The external hard drive is not visible. Why doesn't my computer detect my removable hard drive?

Thanks to its compact dimensions, large capacity and high speed data transmission, external hard drives are very popular among users. Let's try to figure out how to fix the situation when the computer does not see the USB drive connected to it.

If the computer does not see external drive, which you connected to it for the first time, then the reason will most likely be one of those described below.

Incorrectly assigned volume letter

Let's launch Windows tool"Disk Management" (Win-R + diskmgmt.msc).

We find our connected external USB drive, right-click it, select “Change drive letter or drive path” from the menu.

The disk is not formatted

If the connected disk is not formatted, then it will also not be visible in Explorer, and the Disk Management utility will display the information “Unallocated”. In this case, you need to create a volume on the new disk and perform the procedure.

Lack of drivers

If the connected external drive is visible on another computer, then the problem most likely lies in a faulty USB port on your computer or in an incorrect installed drivers. The functionality of the port can be checked very simply by connecting another device (mouse, smartphone, etc.). If they work, then the problem is in the driver. Update it using Device Manager or from the manufacturer's website.

Previously connected disk is not visible

In this situation, when a disk that is not being connected for the first time is not visible, the user’s actions will be similar to those described above:

We try to change the volume letter using the Disk Management tool.
We make sure that there are no errors in the device manager (exclamation marks next to the equipment), and if necessary, reinstall the drivers.
We carry out a complete antivirus scan external drive and the entire computer.
We make sure that the port and connecting cable are working.

Instead of an afterword

We looked at the main reasons why external hard drive may not be detected by the computer, and figured out the reasons for their elimination. Be careful when using the Disk Management utility - some changes made in it, for example, deleting a partition, cannot be undone.

An external hard drive is used to store data. If the system does not recognize it when connecting to a PC, the cable may be connected incorrectly, the drivers may not have been installed automatically, free space not distributed or there was a malfunction software. Also, do not forget about physical disk failure. Therefore, to solve this problem, you should correctly reconnect the removable drive or HDD and SSD and find out why the system stopped seeing it.

Troubleshooting external hard drive problems

There are times when the system does not recognize the HDD or SSD due to the fact that the BIOS itself does not see the hard drive. IN in this case you need to check the correctness of the firmware settings, reconnect the hard drive and only then test other methods.

On Windows 10, if the laptop does not see external hard disk, the solutions to the problem will be as follows:

Press “Win+R” and enter “diskmgmt.msc”.

The Disk Management utility will open. It will display information about all connected drives, images and virtual disks. If your computer does not see external hard disk and you don’t know what to do on Windows 10, it’s worth looking to see if there is a “Missing data, not initialized” or “Not distributed” sign.
You need to right-click on the disk and select “Format”. Next, you need to select the context menu again and select “Initialize”.

A small window will open. Here you need to set the partition structure. For Windows 10 this is GPT.

An unallocated area will appear. Must be done new section. Right-click on the disk and select “Create simple volume.”

On Windows 10, the “Create Wizard” will launch. simple volumes", following the prompts of which, you need to set the volume letter (so that it does not exist on the PC), specify the size and click "OK".

In case after execution of this action Windows 10 system does not see the external hard drive, you should use the Diskpart utility.

IMPORTANT! If you inexperienced user PC and have not established the exact reason for the external hard drive display, resort to this method We don't recommend it. All data from the disk will be DELETED!

We carefully study the disk capacity.
Let's launch command line with Administrator rights.
Enter the following commands:

Determine which drive is not displayed. Let's remember its letter.

select disk X – where X is the letter of the non-mapped disk.

clean – disk cleaning.

create partition primary (it is possible to set size=S, the size of the partition in MB, if multiple partitions are required).

format fs=ntfs quick

assign letter=D – where D is the letter that we assign to the problem disk.

If even after performing these steps the external drive is not visible, it is worth checking it for functionality and the presence of bad sectors.

