An external hard drive is a portable storage device containing an information storage device (HDD or SSD) and a controller for interacting with a computer via USB. When connecting such devices to a PC, some problems are sometimes observed, in particular, the absence of a disk in the "Computer" folder. We will talk about this problem in this article.
There are several reasons for this problem. If a new disk is connected, then, perhaps, Windows "forgot" to inform about it and offer to install drivers, format the media. In the case of old drives, this can be the creation of partitions on another computer using programs, the presence of a blocking virus, as well as the usual malfunction of the controller, the disk itself, the cable or the port on the PC.
Another reason is lack of nutrition. Let's start with her.
Reason 1: Nutrition
Quite often, due to the shortage of USB ports, users connect several devices to one socket through a hub (splitter). If the connected devices require power from the USB connector, there may be a power shortage. Hence the problem: the hard disk may not start and, accordingly, may not appear in the system. The same situation can arise when ports are overloaded with power-hungry devices.
In this situation, you can do the following: try to free one of the ports for an external drive or, in extreme cases, purchase a hub with additional power. Some portable drives may also require additional power supply, as indicated by the presence of not only the USB cable in the kit, but also the power cable. Such a cable can have two connectors for connecting to USB or a completely separate power supply unit.
Reason 2: Unformatted disk
When you connect a new blank disk to the PC, the system usually reports that the media is not formatted and prompts you to do so. In some cases this does not happen and it is sometimes necessary to do this procedure manually.
- Go to "Control Panel"... This can be done from the menu "Start" or press the keyboard shortcut Win + R and enter the command:
- Next we go to "Administration".
- Find a shortcut with the name "Computer Management".
- Go to the section "Disk Management".
- We are looking for our disk in the list. It can be distinguished from others by its size, as well as by the RAW file system.
- Click on the disk PKMand select the context menu item "Format".
- Next, select the label (name) and the file system. Put a daw opposite "Quick Format" and press OK... You just have to wait until the end of the process.
- The new disc appeared in the folder "Computer".
Reason 3: Drive letter
This problem can arise when performing disk operations - formatting, partitioning - on another computer using special software.
In such cases, you need to set the letter manually in the snap-in "Disk Management".
Reason 4: Drivers
The operating system is a very complex software and that is why various failures often occur in it. In normal mode, Windows itself installs standard drivers for new devices, but this is not always the case. If the system did not start the driver installation when the external drive was connected, then you can try to restart the computer. In most cases, this is sufficient. If the situation does not change, you will have to βwork with pensβ.
If the software for the disk could not be installed, you need to check the branch "Disk devices"... If it has a drive with a yellow icon, it means that the OS does not have such a driver or it is damaged.
Force installation will help resolve the issue. You can find software for the device manually on the manufacturer's website (perhaps there was a CD with a driver in the kit) or try to download it automatically from the network.
Reason 5: Viruses
Virus programs, among other nasty things, can prevent the initialization of external drives in the system. Most often they are located on the removable disk itself, but they may also be present on your PC. First, check your system and, if any, second hard drive for viruses.
Using the tools given in the article above, you will not be able to check the external drive, since it cannot be initialized. Only a bootable USB flash drive with an antivirus scanner, for example, will help here. With its help, you can scan a medium for viruses without loading system files and services, and therefore the subject of an attack.
Reason 6: Physical problems
Physical malfunctions include the breakdown of the drive itself or the controller, failure of ports on the computer, as well as the banal "breaking" of the USB cable or power supply.
To determine the malfunction, you can do the following:
- Replace cables with known good ones.
- Connect the disk to other USB ports, if it works, then the connector is faulty.
- Dismantle the device and connect the drive directly to the motherboard (remember to turn off your computer before doing this). If the media is detected, then there is a controller malfunction, if not, then the disk. You can try to restore a non-working HDD at a service center, otherwise it will go straight to the trash can.
What if my computer can't see the external hard drive? Typically, these drives are easy to use because they are adapted for everyday use by the mass consumer. But there are situations when the HDD is not recognized after being connected to a computer running Windows or to another device with a USB port.
Most often, a computer or laptop does not see a removable hard drive due to a partition formatting error, an incorrect file system, a broken USB port, or the lack of necessary drivers, but there may be other reasons. In the worst case, this may mean that the hard drive is out of order. It should be noted that the principle of operation of large external HDDs and pocket flash drives is identical, so problems associated with them are usually solved in the same way. You can familiarize yourself with the identical material on the invisibility of memory cards on different devices.
First of all, you need to find out why the external hard drive is not detected. To do this, you need to connect the external drive to your computer. If this is a full-fledged hard drive, then you must turn on the power on it. Some heavy removable HDDs can even be plugged in from the mains using a separate cable. After connecting, you need to open the drive management tool. To do this, use the key combination Windows + R. In the line that appears, enter diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.
You should now see your external HDD listed with all available drives. It will appear here even if Explorer on Windows XP doesn't recognize it due to missing partitions. If the external hard drive is detected, but does not open, then it needs to be formatted properly, after which it will be recognized by various devices. In the case when the drive could not be detected even here, the reason may be something else.
