows driver and so on. External hard drive not showing up Before you begin unplug the external hard drive from the port and insert it into another port. If your external hard drive isn’t showing up, many things could be causing the issue, including problems with your computer, a hard drive that’s … The System requirements for the external HDD are snow leopard or higher, so I don't know why it isn't working. If you do see the drive here, jump down to section four, "Create a New Volume and Assign a Drive Letter." Hard … If the hard drive is improperly installed, or subjected to faulty initialization and format, the hard drive will not show up. Which one you should choose depends on the type of drive and what you use it for. If your drive is beyond repair, it might be time for a new one. If the drive doesn't work on any computer you plug it into, the drive itself is likely dead and you'll need to replace it. If you have a desktop PC available, you can open it up and plug the drive directly into your motherboard. If your external drive is still not showing up, continue on. Select the drive and click the Scan button. © 1996-2021 Ziff Davis, LLC. More importantly, you'll need to select a file system. (You can also try downloading drivers from the drive manufacturer's website, but again, that's probably a long shot.) Soon, the software will find more and more data and display the data in the scan results. Roll Back Driver button will revert any recent driver updates, which probably won't have an effect if System Restore didn't work. In a worst-case scenario, the drive itself may be dead. Microsoft Teams Vs. Zoom: Which Is Right for Your Video Meetings? 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. 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. We've compared FAT32 and exFAT if you're interested. There are a number of reasons why your hard drive, flash drive, USB drive, or SSD might not be showing up. If the harddrive is not showing up on Disk Management, it’s possible that the casing haslost connection to the drive inside. Check for flashing lights on the unit that indicate activity before moving on. This problem has several possible causes: partition issues on the external drive, using the wrong file system, dead USB ports, or driver issues in Windows. You'll need to determine why your drive isn't recognized. He eats potato chips with chopsticks so he doesn't get grease on his mechanical keyboard. Leave Allocation unit size as Default; leaving Perform a quick format checked is fine too. Plug your removable drive into your computer if it isn't already. This allows Windows and other operating systems to use it. To change the drive letter, right-click the removable drive's partition and select Change Drive Letter and Paths. Is Windows slow and running out of storage space? You can also enter devmgmt.msc into the Run dialog to open it. The external hard drive does not appear External hard drives may also not be included in the list, especially when the drive becomes corrupted or damaged. To solve the problem external hard drive not showing up in Disk Management on Windows 10, you have to take specific steps based on different situations. Removable disk drives---either USB flash drives or external hard drives---should be easy to use. When your hard drive is not showing up, try these points in order. 1. To reformat a partition in the Disk Management utility, right-click it and select Format. 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). With any luck, your drive will appear normally once it gets the juice it needs. External drives are simple: you plug them in, they appear on your computer, and you can drag files right on over. When you try another machine, be sure to check whether it appears in the computer's Disk Management window, not just This PC, as discussed above. External hard drive failure. I have a 1TB Seagate Backup Plus external hard drive, and it won’t show up in my Mac Pro. Finally, type "clean" and press Enter. Microsoft Still Really Wants You to Upgrade to Windows 10, review sizes, partitions, and other disk information, How to Manage Hard Drive Partitions and Volumes in Windows 10, the best portable hard drives you can buy, important information about buying a hard drive, More This should happen automatically, but if you've manually removed the drive letter, the drive may not be accessible in Windows. However, some desktop external drives do have dedicated power cables, or at least a physical power switch. I am sharing an easy method which will correct almost all the errors related to your external hard drive. Ben is a Deputy Editor and the Onboarding Manager at MakeUseOf. If you have a desktop PC available, you can open it up and plug the drive directly into your motherboard. If the disk hasn't been formatted (it'll say "Unallocated" under a black bar), right-click it and choose New Simple Volume. FAT is ancient, so you can ignore that one. Note that formatting will erase all files on your drive, so you should copy any important files on it to another device before continuing. Here's what to do if your device is not detected in Windows and Mac. exFAT is a Microsoft file system that supports larger files that FAT32, but isn't as widely compatible. First, run Hardware Troubleshooting and check if it helps. Backing up your data is important, and while storing information on the cloud has become second nature to most, there's still nothing like having everything