• Solving problems with external hard drive. The computer does not see the external hard drive via USB - what to do?

    External hard drives (portable HDDs) are becoming more and more popular every day. This is understandable; a huge amount of memory and relatively small sizes 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. Often, users of removable USB drives face one very important problem: Hard drive 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; let’s look at the most common ones.

    First let's determine what the problem is?

    On the hard drive or on the computer itself. Well, of course, first of all, try connecting the drive through a different USB port. Sometimes it helps. 😉
    If possible, try connecting your portable HDD to another computer. If the drive is detected, then it is obvious that the problem is in your computer.

    Let's start with the simplest:
    1) Let's check driver removable disk. To do this you need to go to device Manager. If you have Windows 8 operating system installed, then you can easily find it through the search. Or
    Start → Control Panel → Equipment and sound → device Manager.
    In the manager, select Disk devices and find your disk. Right-click and select "Update driver". You can try removing the driver, restarting your computer, and installing it again.

    2) The next reason is letter assigned incorrectly external drive. When I encountered 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 →Control Panel → System and security → Administration → Computer management.
    Choose Disk management and find your disk. Right-click on it and click "Change drive letter or drive path..." Choose any free letter.

    3) In the case when the computer refuses to define both flash drives and hard drives, you need to check USB support in BIOS it may have been disabled. Fortunately, this doesn't happen often. And not every user will risk setting up something in Bios themselves. But there will be a separate article about this.

    4) Another option is the problem with power supply computer. Either there is too much equipment 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 drive.

    Well, 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, try doing it directly using the USB cable that was included when you purchased it.

    If the drive has a second connector or its own power supply, connect them.

    But sometimes the problem is mechanical damage portable HDD. This option can be assumed if, when power is applied to the disk, it does not make characteristic sounds. The device simply doesn't work. Of course, in this case you need to contact a service center and under no circumstances try to disassemble and repair it yourself. This could end badly. 😉

    I hope this article will help you solve the problem of an undetectable disk. Good luck! 🙂

    External HDDs and SSDs are becoming more and more popular every day. This is not at all surprising, because this small box can contain 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 does not see the external hard drive? In this article we will look at why this happens and how to properly solve this problem.

    If the new external hard drive is not detected

    In this situation, we mean a portable drive that you just purchased for your PC. First thing to do:

    1. Go to Control Panel/Make sure that “Small Icons”/Administration is selected in the “View” menu.


    3. In the left column, go to the “Disk Management” menu.



    4. Wait 5-10 seconds for the configuration to update, 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 incorrect letter assignment.

    This is what needs to 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 is that it is not formatted

    In this case, you won’t even be able to change the name to something else. You need to right-click on the disk again, a menu will appear, and then click “Create Volume”. However, be careful! In this case, all information will be deleted from the HDD.

    A not so common problem is that the chip on the motherboard responsible for the functionality of the USB ports has failed. 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 either in Disk Management or in My Computer, but at the same time functions fully on other equipment, this is precisely 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 also make mistakes.

    In this situation it is necessary:

    1. Check the operation of the USB ports (2.0/3.0). If other devices work through them, then the problem is not with them at all.

    2. If everything is fine with the USB ports, but the hard drive still doesn’t work:

    Go to Control Panel/Make sure that “Small Icons”/Device Manager is selected in the “View” menu and select the “Other Devices” and “Disk Devices” sections.

    There you can find out whether 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 screenshot above), it means that the drivers were not installed or were installed with errors; to fix this, you need to do one of the following options:

    1. Click “Update hardware configuration”, after which the installation will occur automatically.

    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 operate as usual.

    If the old external HDD is not displayed

    In this case, we are talking about a 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 drive, and you can solve it yourself!

    What to do if the computer does not see the external hard drive? First, it is advisable to carefully examine the situation and try to understand the cause of the malfunction.

    If it is large enough, then the reason for its absence in the File Manager may be insufficient power. The USB interface, depending on the type, produces different power. You can first try inserting the connecting cable sequentially into different USB sockets. As a rule, the current strength in them varies slightly and it is quite possible that one of the USB connectors will be able to provide sufficient power for normal operation of the device.

    Today there is a wide range of such accessories on the market. They all have different parameters and may have a completely different connection. Some have a separate cable for connecting power. This needs to be checked against the technical description. The possibility is that this is exactly the point - the disk was connected as usual, using USB, but they forgot about the additional power cable.

