External Hard Drive Not Showing Up Windows 10: Get A Comprehensive Guidance To Fix This Error

In this era of advanced technology, research and development are increased gradually. Nowadays, users prefer to use external hard drives to store their essential data. With blazing portability and fast speeds, external hard drives also provide a lot of features to the users who want to carry their data along with them.

Despite the updated OS and software of the hard drive, sometimes the system denied recognizing the external hard disk on the system even after plugged in. Sometimes, the users of Windows 10 often face the external hard drive not showing up Windows 10 issue while connecting the hard drive with the system. It means that the system might not display the hard disk on the File Explorer even after detecting the device manager.

If you are also in the same condition, then nothing to get worried about this. Here in this article, we are going to provide some amazing tips and tricks which can help you to fix this issue. Hence, you are advised to go through the article given below.

Easy Tips and Tricks to Fix the External Hard Drive Not Showing up Windows 10 Issue:

There are a lot of ways to troubleshoot the external hard drive not showing up Windows 10 issue. Hence, you need to stick to the methods given below:

Perform Some Basic Troubleshooting Tricks

Before going to perform any complicated and technical methods, you should try some basic troubleshooting hacks to check if these can solve the issue. Sometimes, it happens that you are unable to access the hard disk because of some little problems. Therefore, you need to make sure that you implement the below points before going to perform other solutions.

• Try to plug in the external hard disk into the USB port place at the back of the system. If it doesn’t work, then plug the drive with another USB port.  
• Check whether the USB wire and port of your external hard disk are working properly or not. You should try to use other cables and connect it again.
• Confirm that the external hard disk is not damaged physically. These are quite delicate as well as tend to crack even on the smallest fall.
• You need to make sure that the USB port that you are using supports the drivers that you installed recently.
• If you see that the hard disk is showing on the printers and hardware, but not on the device manager, then you need to reinstall the driver. Hence, navigate to the device manager.
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  Then, scan for the changes in hardware.

After examining the above points, if you still see that your Seagate external hard drive not showing up Windows 10, then you should move on to further procedures provided below.

Procedure 1: Update the Drivers of your Hard Drive

Drivers are the principal elements to run any program on the system as well as it controls the usage of the Operating System. You can consider the driver as an interface between the hardware and the Operating System. If the driver that you are using has got corrupted or gone outdated, then it might be the reason behind the external hard drive not showing up Windows 10 issue. his issue, you should try to update the drivers manually. You also need to update the storage controllers of your device. To perform this, you should follow the steps mentioned below:

Step 1:

At first, you have to hit the R and Windows key both at the same time from the keyboard to launch the Run command box. Then, type ‘devmgmt.msc’ in the Run dialog box. Hit the Enter key from the keyboard to run this.

Step 2:

As a result, it will open the Device Manager. Then, you need to expand the storage category of the controller. Find the ‘Device’ option and right-click on it. Choose the ‘Update Driver’ option from the list.

Step 3:

You can update the drivers of the hard drive by using two ways. Either you should search for the newest drivers using the hardware ID on the internet and let the Windows update itself. If you prefer, you can also update the drivers of the hard disk manually. Then, you have to download the drivers to an obtainable location as well as install them with the help of the ‘Browse my computer for driver software’ option.

Step 4:

After upgrading the storage controllers, you need to expand the ‘Disk Drives’ category. Then, right-click on the external drive. Choose the ‘Update Driver’ option from the list.

Step 5:

Now, you should update the driver of your external hard drive by using the instructions given in Step 3. Now, restart the system to apply the changes.

After that, try to connect the external hard disk to check if you can access it. If the hard disk is still not showing up, then re-plug it and try again. If you are still unable to access it, then go to further solutions.

Procedure 2: Uninstall the Driver

After updating the driver if the external hard disk still not showing up, then you need to uninstall the drivers and then scan the device for any changes of the hardware. When the Windows uninstalls the drivers, then the hardware also disappears from the Device Manager. Now, Windows started to search all the modules for each of the hardware whose drivers are not installed yet. After searching the module, Windows started to install the stalk drivers to run it. To uninstall the device drivers as well as the USB controllers, you should perform the steps as follows:  

Step 1:

First, you need to press the R and Windows key simultaneously from the keyboard to invoke the Run dialog box. Then, type ‘devmgmt.msc’ in the Run command box. Run it by clicking on the Enter key.  

Step 2:

It will navigate you to the Device manager window. Now, you have to expand the ‘Disk drives’ category. Find the ‘Device’ option and right-click on it. Choose the ‘Uninstall device’ option from the list.

Step 3:

Now, you have to expand the ‘Universal Serial Bus controller’ category under the same device manager window. Right-click on the device and choose the option ‘Uninstall device’ from the list.  

Step 4:

After finishing the uninstallation process, you need to right-click on the blank area on the Device Manager window. Then, choose the ‘Scan for hardware changes’ option. Now, it will detect the hardware as well as the default drivers automatically.

After that, you have to restart the system to save the changes. Now, check that the problem has been fixed or not. If you see that the hard drive is still hanging on the same issue, then perform the next solution.

