

Step 4: After its scanning, choose one problem you want to fix from the list and click Next. Step 2: Navigate to Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters > Hardware and Devices. Step 1: Press Win + I to open the Settings window and select Update & Security.


Method 2: Run the Hardware and Devices TroubleshooterĪ Windows snap-in tool, Hardware and Devices troubleshooter can be helpful in fixing the problem of external hard drive not detected. Or you can move to the Mac system in case the file system of the external hard drive doesn’t fit the Windows system.īe sure to check whether it shows in the Disk Management window or not by pressing Win + X and selecting Disk Management. You can plug the external hard drive into another computer if there is one nearby. What to do if it still doesn’t work after all these steps? At this time, it is required to check where the problem happens, your computer or the external hard drive. If you are using a USB hub, try to connect your external hard drive to your computer directly, because some USB hubs cannot provide enough power for an external hard drive to function. When it works, we can be sure that the former port is dead. In this case, you can unplug it and try another port to see whether it works or not.

If you find your external hard drive not recognized by the computer, the problem may occur in the port that is used to connect your device to the computer. If it still doesn’t work, the following content in this MiniTool post will give you several useful methods.Īnd if data from the external hard drive is lost, MiniTool Power Data Recovery, the best free data recovery software is also recommended to help you rescue files in this post.įree Download How to Fix External Hard Drive Not Showing Up Method 1: Turn to Another USB Port or Computer When you encounter this problem, you can try to re-plug your external hard drive to see whether it shows up first. Several reasons will cause this problem, such as partition issues on an external hard drive, the wrong file system of an external hard drive, dead USB ports, and driver issues on Windows. But sometimes you will find your computer can’t recognize your external hard drive. Using portable hard drives, like Seagate or WD external hard drives, to back up vital information is a wide choice.