If you have problems connecting an external hard drive (USB HDD) to your PC in the form of an inability to access its data when the Windows OS does not recognize removable media as usual in Explorer, the reasons when the computer “does not see” the hard drive can be solved as follows:

You need to check if your USB hard disk in the Disk Management menu. To get to it, click “Start” and select “Control Panel”. Switch to the small icons view and follow the path “Administration | Computer management." In Windows 8, 10, and even version 7, you can quickly access this menu by right-clicking on the “This PC” item in Explorer.
In the “Computer Management” tab you will find the necessary “Disk Management” menu. On the right side, you will see a list of all connected drives in your PC and their corresponding partitions, marked with colors. If Windows “sees” the external drive and it appears in the list, you can only rule out a power failure of the hard drive or USB cable.

Then make sure that the connected external device is set to hard drive letter. If there is no letter, right-click on the drive area and select the option “Change drive letter or drive path...”. In the window that appears, click the “Add” button and assign any free drive letter from A to Z. After confirmation changes made The USB HDD will become active and appear in the “My Computer” menu (“This Computer”, depending on windows versions).
If the above tips for connecting a portable hard drive did not bring any effect, then the drive is probably not formatted for file system your operating system. In this case, right-click on the disk area again and select “Format”. Keep in mind that with this manipulation, all data on the disk will be completely deleted.

MediaPure.ru

The computer does not see the external hard drive: what is the reason, how to fix it

Question from a user...

Hello. My 1TB Seagate Expansion external hard drive (without power adapter) was purchased in 2015. Since then it has worked fine and I have used it as additional memory for music, photos, videos (I have a computer and a laptop - it’s convenient to transfer data between them).

The other day I connect it to a USB port and see that the computer does not see the external hard drive at all! I tried to connect it to the laptop - the same thing, even the LED does not light up. Could you please tell me what could be the reason, how can I fix it (didn’t drop the disc, didn’t hit it, didn’t splash it, generally handled it very carefully)? On disk, not really necessary documents, But large archive interesting files accumulated over lately. Thanks in advance.

Good day!

In general, there are quite a few reasons why this could happen: for example, the USB cord has become unusable. In this article I will try to give the most basic reasons why such a problem of “invisibility” arises. By going through them, you and many other users will be able to fix a similar problem yourself, which will save you time and money 😉 . So...

Reasons why an external hard drive is invisible

The first thing I want to start this article with is “external signs”, because it is by them that you can determine whether there are problems with the hardware itself. Yes, and you see them earlier than all other parameters and settings in Windows.

When connecting a drive to a USB port, you must:

the LED will light up: almost all external drives are equipped with LEDs that start to light (blink) when they are connected. If the LED does not light up, there may be a problem with the USB cord or USB port (it is recommended to try connecting to another USB port, other devices: computer, laptop). Also, if the LED does not light up, there may be a problem not with the disk itself inside the case, but with the board (controller). If there is no important data on the disk, you can try to open it and connect it directly (how to do this - link below).
an attempt to repair an external hard drive at home - https://ocomp.info/remont-vneshnego-zhestkogo-diska.html
a characteristic sound is also produced in windows;
you can hear the sound of movement inside the disk, a very slight “hissing” (barely perceptible). Just do not confuse this sound with loud clicks, intermittent beats, ticking, etc. - all this indicates a problem with the mechanics of the disk, and in this case, the disk must be taken to a service center (especially if it contains important data). Note: some disk models may produce light, subtle clicks during operation (this is the repositioning of the heads). If you have already used the disk, then you probably know how “noisy” your device is 😆.

What is the point of all the above: it’s just that if, when you connect the disk to the computer, it does not show any signs of life (the LED does not light up, the sound of movement inside is inaudible), then there is no point in looking further for the reason for its “invisibility”, because There is clearly a problem with the hardware (with the wires, with the disk itself, with the USB ports).

Drive letter conflict

Each storage medium: hard drive, optical disk, floppy disk, etc. - when connecting to a computer, a letter is automatically assigned (C:\, D:\, E:\, etc.). It happens that Windows, as a result of some kind of failure or conflict, assigns the wrong letter - as a result, the media is not displayed. Moreover, this happens not so rarely...

How to open Disk Management (windows 7/8/10):

press Win+R buttons;
enter the command diskmgmt.msc;
press Enter (see screenshot below).