What if the external hard drive is not detected? This can be caused by a hardware failure of the USB port, the lack of the necessary driver, or the failure of the drive. First of all, you need to try to start the disk through another free slot. If after such a procedure the opened HDD works normally, then the reason was in the broken USB port. It happens that the connectors on the front of the computer case have limited functionality and cannot ensure the normal operation of the external hard drive. It is recommended to use the rear USB ports.
Computer problems
Why can't my computer see my external drive? If the portable drive does not appear in the Disk Management Manager on Windows 7 even after connecting to a different connector, then it remains to find out if everything is in order with the PC and the external drive. When the computer does not see the disk, but there is another PC at hand, then you need to try to connect the drive to it. In the case when the available computers do not detect the external drive, it can be concluded that it is broken and cannot be recovered.
If Windows 10 does not see the drive, but it is recognized on other computers, then the operating system does not have the necessary drivers to detect it. You can probably find out using the Device Manager on your computer. To open it, you need to call the command line using Windows + R, enter devmgmt.msc there and press Enter.
In the window that opens, the user should check all available disks for the presence of a yellow exclamation mark icon. If such a picture is found, then the problem is with the drivers. You need to right-click on the device with a yellow sign, go to properties and read a message that reveals the essence of the error. If you literally copy this inscription into the Google search engine, then with a high degree of probability the results found will help solve the problem, because other users have probably already faced such a disaster.
System errors like these can be difficult to fix. If the computer stopped seeing the drive relatively recently, then you can run System Restore. Device Manager also recommends trying to update the driver or roll it back to a previous version, as a result of which the HDD may start to open. You also need to try to remove the device from the list in the hope that when you reconnect, Windows XP will be able to configure it correctly.
File system and formatting
The Disk Manager can be used to fix partition and file system problems. If the visible disk in the image is full and there is unallocated space on it, then you need to create a new partition on it so that it can open. To do this, you need to right-click inside the unallocated space and create a new partition.
If the HDD is divided into sectors, but the computer stopped seeing the external drive, then you need to make sure that it received a designation in the form of a certain letter. The computer seeing the disk should do this automatically, but in some cases the user accidentally deletes the letter, which is why the disk cannot be detected. If the letter is missing, you need to enter it manually.
Why can't my PC see my external hard drive? There is always the possibility that the drive is not readable because it is using the wrong file system. The drive can be formatted with ext4 for Linux or HFS Plus for Mac. At the same time, Macbook does not see ext4, and Linux does not see HFS Plus. Even the tablet does not work with such file systems, so the drive will need to be reformatted with NTFS or the older FAT32 in case the computer cannot see it. To do this, you need to right-click on the disk and select the appropriate system. Note that this will delete all files on the disk. When MacBook can't see your external hard drive, you need to format it with HFS Plus.
If the external HDD from another device, such as a disk player, smart TV, game console or multimedia center, is no longer detected, then the reason may be in the NTFS file system. Many devices refuse to work with it, including the Xbox 360. In this case, you need to remove and format the portable disk using the old FAT32 file system. It should be borne in mind that this process will lead to the deletion of files on the external drive, so they must first be copied somewhere.
All the above recommendations did not help to solve the problem, and Windows does not see the HDD? In this case, we can conclude that the external hard drive is out of order, cannot be recovered and information cannot be retrieved from it. Unfortunately, this technique often breaks down after several years of intensive use, and this is quite normal. The proposed video will help you understand in more detail the question of why the computer does not see an external hard drive.
As you know, over time, computer memory is filled with various information, such as your favorite movies or music. And then the time comes when you have to delete them since you no longer have free space on your computer to download new files. But what if you don't want to delete the files you want or your favorite movies?
There is a way out of this situation, you just need to buy an external hard drive. You can always move important files to a portable hard disk and thereby free up computer memory.
But unfortunately not all people know how to install external hard drives and the fact that their personal computer does not see the drive, they begin to accuse the seller that he sold them a non-working device. Take your time and read the instructions for installing an external hard drive, and if you do not have these instructions, read this article to the end.
So, if your computer does not see an external hard drive, you need to do a few simple steps described below.
Step by step plan
1. Hover the mouse pointer over the shortcut "My Computer" and click on the right button, in the list that appears you will need to select the item "Management". Next, you should open the same window as mine:
2. Now click on the "Disk Management" item as shown in the screenshot and find "Disk 2".
3. Click on it with the right mouse button and you will see a list in which you need to select "Create a simple volume" and then follow the instructions of the wizard to create a simple volume.
4. After you have done all these steps, go to "My Computer" and see your external hard drive. If nothing appears there, then the problem is really in the drive itself, and in this case, I recommend immediately running to the store to change it to a new one. And the steps listed above should always be performed when connecting a new external hard drive.
As usual, you can ask your questions in the comments and by the way, do not forget to subscribe to updates of our site.
