How do I fix my external hard drive not being recognized?

External Drive Not Showing Up or Detected?


6 Fixes to Try

Thereof, Why is my computer not recognizing my external hard drive?

Hard drive not detected error/issue can be caused by the following situations: The USB driver has become unstable, outdated, or corrupt. USB ports become faulty, damaged, or broken. Partition issues on your external USB device.

Accordingly, How do I recover files from undetected external hard drive?

Step 1: Connect the external hard drive to PC > right-click on “This PC” > “Manage” > “Disk Management”. Step 2: Find and right-click on the external hard drive > select “Format”. Step 3: Reset the external hard drive letter and system file (NTFS) and save all changes.

How do I fix Transcend external hard drive not detected? I’d strongly recommend you try to connect the external HDD using a different USB cable and also try plugging it to another USB port on your laptop. I’d also suggest you go to Device Manager and make sure all your drivers are working properly (the one for the external drive and the USB hub controller drivers).

Also know How do I fix my external hard drive not recognized Mac?

Start with the basics:

1. Check whether the drive is properly plugged in. …
2. Faulty cable. …
3. Damaged USB or flash drive port. …
4. Reboot your Mac. …
5. Incorrectly formatted drive. …
6. Mac not formatted to display external drives on the desktop. …
7. Reset NVRAM. …
8. Check Apple’s Disk Utility to see if an external drive is showing up.

How do I know if my external hard drive is damaged? Common signs for a failing hard drive include sluggish performance, unusual noises (clicking or loud component sounds), and an increase number of corrupted files. These are textbook symptoms for the inevitably of a failing hard drive and action should be taken quickly to save your files from being lost.

How can I get data from hard drive not recognized?

Scenario: Your “HDD not detected” error has to do with the port connection between your drive and your computer. Step 1 – Make sure the SATA cable or USB cable is tightly connected to the internal or external drive and SATA port or the USB port on the computer.

What do I do if my external hard drive is not recognized Mac?

If your external hard drive is not detected, follow these steps to fix the issue:

1. Go to Applications and open Utilities.
2. In the Utilities folder, select Disk Utility.
3. In the View menu at the top of your screen, select Show All Devices.
4. Select your external drive and click Unmount.
5. Connect your external drive again.

How do I reset my Transcend external hard drive?

Step1: Click “Go,”and choose “Utilities.” Step2: Click “Disk Utility.” Step3: Select the external hard disk that you want to format, and click “Erase.”

Why is my WD hard drive not showing on Mac?

In the Finder Preferences window, click the General tab and verify whether you have selected the “External disks” checkbox under the Show these items on the desktop section. Go to the Sidebar tab and enable the “External disks” checkbox. Now, check if you could access the My Passport external disk on your Mac.

How do I make my external hard drive compatible with Mac?

How to format an external drive in OS X

1. Connect the drive to the Mac.
2. Open Disk Utility. …
3. Select the drive you want to format.
4. Click Erase.
5. Give the drive a descriptive name and leave the default settings: OS X Extended format and GUID partition map. …
6. Click Erase and OS X will format the drive.

Why is my external hard drive not mounting on Mac?

The problem might be with the cable though. One of the main reasons why drives fail to mount is if the drive isn’t receiving enough power. … Try using a different cable with the drive to see if that fixes the problem. Similarly, if you are using a USB port via a hub check that’s not what’s causing the problem.

Is external hard drive repairable?

Generally speaking, the external hard drive errors can be repaired using CMD. What you should note is that regarding “chkdsk f: /f “, the first f should be replaced with the drive letter of the external hard drive.

How many years does an external hard drive last?

The average lifespan for an external hard drive, assuming no physical damage occurs, is around 3-5 years, depending on the make, model and conditions it is stored in. If you’re using an external hard drive to back up your data, you might want to consider replacing it every few years to ensure your data is safe.

What can cause an external hard drive to fail?

Causes. There are a number of causes for hard drives to fail including: human error, hardware failure, firmware corruption, heat, water damage, power issues and mishaps.

How do I repair an external hard drive?

1.


Use CMD for external hard disk check

1. Press and hold Windows icon and R keys.
2. Input “cmd” and hit Enter in the pop-up window.
3. Type “chkdsk f: /f ” and hit Enter to begin the scan process.
4. Upon completion, you can usually find the external hard disk errors fixed.

How do I connect my Transcend hard drive to my computer?

How to: format Transcend hard drive for Mac and PC in Windows

1. Connect the disk drive to your Windows PC. …
2. Right-click on the partition of the external drive that needs formatting and select the Format option.
3. In the next screen, select the exFAT or FAT32 File System and click OK to start the format.

How do I unlock my Transcend external hard drive?

Unlocking the Drive

1. Select the drive you have previously locked.
2. Enter your password. Then click “Unlock Disk”.

What is the button on Transcend hard disk?

The StoreJet 25M3 is equipped with a one touch auto-backup button that instantly backs up your data with just one press*. The button also enables you to reconnect the hard drive to your PC without the need to unplug and reinsert it. *Transcend Elite software is required.

How do you unlock a WD hard drive on a Mac?

If you do not see the Unlock Drive dialog, click either: Go > Applications > WD Security ▪ Go > Applications > WD Drive Utilities 2. If you have more than one supported device connected to your computer, select the one that is locked to display the Unlock Drive dialog.

How do I get my external hard drive to work?

What to Do When Your External Hard Drive Won’t Show Up

1. Make Sure It’s Plugged In and Powered On. Western Digital My Book. …
2. Try Another USB Port (or Another PC) …
3. Update Your Drivers. …
4. Enable and Format the Drive in Disk Management. …
5. Clean the Disk and Start From Scratch. …
6. Remove and Test the Bare Drive.

How do I make my hard drive compatible with Mac without formatting?

Mac

1. Make sure the storage device is connected to and mounted on the computer.
2. Select Go > Utilities in the Finder menu bar.
3. In the Utilities folder, double-click Disk Utility. …
4. Select the Seagate drive in the left column.
5. Click the Erase tab.
6. Choose a format from the drop-down window.
7. Enter a name for the volume.

Are all external hard drives Mac compatible?

Any drive formatted with HFS+ will work just fine with a Mac that’s running macOS High Sierra or later. Neither Apple File System nor HFS+ works with Windows, however. … Of course, you can easily reformat most external drives, so you’re not limited to buying only those intended for use with Macs.

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