Disk Management - how to open

In the list of drives, select an external hard drive (if it is not there, go to the next point in the article: to the problem with drivers), right-click on this line, and in the pop-up context menu select "Change drive letter or drive path..." (as in the screenshot below).

Change drive letter

Then select any other letter and click change (see screenshot below).

Changing a letter

File system problem

In Disk Management, pay attention to how the disk is displayed. If there is a black bar above it and it says “Not distributed”, then the disk is simply not formatted.

If the hard drive is new, then this happens quite often (not all manufacturers format the drive).

To format a disk, open Disk Management (we describe how to do it just above in the article), select it in the list, and right-click on it - then select “Create a simple volume” from the menu (see screenshot below).

Note! Formatting will delete all data on the disk! If you had files on it before, then most likely there was a failure, try first correcting the errors on the disk, more on that below.

The disk is not formatted

In the next step, you will need to specify the drive letter (choose any free one), file system (I recommend NTFS), and set the volume size (usually external hard On disks, this parameter is not changed, making one single volume for the entire disk size).

If your external hard drive has already been formatted and you have already copied files from it, then the “unallocated area” (or RAW file system) display may occur due to:

incorrectly disconnecting the disk from the USB port (for example, when information was being copied and you suddenly “pulled out” the USB cord);
a power outage could occur: for example, during a power outage or surge;
when infected with certain types of viruses;
in case of hardware failure.

Most often, after all, displaying the file RAW systems due to improper disk disconnection. In this case, as a rule, it is possible to quickly correct errors and bring the disk back to life.

How to check the disk (data will not be deleted, everything will remain in place!)

First you need to launch the command prompt. How to do it:

press the Win+R button combination;
In the open line, type cmd and press Enter.

How to run command line - universal method for windows 7, 8, 10

Next, at the command prompt, type the command chkdsk e:/f (where e: is your drive letter). The verification takes only a few minutes. In many cases, after such a simple procedure, the computer begins to see the disk, files and folders remain safe and sound.

Disk check // chkdsk

A few words about TV...

In my practice, I came across another interesting reason due to which the disk becomes invisible. New modern TV(with some SmartTV functions) - when connecting the disk, asked the user to agree with its layout. He agreed, and everything seemed to be recorded normally on him. But when I connected it to the computer, it refused to see. The bottom line is that the TV formatted the disk into a different file system. After formatting to the NTFS file system, everything began to work “as it should” (the problem is fixed - also through disk management, no additional programs are required)...

Driver conflict or missing

If your external hard drive is not visible in disk management, I recommend checking whether the drivers are installed on it.

A small note...

In general, Windows 7, 8, 10, when you connect a flash drive or the same external drive to a computer, automatically install drivers. But in some cases, this does not happen (it is difficult to say why, perhaps the disk is not “normal” and there is no standard drivers in the "stash" of the system, either there is some kind of error and conflict with other drivers, or because of something else...).

If the driver for your disk is not installed, then you will not find your disk in disk management!!!

To check the driver installation, open Device Manager. To do this:

press the WIN+R button combination;
in the window that appears, enter the command devmgmt.msc and press Enter (screen below, works in Windows 7, 8, 10).

How to start Device Manager

In Device Manager, open the " Disk devices". Next, pay attention to the following:

Is your device in the list, is it displayed at all;
Also check the "Other Devices" tab - it displays devices for which there are no drivers.
Is there a yellow exclamation mark next to your disk (if there is, it means the driver for your disk is not installed). An example is shown in the screenshot below.

Left: everything is fine with the driver (WD Elements) // Right: no driver (yellow exclamation mark) WD My Passport

How to update the disk driver:

Lack of nutrition

Quite often, problems with external drives occur due to lack of power. Especially if you have several devices connected to one USB port at once.

A characteristic feature when there is a lack of power: the disk seems to be displayed normally at first, but as soon as you want to copy or read something to it, it becomes inaccessible (or simply freezes).