    If there is not enough electricity, the disk may partially work, vibrate, and everything will seem to be normal. Sometimes the USB cable itself is a slightly different type - if there is a replacement, you need to try different connectors.

    It is advisable to choose a cord for connection that is as thick and short in length as possible. All this significantly affects power transfer. Sometimes the problem with insufficient power can be solved by connecting a cable with two connectors at one end. These two contactors are connected to different sockets on the system unit case and thus receive electricity from two sources.

    If manipulations with the USB connection do not produce results, it is useful to check the functionality of the device by connecting to another computer. It may be faulty.

    Settings problem

    Log into the management interface and see if the drive doesn't have a name, so the computer can't identify it. Then you need to give it a letter.

    It happens that a device is not detected due to an incorrectly assigned configuration in the BIOS. Go to the BIOS settings and if there is an external drive there, try changing the configuration to another one from the proposed list. After this you need to restart your computer.

    Problems often arise after working with programs such as Alcohol, Acronis and similar applications for managing and creating virtual disks. Sometimes, while working with such programs, the computer switches to communicating with virtual disks, and stops seeing real physical drives. The danger of using such powerful applications is that they penetrate very deeply into the system registry and change the internal settings of the computer.

    In this situation, it can help to roll back the system to a previous state, when the disk management program was not yet installed and did not have time to change anything in the system. Or so – completely remove the program along with all settings. And don’t forget to check whether the previously created virtual disks are still in the computer system. They also need to be removed. After this, restart the computer and reset the CMOS settings to default settings.

    File system conflict

    Problems often appear after updating the operating system. Especially when switching from Windows XP to Windows 7 or 8. If the device worked normally with Windows XP for a long time, and after a new installation of Windows 8 was no longer detected, the computer’s file system may have changed and now the disk and the operating system seem to speak different languages.

    In such a situation, if you forcefully assign a name to it and try to start doing something, the system will most likely say that the disk is not formatted and will offer to format it immediately. If the data on the disk is not particularly important, you can do this. Then the new operating system itself will set the recommended configuration for the external hard drive.

    The situation is especially unpleasant if it contains important work documents or valuable files. The simplest solution is to reinstall the previously installed operating system, rewrite information from the external drive, format this drive and change the file system.

    After that, install the Windows update again and then it will work with the computer without any problems.

    Another option is to change the file system using a special utility, which can be downloaded from one of the software portals. Or use the same aforementioned Alcohol or Acronis applications to change the file system.

    A malfunction can sometimes be determined by ear.

    1. If you don't hear any movement when you turn it on and the power lights are on, the drive may be faulty.
    2. If you hear unusual sounds, knocking, ticking, or intermittent knocks, something has happened to the internal mechanism.

    If the device behaves suspiciously, it must be immediately disconnected from the computer and taken to a workshop for inspection.

    

    External hard drives are becoming more and more popular among PC users every day. The thing is that very often there is a catastrophic lack of space on the built-in storage device, and in order not to change the media, you can use an HDD (external hard drive). The modern model of such a device is a small box containing 1-2 TB of information. But what to do if the computer does not see the external hard drive, moreover, immediately after purchasing a new device. Today we will try to understand the situation and tell you what to do if the computer does not see the removable hard drive, depending on the cause of the problem.

    The computer does not see the external hard drive. Reasons

    Before solving the problem, you need to understand the cause of the problem. Let's look at the main ones.

    Malnutrition

    If the hard drive is large enough, then its absence in the “File Manager” may be caused by insufficient power. This situation occurs if you are using a USB hub that already has other devices connected. All USB interfaces, depending on the type, produce different power.

    Important! Try inserting the connecting cable into different USB sockets. One of the connectors may be able to provide sufficient power to operate the device. Or connect the media directly to the port.

    Broken connecting cable

    Replacing the cable will help correct the situation.

    The hard drive model has a different connection, not USB

    Today there are a huge number of devices on the market that have different parameters and connections. Some devices require a separate cable to connect power. All these nuances must be checked during purchase according to the technical description.

    Important! Perhaps you connected the device as usual - via USB, but you needed to use an additional power cable.