Procedure 3: Change the Letter of the Drive

A drive is usually recognized by a single drive name with a way through that it can be accessed easily. Sometimes, the drive letter is clashing with other storage memory that is reserved by the system previously. Hence, you need to provide another drive name to the external hard drive to check if it can fix the external hard drive not showing up Windows 10 issue.

Before going to perform the below steps, you have to make sure that you have properly connected the external hard disk before you restart the system. Shut down the computer, then plug in the hard drive. Turn the system on. Now, should perform the steps provided below.

Step 1:

Launch the Run box by pressing the R and Windows key simultaneously from the keyboard. Now, type ‘diskmgmt.msc’ in the Run box and hit the Enter key from the keyboard.  

Step 2:

As a result, it will open the Disk management. Find the drive from the current window and right-click on it. Then, choose the ‘Change Drive Letter and Paths’ option from the list.

Step 3:

Now, you have to tap on the ‘Add’ option from the next list. If the external hard drive that you are connecting already has a name, then you have to tap on the ‘Change’ option instead of ‘Add.’ Else, if you prefer you can also tap on the ‘Change and select a new drive letter for the hard drive’ option under the same window.

Step 4:

Now, choose a new drive letter for the external hard disk. After that, you have to tap on the OK button to apply the changes. Now, hit the Alt and F4 key to close the current window.  

After that, you should check if you can access the hard drive properly or not. If you are still unable to access it, then move on to the further methods.

Procedure 4: Enable the Empty or Hidden Drives

Some systems hide all the empty drivers from the file explorer by default. This is helpful for the users who are using several hard drives at one time as well as need preferences to view the one that is packed up. But, here it might be creating a problem. To fix this problem, you need to follow the steps stated below:

Step 1:

At first, move the cursor to the bottom left corner of the screen and tap on the Start logo. Then, you have to type ‘command prompt’ in the search box.

Step 2:

As a result, it will show the ‘Command prompt’ option. Right-click on it. Now, choose the ‘Run as Administrator’ option to run the Command Prompt with administrator privileges.
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Now, type the command ‘set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1’ on the Command prompt window and hit the Enter key from the keyboard to run the command.

Step 3:

Next, you have to invoke the Run command box by pressing the R and Windows key simultaneously. Then, type ‘devmgmt.msc’ in the Run box and hit the Enter key. Else if you prefer, you can also tap on the OK button.

Step 4:

It will navigate you to the Device manager window. Tap on the ‘View’ button by going to the upper left side of the screen. Now, you have to check the ‘Show hidden devices’ box.

After executing the above changes, if you are still not able to access the external hard disk, then follow the steps given below:

Step 1:

Hit the E and the Windows key both at the same time from the keyboard. It will navigate you to the File Explorer Window.

Step 2:

Move the cursor to the upper left side of the screen and tap on the ‘View’ tab. Now, choose the ‘Options’ from the list. On the next window, tap on the ‘Change folder and search options’ option.

Step 3:

Now, you have to untick the ‘Hide empty drives’ box. Tap on the Apply button to save the changes. Now, close the current window.

After that, restart the system and check whether the issue persists or not. If you see that the issue is still showing, then perform the final solution mentioned below.

Procedure 5: Allocate New Volume to the External Hard Drive

After trying all the above procedures, if you are still unable to fix the external hard drive not showing up Windows 10 issue, then it might happen that there is no volume specified for the hard disk. This can happen if you have bought the hard drive recently. This issue might also occur if you have formatted the hard disk recently without allocating the parameters in a proper way. Here in this process, we are going to format the external hard disk. To recognize the hard disk by the system, it is essential to format the hard disk. To perform this, you have to follow the steps below:

Step 1:

At first, invoke the Run box by pressing R and Windows key. Now, type ‘diskmgmt.msc’ in the command box. Tap on the OK button.

Step 2:

If the hard drive has not been assigned any volume, then it will show you design. You will see that the bar will be black and there is an unallocated tag. Right-click on it. Choose the ‘New Simple Volume’ option from the list.

Step 3:

Now, you will see a new wizard on the next window. Tap on the Next option to move further. Next, then go to Window prompt to set the size of allocations. Most of the time, the default values are accurate. Hence, you don’t require to modify anything. Again, tap on the Next option.  

Step 4:

In the next window, you need to select the type of your hard drive. It’s better to keep the value default. Tap on the Next button. Now, check the ‘Perform a quick format’ box to erase all the data existing on the hard disk (if any).

Step 5:

After finishing the wizard, your hard drive will be assigned in a proper way. After trying the steps discussed above, if you still face the same issue, then you should try to format the hard disk by utilizing the same method. Right-click on the hard disk and choose the ‘Format’ option. Next, you have to perform the on-screen instructions and format the hard disk in the default file type.

After that, you have to restart the system and then, reconnect the hard drive to check whether the issue is resolved.  

Final Recommendation

In the above discussion, we have provided some of the possible solutions to fix the external hard drive not showing up Windows 10 issue. We hope that if you implement the above ways in their given order, then it will definitely help you to put an end to this error. After successfully performing the above methods, if you are still not able to fix this error or facing any kind of trouble, then you need to contact a professional. In addition, you can also share your queries and valuable feedback through the comment box given at the end of this post.