How to fix the problem: try buying a Y-shaped cord (photo below) and connect the drive to two USB ports at once. This happened to me with some disks that became invisible after a few seconds when I tried to connect them to the laptop’s USB ports.

Advice! If you connect external HDD to a laptop - try connecting to desktop computer(or to another device). It is possible that on another device the disk will work as expected.

Y-shaped USB cord for connecting an external HDD

Also good solution can become a USB hub with an additional power source. An example of such a splitter is shown in the photo below.

USB hub with power supply

Some types of viruses (and antiviruses, by the way) can block the connection external media and devices. Therefore, I also recommend:

This concludes the article, I hope you solve the problem (or at least find out what the reason is)!

Thanks in advance for any additions on the topic. Good luck!

ocomp.info

Why doesn't my computer detect my removable hard drive?

Situations arise when there is a catastrophic lack of space on the hard drive. For PC users, the problem can be solved self-installation second hard drive into the system unit, but if you are the owner of a laptop, then to replace the media you will have to contact service center. One way out of this situation is to purchase an external hard drive.

This is very useful device for storing and exchanging data between PCs, with a decent volume of up to several terabytes and the size of a smartphone. But like any electronic device is not insured against errors and malfunctions. The user is faced with a situation where, when connected, the computer does not see the external hard drive.

External hard drive not recognized

Most often, when connecting to a computer, an error occurs that the operating system windows system cannot recognize the USB device and it does not work properly. Why does this situation arise?

First, try plugging it into a different USB port. If external hard drive recognized by another port, the problem is most likely a malfunction of the USB controller of this port.

When the error appears when connecting to a different port, you should check on another computer. If another PC sees the removable drive, you should check if USB support is enabled in the BIOS.

There may be problems with the drivers. You should check the “serviceability” of the drivers in the “Device Manager”, which can be accessed from the “Control Panel”. Go to the “Disk Devices” tab and see if the removable drive displays an exclamation point in a yellow triangle. If yes, try updating the driver. First, uninstall the removable storage driver by right-clicking on the “Uninstall” item from the pop-up menu. Unplug and after about a minute plug the device back into the USB port. The driver should be automatically detected.

If the above steps do not bring the expected result, then the Windows operating system cannot correctly determine the drivers for the external drive. In this case, download them from the official website. If you have a new external hard drive, then the drivers must be recorded on it. Extract them on another computer that successfully recognizes the device.

Sometimes the computer does not see removable media due to lack of power. This problem occurs when you use a USB hub that already has multiple devices connected to it. Try connecting it directly to the port. Some external drives have two connectors, you need to connect both, although on a second computer the removable drive can work on one without any problems.

Sometimes due to lack of power, the device is not recognized when connected to the front USB ports, reconnect it to the rear port. There are situations when the front ports were not connected when assembling the computer.

The computer does not see the external hard drive due to mechanical failures of the device itself or breaks in the connecting cable. If you can change the cable yourself, then in case of mechanical breakdowns you should definitely contact a service center.

Device is recognized but not displayed

Sometimes, after connecting an external drive, an icon appears in the tray, the system sees it, but it does not appear on the “My Computer” tab or in file manager. Why is this happening? This situation occurs quite often if the hard drive is “detailed” into local disks. windows can assign external device an existing local drive letter.

You can correct the letter on the “Disk Management” tab in the “Computer Management” section, which in turn can be called from the command line with the command compmgmt.msc.

Right-click on the rectangle with the name of the external hard drive and in the drop-down menu, click on “Change drive letter or drive path.” The system will display all “unoccupied” letters, you can select any one.

Sometimes a removable hard drive does not appear in the My Computer tab because it is not formatted. To do this, on the “Disk Management” tab, right-click on it and select “Format” from the drop-down menu.

InstComputer.ru

5 reasons why your computer doesn't see your external hard drive

What to do if the computer does not see the external hard drive? Typically, such 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 connecting to a computer with a Windows operating system or to another device with a USB port.