    Settings problem

    If the computer does not see the external hard drive, the reasons may also be the following:

    • Driver problem. If the operating system cannot correctly determine the drivers for the external drive, then you should download them from the official website. If you have new media, then the drivers must be recorded on it.

    Important! Retrieve them on another computer that has managed to recognize the device.

    • USB support is not enabled in the BIOS. If another computer recognizes the external drive, check whether USB support is enabled on your PC.
    • Device malfunction. If manipulations with the USB connection do not produce results, then check the functionality of the device by connecting it to another computer; the drive may be faulty. In case of mechanical failures, contact the service center.

    Important! To prevent these problems and solve them:

    • Choose a cord for connecting the device that is as short in length and as thick as possible. All this significantly affects power transfer.
    • The problem with insufficient power can be solved in this way: connect a cable with two connectors at one end to different sockets on the system unit case. Thus, the device will receive electricity from two sources.

    What to do if the problem is in the settings

    In order for the computer to identify the device, the removable storage media must have a name in the management interface. But sometimes it happens that the disk is not detected due to incorrect configuration in the BIOS. You can correct the situation by going to the settings and changing the configuration to another one suggested from the list. After these manipulations, restart your computer.

    Detailed instructions:

    1. Click the Start menu.
    2. Click “Computer Control Panel”.
    3. Make sure you are viewing items by category (it says “Browse” in the top right corner).
    4. Click on “System and Security”.
    5. Find the “Administration” item.
    6. In the window that opens, find the item called “Computer Management”.
    7. In the left window that opens, select “Disk Management”. You should be able to see all drives connected to the system, including external ones. Your task is to change the letter of the removable drive to one that is not in the operating system.
    8. Find your external source of information in the window, then right-click on it and select “Change drive letter or drive path.”
    9. In the window that opens, select “Edit”.
    10. Choose any letter you like.
    11. Click OK.

    Important! If you are connecting a new drive to your computer for the first time, most likely it is not formatted, so it will not appear in the “My Computer” window. In this case, you will not be able to change the letter. Right-click on the external drive and select “Create Simple Volume,” but remember that this process will delete all data on the storage medium.

    Application problems

    Problems with the fact that the computer does not see the external hard drive often arise after working with programs such as Acronis and Alcohol, and other similar applications for creating virtual storage devices. While working with such programs, the PC switches to communicating with virtual disks, but stops seeing real ones.

    In this situation, it is necessary to return the system to its previous state or completely remove the program along with all settings.

    Important! Check to see if there are any previously created virtual disks left in the system. If present, remove them and restart the computer, resetting the CMOS settings to default settings.

    Solving the problem with drivers

    If the external drive is new and it is not in the “My Computer” window, then 99% of this phenomenon is related to the drivers. Proceed as follows:

    1. From the control panel, go to the “Device Manager” tab. Make sure you browse the menu by the small icons (top right corner).
    2. Expand the “Disk Devices” tab.
    3. Notice whether the drive displays an exclamation point in a yellow triangle. If the triangle is present, then update the driver.

    Important! If you don’t find your drive, try finding it in “Other devices”.

    1. Uninstall the old driver by right-clicking on the device and selecting the “Uninstall” task.
    2. Unplug the device and plug it back in a minute into the USB port. The driver should be automatically detected and installed.

    Important! Typically, the Windows 7 and 8 operating system, when you connect any new device, automatically installs a driver for it. If this does not happen, then click the “Actions” -> “Update hardware configuration” command in the device manager or download the driver from the official website of the HDD device manufacturer.

    If you can't see your old external hard drive

    If external media previously worked on your computer and then stopped, then proceed as follows:

    1. Check the USB through which you connect the drive by connecting any other device (phone, player, printer, etc.). If necessary, reinstall the USB controller driver.
    2. Check the cords for damage. The wire must not be damaged, and the USB plugs must be tightly connected to the computer and HDD. If necessary, replace the cord with a new one.
    3. Go to the control menu and change the drive letter as described above. Be sure to do this if you have created new partitions on your hard drive.
    4. Check your external HDD for viruses. Some viruses block disks and disable the ability to see them.
    5. Go to “Device Manager” and find out if the device is detected correctly. There should be no yellow or red exclamation marks to indicate errors.
    6. Check the performance of the hard drive on another computer or laptop. In this case, reinstalling the operating system may help.
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