External hard drives (portable HDDs) are becoming more and more popular every day. It is understandable, a huge amount of memory and a relatively small size are the main advantages of such devices. And when connected to a computer, they are no different from a regular flash drive.
But everything is not always so good and wonderful. Oftentimes, users of removable USB drives are faced with one very important problem: Hard disk is not detected!That is, the user connects the device to the computer, but nothing happens, the computer simply does not see it. And there may be several reasons for this, consider the most common.
First, let's define what is the problem?
In the hard drive or in the computer itself. Well, of course, the first thing to do is try connecting the drive through a different USB port. Sometimes it helps. π
If possible, try connecting your portable HDD to another computer. If the drive is detected, then it is obvious that the problem is with your computer.
Let's start with the simplest:
1)
Check driver removable disk. To do this, go to device Manager... If you have Windows 8 operating system installed, then it can be easily found through the search. Or
Start β
Control Panel β
Hardware and Sound β
device Manager.
In the manager, select the Disk devices item and find your disk. Right-click and select "Update Driver"... You can try uninstalling the driver, restarting your computer and installing again.
2)
The next reason is incorrect letter assigned external drive. When I faced such a problem, the drive letter was not assigned at all, I had to specify it manually. The solution is quite simple. We go along the following path:
Start βControl Panel β
system and safety β
Administration β
Computer management.
We choose Disk management and find your disk. Right-click on it and click "Change drive letter or drive path ..." We choose any free letter.
3) When the computer refuses to define and flash drives and hard drives, you need to check USB support in BIOSit may have been disabled. Fortunately, this doesn't happen often. And not every user himself dares to configure something in BIOS. But this will be a separate article.
4) Another option is the problem with power supply computer. Either too much hardware is connected to the computer, or, if the computer is not new, the power supply is simply outdated - in both cases, it cannot cope with the disk.
But what if the disk is not detected on another computer?
Perhaps the problem is again in nutrition... If you connected the drive via an extension cable, then try to do it directly using the USB cable that was included with your purchase.
In the event that the drive has a second connector or its own power supply, connect them.
But it happens that the problem is mechanical damage portable HDD. This option can be assumed if, when power is applied to the disk, it does not emit characteristic sounds. The device just doesn't work. Of course, in this case, you must contact the service center and in no case try to disassemble and repair it yourself. It could end badly. π
Hope this article can help you solve the problem of undetectable disk. Good luck! π
External HDDs and SSDs are becoming more popular every day. This is not surprising at all, because this small box can hold a huge amount of information - up to 1-6 terabytes! For comparison, today not every PC even has an internal 1TB hard drive.
But what to do when your computer or laptop can't see the external hard drive? In this article we will figure out why this happens and how to properly solve this problem.
If a new external hard drive is not detected
In this situation, we mean a portable drive that you just purchased for your PC. The first thing to do:
1. Go to the Control Panel / Make sure that the item "Small icons" / Administration is selected in the "View" menu. 
3. In the left column, go to the "Disk Management" menu. 
4. We are waiting for 5-10 seconds until the configuration is updated, after which both internal and external media that are connected to the computer or netbook will be displayed. Quite often, a PC may not read media due to an incorrect letter assignment.
It is she who should be changed. To do this, you need to right-click on our device and select "Change letter".
Another option why the laptop does not recognize the new hard drive - it is not formatted
In this case, you will not even be able to change the name to something else. It is necessary to click again on the disk with the right mouse button, a menu will be displayed, and then click "Create volume". However, be careful! This will delete all information from the HDD.
A not so common problem is the chip on the motherboard that is responsible for the operability of the usb ports. In 99% of cases, the solution to the problem is to repair the board.
Lack of drivers is another most common reason
If the hard drive is not visible in either "Disk Management" or "My Computer", but at the same time fully functions on other equipment, this is exactly the problem. Of course, modern windows 7, 8, 10 are smart operating systems that search for and install drivers themselves in a fully automatic mode. However, sometimes they make mistakes.
In this situation, it is necessary:
1. Check the operation of USB ports (2.0 / 3.0). If other devices will work through them, then they are not the point at all.
2. If everything is in order with the USB ports, but the hard drive does not work:
We go to the Control Panel / Make sure that the item "Small icons" / Device Manager is selected in the "View" menu and select the sections "Other devices" and "Disk drives".
There you can find out if the drivers for the connected media are installed.
If there are red or yellow identification icons next to the name of the connected device (see the screenshot above), it means that the drivers were not installed or installed with errors, in order to fix this, you must do one of the following options:
1. Click "Update hardware configuration", after which the installation will take place in automatic mode.
2. Use a special program to install the necessary drivers "DriverPack Solution, Driver Booster or others"
3. Reinstall Windows OS.
After completing simple steps, the HDD will work normally.
If the old external HDD is not displayed
In this case, we mean the hard drive that was previously functioning on your PC, but it stopped seeing it. In such a situation, you should:
Now you know how to find out the reason why the computer does not show the removable storage, and you can solve it yourself!