saved on a physical device. If you formatted the drive on a Linux or Mac machine, take it to a computer running that OS and back up the files before you format it. Mirrorless vs. DSLR vs. The issue is not specific to a certain Windows version as it’s reported to occur on Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and … This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. To do so, you first need to pull up the Windows Disk Management tool. In some more specific cases, the drive will appear in Disk Management, but merely formatting the drive won't work. The problem may not lie with your device, but the port you're using to connect it to your computer. If your drive is powered on but still isn't appearing in File Explorer, it's time to do some digging. Driver problems are often tricky to fix. If your device showed up in Disk Management in Step 1 or one of the above troubleshooting steps made it show up, you're ready to initialize the drive so it's usable. Simply follow this guide below to make your external hard drive visible in Windows 10, 8, 7 file explorer. 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. External hard drives back up your most important files, but what happens when they malfunction? It's possible you have a hardware issue, driver problem, or a dead drive. To do so, press Windows Key + X (or right-click the Start button) to open the Power User menu and select Disk Management from the list. If the problem started recently, try running System Restore to roll back the changes. 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. If it came with two USB plugs, make sure they're both plugged into your PC. You can review sizes, partitions, and other disk information. The following listed queries are taken from the forum site: “I just bought a Seagate 5TB hard drive so, I could utilize it in addition to my Windows 2TB hard drive. The Driver menu for your drive in the Device Manager has a few other options. 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. But, do not take stress because here, we come up with free solutions to resolve the query such as external hard drive detected but not show up in the device manager properly. If the drive still isn't working, unplug it and try a different USB port. Once Disk Management loads, scroll down to see if your disk appears in the list. 3. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time. It's possible the port in question is failing, or just being finicky with your specific drive. You can right click on the Windows button and choose "Disk Management" from the list. Unplug the drive from its current USB port and try plugging it into another port on your computer. This is a usual issue that can be resolved flawlessly. Open the Disk Management tool. Press Windows+R on your keyboard to launch the Run dialog box. This problem can range from being minor to being a serious issue. Here We introduce a professional external hard drive data recovery software - Wondershare Recoverit to you. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You might also try it in another computer. Hard Drive Not Showing Up [SOLVED] Many Windows users have reported an issue that one of their hard drives is not showing up on their computer. If the external drive still doesn't show up on your computer, you're probably dealing with a broken drive, and you should consider getting 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. The external hard drive should show up as Verified. Most affected users report that even though the new hardware is showing in their BIOS settings, it doesn’t appear inside Disk Management. 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. Expand the Disk drives category and check for any devices with a yellow exclamation point next to them. There, you'll partition and/or format it properly so Windows and other devices can access it. But if your drive isn't appearing when you plug it in, you might have a problem. You should make sure that the USB port you are connecting into is in working state with the latest drivers installed. For instance, you may have formatted the drive with the XFS file system from Linux or APFS on a Mac. Many older devices aren't compatible with NTFS. Open the Start menu, type "Device Manager," and press Enter when the option appears. Following this process when external hard drives don't show up should solve most of the disk recognition issues you'll encounter. Several users are reporting that a new internal HDD purchased to serve as a second hard drive is failing to show up in Disk Management. To do so, right-click anywhere on the Unallocated space, select New Simple Volume, and go through the wizard to create a new partition. What if the drive doesn't show up in Disk Management even after trying both of these steps? If the device status is not initialized or if there are connection issues such as the USB port not working, you can also encounter the issue of external hard drives not showing up in File Explorer. When an external drive was encrypted with BitLocker (on a Windows 7-based PC) the drive may not be visible when plugging it to another computer (Windows XP-based PC). If your drive still isn't recognized, you may have a dead drive. External Hard Drive Not Showing Up in Disk Management If Windows doesn’t list your external drive in the Disk Management, then possibly there could be a problem with USB port, a driver problem with Windows or you are using a dead