Is your external hard drive not showing up on Windows 10? If ye then don’t fret. We have got some effective ways for you to fix this issue. Let’s get started!
In this particular blog, we will discuss the causes and the methods through which you can resolve hard drive errors.
Whether you have a new or old hard drive, it may not be detected by your computer. This may also happen that your hard drive might not show up in the Disk Management or File Explorer folder.
There can be several reasons that are responsible for this error. Below we are listing a few reasons that your external hard drive not showing up on PC.
If your computer ran into such a problem where the external hard drive not showing on Windows 10 then you need to execute some practical solutions. Therefore, we are going to suggest some methods using which you can fix this issue. Based on the specific problem, you can apply different methods. Let’s get them right now!
Most users have been reporting “why is my external hard drive not showing up?” If you have the same enquiry then it’s time to get your answers. Here, we will discuss a number of methods.
First, we will start with the basic ones. For instance, you can try disconnecting the power supply, USB device, and using some other USB port and computer. Due to some reason USB device not recognized in windows find out the reason why.
Users shared their feedback that implementing basic methods help to fix the problem. However, there are instances when you stumble upon a serious hardware problem and to deal with it, you need to perform troubleshooting methods. Let’s go through them one by one.
If your external hard drive not showing up on Windows 10, the first thing is to disconnect the power supply. All you have to Shut down your Windows computer. Thereafter, you can disconnect your power cable from the PC. After a few minutes, you can connect the power cable and turn on the computer.
In this method, you are suggested to disconnect your USB device. For this, you are required to remove the USB device from your Windows computer. Then, you can restart your PC(Try the guide if your system stuck during restart). Lastly, you can connect your USB device again. This trick often works and resolves errors related to the hard drive connection.
There are instances when your hard drive is completely fine but the USB port is not working. To detect such situations, you should try using another USB port or another computer so that you can identify that the problem is with your hard drive or port. In case your hard drive does not work in another computer or port then you can continue following other methods.
If you are concerned about why my external hard drive is not showing up, then you should check your device drivers. The device drivers can be corrupt or outdated. If they are corrupt, you should replace them.
In case your drivers are running the old version then you should update them immediately. Here, you can learn to update the device drivers in the following steps:
This is how you can update the device drivers. In case, your system has no drivers installed or is corrupt then you can download the latest drivers from the manufacturer’s website. Make sure that you install the compatible drivers for your Windows computer.
If you are thinking about why an external hard drive not showing in my computer on Windows 10, you can solve this problem by installing the correct device drivers.
If your device is shown in the Disk Management then you can generate a new drive volume. When you perform this step, the USB stick may display an Unallocated space. However, you can build a new partition so that your Windows can access this.
To generate a new drive, you can follow these steps mentioned below:
After implementing these steps, you have to make sure that it has a driver letter. This should be done automatically. However, if you remove it manually then the drive will not be detected on Windows. To add or change the drive letter, you can continue reading the next method.
In this method, we will learn to change the Drive letter. If the external USB Drive shows up in the Disk Management then you can rename it. For this, you can follow these steps mentioned below:
This is how you can create and change the drive letter. So if you are thinking about why my external hard drive not showing up on Windows 10 then the above-mentioned steps would help you to fix the issue.
If your PC external hard drive not showing up, this method suggests you fix the USB root hub. To do so, you can follow these steps instructed below.
Note: For all USB Root Hubs, you can follow the same process. Make sure you save your changes and restart your computer. If your hard drive is still unable to detect then visit the Power Management tab for each USB Root Hub and check every box again.
After applying all these steps, you can check using the hard drive. If the Seagate external hard drive not showing up on Windows 10 then you can change the USB settings. Continue reading to understand better.
Another method to fix your hardware problems is to change the USB Selective Suspend settings. This method is effective enough to resolve connectivity errors. Let’s know how to get this job done in the following steps:
This will disable the USB Selective Suspend settings. There are chances that you can get rid of the errors and your Windows PC can detect the hard drive easily.
Note: In case you are performing these steps on your laptop, you will see two options: Plugged in and On Battery. At this moment, you can select a Disable option for both settings.
After creating the partition, if your external hard drive not showing on Windows 10, this happens because it is partitioned with another file system.
For instance, if you formatted the drive with APFS on a Mac or XFS file from Linux then Windows would not be able to read these files (as they are unsupported). In this scenario, what you can do is to format the drive with the older FAT32 or newer NTFS file system. Doing so Windows PC will recognize the hard drive.
Note: After formatting the drive, your files will be erased. So, make sure that you copy the important files on another device. If you have formatted the hard drive on Mac or Linux then take it to the computer running the same OS and back up your files before formatting it.
Now, let’s know how to reformat a partition in the following steps:
File System can be selected based on the type of drive and your purpose for using it. However, FAT32 is more compatible as it supports all the devices, cameras, games consoles, media players, and more.
In some cases, formatting the drive does not work efficiently. To regain the capacity of your drive, you can run a Clean command. This will return your drive to the unformatted state.
Note: This method can erase anything. So, perform this method only when you have no other option left. Also, make sure that you clean the correct disk or else you could lose more data.
Now, lets know how to perform a Clean command in the following steps:
If you find the drive, pay attention to its size and note down the name. Let’s assume its name as Disk 2 then run the command: select disk 2, using the disk that you wish to clean.
This will erase your disk successfully and then you can start from the scratch. Hopefully, your error will be resolved and your Windows PC should detect your hard drive.
If you are thinking about why an external hard drive not showing in my computer on Windows 10, you can solve this problem by running the troubleshooter. Let’s know how to run the troubleshooter in the following steps:
Once the troubleshooter starts working, you can continue following the on-screen instructions. Then, you can try using the hardware and this should work perfectly.
If you are still facing issues and thinking why my external hard drive is not showing up, then you should uninstall the problematic device drivers. Continue reading in the next step.
When the external hard drive not showing up on PC, this can be due to the problematic drivers. To prevent this, you can remove the driver from your computer. To do so, you can follow these steps discussed below:
Doing so, your Windows computer starts installing the default drivers for the portable hard drive. Uninstalling the devices under the Universal Serial Bus Controllers will also help you out. However, you have to be sure to perform this step.
If you are concerned about why this external hard drive not showing in my computer on Windows 10, you can solve this error by installing the mass storage device drivers. Let’s know more:
When these drivers are installed on your computer, the error will be fixed automatically. Thereafter, you can try to connect your hard drive and this should work perfectly now.
Suggestion: Although the aforementioned methods are quite helpful and effective to fix the issues. Yet if you find any trouble connecting your hard drive to Windows PC then you can contact the Data Recovery Service provider.
Hard drive connectivity issues can occur due to minor drive errors. These errors can be fixed easily. Therefore, in this guide, we have provided you the best possible solutions through which you can make your hard drive work efficiently.
For instance, you can update your USB device drivers, create new Drive volume, assign a new Drive letter, change USB Selective Suspend settings, fix USB Root Hub, format Drive, run troubleshooter, and more.
Hopefully, you find this guide helpful!
Do you want to know more about Windows PC errors? If yes, don’t miss out on the following guides: