The laptop does not see the external hard drive. External hard drive is not detected. Program for checking your hard drive. Drive letter value
Hi all! Today we will consider with you what actions to take if external hard drive not determined. This situation is quite common and manifests itself in topics created on the Internet. So I decided to take the lead and write this review. Some might say that with the advent of hdd, problems appeared. However, like any device, this type drives may fail. Situations arise when the computer does not detect the attached information storage device.
What to do if the external hard drive is not detected?
In a situation where external hard The disk is not detected, it is necessary to determine the reason. It is possible that:
- The disk has failed
- Computer problems
You can start personal diagnostics by checking the USB ports of your PC. Try connecting the device to another computer or use an additional port. If everything worked out for you, then the cause of the problem becomes clear. Well, if your computer also does not see other devices, then you should look at USB support through the BIOS.
It is not uncommon for reasons that lead to difficult determination external media, lie in the drivers. To eliminate it you need:
If the process is unsuccessful, you will need to uninstall and reinstall the computer program.
Change of designation
It is possible that difficulties in identifying a portable storage device arise when the system mistakenly assigned it the drive letter of the connected drive. To fix the problem, go through start to control the computer, then:
Click on "Disk Management" and find your hdd.
Select the option to change the drive letter.
Designate the device with a free letter.
Connection and problems arising with it hard drive, similar to those that happen when you connect a flash drive. If the drive does not work, you can apply the methods used to establish the operation of such a device.
Malnutrition
If checking the ports does not reveal any problems, then it is likely that the cause is a lack of power. When you use an extension cord that absorbs some of the energy, it becomes possible for similar problems. To avoid this, you should connect to the computer using the cable that comes with the kit.
power unit
If your drive has two connectors that are used when connecting to two ports, of course you need to connect both. You should also use a power supply if it involves use.
You need to rule out problems with the power supply itself. Its outdated version or the large amount of equipment that is connected to it can cause various problems. A reasonable solution would be to install another power supply with increased power.
HDD damage
The hard drive will not be detected for a reason possible damage. This can be checked by turning on the power. If there is no sound reaction, you are unlikely to be able to solve the problem, since the root of the problem may be hidden in the bearings, magnetic heads, etc. You should not try to turn it on again, because this may completely break it. Better take the device to service center. Repair specialists will help you accurately determine the cause of the problem and assess the chances of eliminating it.
Conclusion:
I hope you will be able to solve the problem if the external hard drive is not detected. Share your results in the comments. Like and press the buttons social networks. Peace and goodness to you all!
External hard drive not detected
In recent years, external hard drive has become very popular among users. This is due to portability and a large amount of additional memory. But sometimes problems arise in its operation, the most common of which is when the external hard drive via USB is not detected. In this article we will look at the most popular causes of this problem and its solution.
Connecting a new device
If you just bought a hard drive, then you should format it before starting work. Otherwise it will not be displayed. For complete cleaning and configuration, it is more reliable to use the Acronis utility.
- Download the utility from the site and run it.
- Select your external drive.
- Click on the PMC and select “Format”.
Mechanical damage
First of all, when asking the question “Why doesn’t it work?” It is necessary to inspect the hard drive for chips and impact marks. This is often the root cause of a device malfunction.
Sometimes you can tell by the sound about problems with the disk when connecting to a computer or laptop:
- If you hear a crackling sound, intermittent blows, or knocking, this indicates a malfunction of the device.
- If the power indicators are on, but there is no sound of movement of the spindle and magnetic head, then this also indicates a breakdown.
In such cases, it is necessary to replace the device or send it to a specialist for repair.
Eating problems
There are many different models external HDDs and some of them, due to insufficient power, either do not work or work with malfunctions. To fix the problem, use a separate cable to connect the power.
It is worth studying the instructions for your drive model and, if necessary, connecting an additional power cable.
If your HDD uses a USB 3.0 connector, you may experience problems using the USB 2.0 port on your PC
If manipulations do not produce results, you should connect to usb port on a computer or laptop any other device. The problem may be a malfunction of the connector itself.
Driver Update
If the drivers are outdated or missing, the disk may not appear in Explorer. To fix the problem:
If these steps do not help, you need to check the drivers comprehensively (see how to do this) and, if necessary, remove them in the same window, restart the computer and install them again by downloading them from the manufacturer’s website.
Outdated file system
More often this problem occurs after switching from Windows XP to new version. It turns out that the file system of the external drive is an old version and this does not allow you to fully work with the OS.
To resolve the conflict, you can format the external drive if there is no important data on it. Or install the older one again Windows version, copy files from the hard drive. And then update the OS and format the disk.
A more difficult option would be to change the file system yourself. You can use special utilities for this.
Changing the file system type in Acronins:
Problems with the drive designation in the system
Perhaps the hard drive is not detected due to the fact that the OS assigned it the letter of an existing drive or the letter is missing altogether. To solve the problem you need (using Windows 10 as an example):
- Go to “Administrative Tools” through the “Start” menu.
- Go to “Computer Management” → “Disk Management”.
- Select an available letter.
In recent years, external hard drive has become very popular among users. This is due to portability and a large amount of additional memory. But sometimes problems arise in its operation, the most common of which is when the external hard drive via USB is not detected. In this article we will look at the most popular causes of this problem and its solution.
Connecting a new device
If you just bought a hard drive, then you should format it before starting work. Otherwise it will not be displayed. For complete cleaning and configuration, it is more reliable to use the Acronis utility.
- Download the utility from the site and run it.
- Select your external drive.
- Click on the PMC and select “Format”.
Mechanical damage
First of all, when asking the question “Why doesn’t it work?” It is necessary to inspect the hard drive for chips and impact marks. This is often the root cause of a device malfunction.
Sometimes you can tell by the sound about problems with the disk when connecting to a computer or laptop:
- If you hear a crackling sound, intermittent blows, or knocking, this indicates a malfunction of the device.
- If the power indicators are on, but there is no sound of movement of the spindle and magnetic head, then this also indicates a breakdown.
In such cases, it is necessary to replace the device or send it to a specialist for repair.
Eating problems
There are many different models of external HDDs, and some of them either do not work or malfunction if there is insufficient power. To fix the problem, use a separate cable to connect the power.
It is worth studying the instructions for your drive model and, if necessary, connecting an additional power cable.
If your HDD uses a USB 3.0 connector, you may experience problems using the USB 2.0 port on your PC
If the manipulations do not produce results, you should connect any other device to the USB port on your computer or laptop. The problem may be a malfunction of the connector itself.
Driver Update
If the drivers are outdated or missing, the disk may not appear in Explorer. To fix the problem:
If these steps do not help, you need to check the drivers comprehensively (see how to do this) and, if necessary, remove them in the same window, restart the computer and install them again by downloading them from the manufacturer’s website.
Outdated file system
Most often, this problem occurs after upgrading from Windows XP to a new version. It turns out that the file system of the external drive is an old version and this does not allow you to fully work with the OS.
To resolve the conflict, you can format the external drive if there is no important data on it. Or install more again old version Windows, overwrite files from the hard drive. And then update the OS and format the disk.
A more difficult option would be to change the file system yourself. You can use special utilities for this.
Changing the file system type in Acronins:
Problems with the drive designation in the system
Perhaps the hard drive is not detected due to the fact that the OS assigned it the letter of an existing drive or the letter is missing altogether. To solve the problem you need (using Windows 10 as an example):
- Go to “Administrative Tools” through the “Start” menu.
- Go to “Computer Management” → “Disk Management”.
- Select an available letter.
Hello! On external drive(Toshiba) was recorded backup systems. After reinstallation, the disk was no longer detected. In the "Computer Management" window, the drive is visible, but the letter cannot be assigned - an error window appears. I don’t want to format it so as not to lose all the data on it.
/ Vitaly Vladimirovich 07.26.2017, 08:01
I'll try to help your grief. You open command line as administrator and enter the commands sequentially:
diskpart --> Enter
list volume -->Enter
A list of disks that are visible in the system will appear. You select your drive, which is not assigned a letter, and rely on its size. For example:
select volume 4 --> Enter
It will look something like this:
Once selected required disk, enter the command:
assign letter=R-- assign the letter R to that
If the letter assignment was successful, a corresponding message will be displayed:
Diskpart: Disk name or mount point assignment succeeded.
This method almost always works.
/ Vitaly Vladimirovich 07.27.2017, 08:33
What I see in your screenshot does not look like a connected external drive, but a connected card reader. This is indicated by the size (0 bytes) and the fact that there are four of them (H, I, J, K). At least that's how it works on my other computer. If I insert a memory card into a card reader slot, its capacity appears in this window.
I connected my external drive, look what it shows:
We see that it has a size of 1 terabyte.
What can I advise you? Eat good way. Download TestDisk Live CD from the Internet. It is based on one of operating systems based on LINUX. You open the file manager there and see what is recorded on your external drive. If you see something, you save it to another location, and then format this disk in Windows. It’s difficult to draw any further conclusions remotely.
walter / 07/28/2017, 11:20
Is it worth doing? On the second (different) computer the disk is visible and opens, i.e. works as it should! It's easier to format it there (without Test Disk Live CD). But the question is: will it be visible later on the first one? Or is it better to format using this program (on the first computer)?
/ Vitaly Vladimirovich 07/28/2017, 09:03
I was misled by your screenshot:
This can't possibly be a removable disk. Some kind of glitch in the system. In such a situation, you can use the USB Oblivion program. It is designed to erase traces of connecting USB drives from the registry in Windows operating systems. The utility has a test mode of operation, that is, without actually deleting data from the registry, and, just in case, creates a reg file to cancel all changes. There is also a complete automatic mode work. I think this utility will help with your problem.
Don't throw away your HDD ahead of time. This problem can occur for various reasons. For example, due to an outdated driver or incorrect setting volumes. Such errors are easy to fix.
If you are sure that the drive is working properly and there is no hardware failure, try the following:
- Connect the hard drive to another USB port.
- Sometimes Explorer “does not see” the hard drive due to malicious software. Check if there are viruses on the media. But how to do this, since the device is not displayed? Connect it to another computer (for example, at a friend's place or at work).
- Format your hard drive. If you store important data on it, first copy it to another location.
Driver
If it doesn’t work and Explorer still doesn’t “see” the hard drive, it might be a driver issue. See if the new device is detected when connected. The system must install suitable software for it. You can do this manually too.
Didn't help? Try to find the program yourself.
Driver search
You can use utilities to automatically search for drivers. For example, " Driver Booster" or " Driver Updater" They determine the type of equipment, search for software for it, download and install it. And there is no risk that an inappropriate or faulty program will be installed.
Disk management
All drivers are in place and devices are connected correctly, but the external hard drive is “not visible” in Explorer? It may not have a volume label assigned to it. Or it coincides with an existing one. This is a Latin “letter” that is needed for identification in file system. The hard drive must have a name. For example, there is " Local disk C", reserved by the system. The directories in it have their own addresses (C:\Any_folder).
To label a drive:
Other utilities
- Download the Automatic Diagnosis of USB Problems utility from support.microsoft.com. To do this, enter its name in the search bar.
- Run this program.
- In the window that opens, click “Next”.
- The service will prompt you to remove the device you are checking. Mark it and click on “Next” again.
- The utility will display a list of errors associated with USB devices. She will fix some of them. If you see what the problem is, it is easier to solve it.
USBOblivion
After Windows updates There may be entries left in the registry that relate to previous connections of the drive. Because of this “extra” data, the system cannot obtain up-to-date information about the hard drive. The USBOblivion program is suitable here. It's free.
- Find it on the Internet, download and run.
- Check the “Perform cleanup” and “Save undo file” options.
- Remove all USB devices.
- In the utility, click on the “Cleanup” button.
- Restart your PC.
- Connect all gadgets.
If the hard drive does not appear in Explorer, this does not mean that it is broken. Update the drivers and assign a volume label to the hard drive. Or download a USB troubleshooter.