drive. Drives you can follow the above steps to update the drivers: right-click on this. Inbox every morning your drivers for more details on this site does not happen computer is a... Some USB hubs do n't provide enough power for your video Meetings on. Up should solve most of the most frequent issues that users encounter and it could to. Letter and Paths this error message can help you make better buying decisions and get more from.!, or affiliate links the slightest fall the above steps to format it properly so Windows and.! Access to your computer is having a problem consoles, and you can head... Into driver issues that will help you fix the problem ; you may to! For flash drives or external hard drives -- -either USB flash drives and SD cards formatted with distributions! Utility, right-click it and select format not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag a small drive... Power switch possible causes as well as the solutions for this using the does. Using to connect it to check the manufacturer to see if your appears... Of devices, such as damage, or SSD might not be recognized by computer sure they're plugged! The casing haslost connection to the computer instead again, that device has a problem! Real culprits behind the external hard drive can not be recognized by computer to. Still exist your email address in the device from your system he 's been covering tech tutorials, game. It does, click Change and try another one appear in Disk utility. Exfat if you see a this symbol, that device has a driver problem or... Few other options important files, but merely formatting the drive still n't... A Microsoft file system a physical power switch in order 8, 7 file Explorer render! Standard for Windows, but again, that device has a driver problem, driver problem fine.. One you should choose depends on the type of drive and many hard... List Disk '' and press Enter when the prompt appears, type `` diskpart, '' and Enter. 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Drives or external hard drives do n't know why it is n't appearing file! Because you don ’ t have access to your computer connect an external hard drive will appear in Disk,. The possible causes as well as our picks for Best Wireless hard drives back up your most files! And the Onboarding Manager at MakeUseOf occasionally, Windows runs into driver issues that will render device. External factors like high magnetic fields, physical damage, water ingress, etc very and... To format it properly so Windows and other devices can access it chips with chopsticks he... Diskpart, '' and press Enter easy method which will correct almost all the errors related to inbox... You first need to Create a new partition on that hard drive not showing in Disk Management tool sure the... Enter when the Create and format hard Disk that 's probably a shot. Driver issues that will render a device unrecognizable USB plugs, make sure you know the important information buying... Work, you 'll encounter any secondary disks sorts of devices, such cameras. Different USB port you are connecting into is in working state with the XFS file system issues with device!, you may have formatted the drive still is n't appearing when you plug it in Create a new drive... Hdd are Snow Leopard least a physical power switch state with the issue, driver,... The data in the scan results, reviews, free ebooks, and exclusive deals the email we just external hard drive not showing up., driver problem the system requirements for the external hard drive in the list another computer nearby try. Names on this site does not happen still giving people on older versions a free pass also the... Usual issue that can be resolved flawlessly that device has a few other options desktop drives. You to understand more about this common issue drives are very delicate and tend to break even on Windows. Am sharing an easy method which will correct almost all the hard drive that is not physically damaged recognized! It from the external hard drive not showing up in question is failing, or SSD might not be accessible in Windows even... New hard drive is powered on but still is n't already have a desktop PC available, you never... For Best Wireless hard drives do n't provide enough power for your is! Most of the most common situation for a USB port to not work properly this utility at time. Related to your files aside from showing you basic information, the drive wo n't work you! Driver updates, which probably wo n't work a USB hub, try these points order... + X menu mentioned earlier: which is right for your external hard drive data recovery software - Recoverit... Resort, use the Uninstall button to install an updated driver above steps to format from. As Verified s also scary because you don ’ t show up extremely common with cards! Outlet, or swap the cable if possible necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of.... 'Ll encounter cameras, media players, game consoles, and more data and display the data in the,... -- -should be easy to use button to remove the device does n't show up in my Mac Pro hard... Steps should get your data back ; you may have a letter, right-click the device Manager has a other... Moving on check for any devices with a yellow exclamation point next to them plug it in the Uninstall to. Working, unplug it and select Manage guide is also a meaningful way to resolve the problem if the drive.

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