Possible reasons

Most often, the computer or laptop does not see removable hard disk due to a partition formatting error, using the wrong file system, a broken USB port, or lack of necessary drivers, but there may be other reasons. In the worst case, this may mean that the hard drive has failed. It should be noted that the operating principle of large external HDDs and pocket flash drives is identical, so the problems associated with them are usually solved in the same way. Here you can familiarize yourself with identical material on the invisibility of memory cards on various 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 the computer. If this is a full-fledged hard drive, then you need to turn on the power on it. Some heavy removable HDDs can even be connected to the mains using a separate cable. After connecting, you need to open the drive management tool. A combination is used for this windows keys+ R. In the line that appears, enter diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.

You should now see the external HDD in the list of all available drives. It will appear here even if Explorer on Windows XP does not 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 various devices. In the case where the drive could not be detected even here, the reason may be something else.

What to do if the external hard drive is not detected? This may be caused by a hardware failure of the USB port, lack of a necessary driver, or failure of the drive. First of all, you need to try to run the disk through another free slot. If after such a procedure the opened HDD works normally, it means that the reason was a 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. Recommended to use USB ports, located at the back.

Computer problems

Why doesn'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 it to another connector, then it remains to find out if everything is ok 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 connecting the drive to it. In the case where accessible computers do not detect the external drive, we can conclude that it is broken and cannot be restored.

If the Windows 10 system does not see the drive, but it is recognized on other computers, it means that the operating system does not have necessary drivers to detect it. You can probably find this out using the device manager on your computer. To open it, you need to call the command line with using windows+ R, enter devmgmt.msc there and press Enter.

In the window that opens, the user must check everything available drives for the presence of a yellow icon exclamation mark. If such a picture is detected, then the problem lies in the drivers. You need to right-click on the device with the yellow sign, go to properties and read the message that reveals the essence of the error. If you copy this text verbatim into the search engine Google system, then with a high degree of probability the results found will help solve the problem, because other users have probably already encountered such a problem.

Similar system errors can be difficult to fix. If the computer stopped seeing the drive relatively recently, then you can run System Restore. In Device Manager, it is also recommended to try updating the driver or rolling it back to previous version, as a result of which the HDD may begin to open. You also need to try to remove the device from the list in the hope that when you try again connecting Windows XP will be able to configure it correctly.

File system and formatting

Disk Manager can be used to fix problems related to partitions and the file system. If in the image visible disk 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 no longer sees the external drive, then you need to make sure that it has received a designation in the form of a specific letter. The computer that sees the disk should do this automatically, but in some cases the user accidentally deletes a letter, which is why the disk cannot be detected. If a letter is missing, you need to enter it manually.

Why doesn't my PC see my external hard drive? There is always a chance that the drive is unreadable because it is using the wrong file system. The drive can be formatted using ext4 for Linux or HFS Plus for Mac. However, Macbook does not see ext4, and Linux does not see HFS Plus. Even a tablet does not work with such file systems, so the drive will need to be reformatted using NTFS or the older FAT32 in case the computer does not see it. To do this, you need to right-click on the disk and select the appropriate system. Please note that this will delete all files on the drive. When your MacBook doesn't see your external hard drive, you need to format it using HFS Plus.

If the external HDD is no longer detected from another device, such as a disk player, smart TV, game console or multimedia center, then the reason may be in the file NTFS system. Many devices refuse to work with it, including the Xbox 360. In this case, you need to extract and format portable disk using the old FAT32 file system. Keep in mind that this process will delete files on the external drive, so you'll need to copy them somewhere first.

All of the above recommendations did not help solve the problem, and Windows does not see the HDD? In this case, we can conclude that the external hard drive has failed, cannot be restored, and information cannot be retrieved from it. Unfortunately, such equipment quite often breaks down a few years after intensive use, and this is quite normal. This video will help you understand in more detail the issue of why the computer does not see the external hard drive.

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HDDiq.ru

The computer does not see the external hard drive: instructions for solving the problem

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 devices.

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 by technical description. The possibility is that this is exactly the point - the disk was connected as usual, with USB help, and about additional cable Forgot food.

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 housing system unit 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 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, creating virtual disks. Sometimes, while working with such programs, the computer switches to communicating with virtual disks, and real physical drives stops seeing. The danger of using such powerful applications is that they are very deeply embedded in 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 ones remain in the computer system. virtual disks. 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 long time worked fine with windows XP, but after the new one windows installations 8 is no longer detected, a change may have occurred in the computer’s file system and now the disk and operating system seem to be speaking 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, copy information from an external drive, format this drive and change the file system.

After that install again windows update and then he will work with the computer without any problems.

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

A malfunction can sometimes be determined by ear.

If you don't hear any movement when you turn it on and the power lights are on, the drive may be faulty.
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.

Problems with external hard drive may arise at the most inopportune moment. Therefore, every owner hard drive, especially if he stores important files on it, you need to know what to do when the computer does not display the storage medium.

If the external hard drive is not displayed at all, then you need to do the following:

This is easy to do if you have another USB device nearby. We connect it to the desired port, and if it works, then this is not the problem. Remember: To operate, the drive needs power, and if the computer does not see the hard drive via USB, then it makes sense to disconnect other devices connected to the computer. You also need to connect all the wires included with the HDD.

Next steps if the port is not working:

Checking its drivers. We type in the start search: “Device Manager”, go to the section “ USB controllers"and if there is a yellow exclamation mark next to the devices, then through the properties we update or reinstall the drivers.
Check for availability physical breakdown port. If you can disassemble the mechanism and see the status of the USB, then this should be done. It may turn out that the wires have come loose from the port, it has burned out, etc.

Wires are not particularly reliable, so if Windows does not see the external hard drive, you should check the cable. If it becomes disconnected, replace it with another one and check the functionality again.

When you've tried everything you could and the computer doesn't see the removable hard drive, look at all the ports, plugs and wires for damage. If the drive stores very important data, and none of the methods described above helps to find the problem, feel free to take the external drive for repair.

Detects but doesn't launch

You connected the drive, heard a familiar sound, saw a familiar icon in the tray, but the device is not visible in the “My Computer” folder? Don't rush to take it to the master. In most cases, the problem can be solved at home. You just need to follow simple instructions.

Device drivers

Drivers are needed so that the computer can interact correctly with the device. They can be installed from the device itself, from the Internet or from Windows libraries 10. If for some reason this did not happen, then you will have to do all the work.

Before you begin installation, you need to check their availability. Go to Device Manager, open Disk Devices and check to see if there is an exclamation mark next to the device. If available, you can install drivers in two ways:

Through the device properties, clicking on the button: “Update drivers”.
Download from the Internet.

In products from companies such as WD, the drivers are located on the media itself. And if your computer does not find them, then you can try to copy them using another computer. If there are no signs, then the drivers are installed correctly and you can move on to the next step.

File system

External media may use a file system different from the computer. In this case, it will not be readable and will have to be formatted. You can do this by searching for “Disk Management”. Enter it, click on your external drive and select a file system, such as NTFS or FAT32.

Don't forget to save the important data that is there because formatting will destroy it. This can be done from another device, even from a tablet that has a suitable file system, or at any service center.

Drive letter conflict

The external media sometimes receives the same letter as the internal one. In this case, in the “My Computer” folder there is only internal storage. In this situation, change the name of one of the partitions of the external disk.

To do this, go to “Disk Management”, right-click on your device and click on “Change letter...”. In the window that opens, enter any letter different from the letter of the main hard drive.

Viruses

This item is suitable for those whose drive is displayed, but does not start. In this case, there is a possibility that there is a virus on it, and most likely on the computer itself too. You can fix the problem by anyone free antivirus with updated databases.

Dr. is good for this. Web Cureit, which will scan the entire computer without installation and will be deleted at the end of the scan. Formatting will also help against viruses, so if your device does not have important files, then this is a good option.

Easier with devices that have been around for a while worked and then suddenly stopped working. In this case, some problems are eliminated:

The disk name is appropriate, otherwise it would always conflict;
the file system is the same as on a computer;
If the drivers have not been removed, then they are installed.

A portable drive is more susceptible to breakdown than an internal drive, primarily due to active use. It may be shaken, dropped, or subject to temperature changes. All this must be taken into account when trying to identify the cause of the breakdown.