• Windows
    • Windows 11
    • Windows 10
  • Browser
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Firefox
  • Gadgets
    • Earbuds
  • Gaming
  • Best Of
  • How to
  • DONATE 👈
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Using Telegram? Subscribe to the blog channel!
Geeker Mag.
Facebook Twitter Instagram
  • Windows
    1. Windows 11
    2. Windows 10
    3. View All

    How to Force Update Group Policy from Server Windows 11/10

    September 20, 2023

    Player Location Check in Windows 11: What You Need to Know

    September 17, 2023

    How to Blur Background of Picture in Photos App Windows 11

    September 16, 2023

    Fix: Secure Boot Can Be Enabled When System in User Mode

    September 12, 2023

    How to Disable New ‘Bing Search Bar’ on Windows 10 Desktop

    March 17, 2023

    How to Stop Internet Explorer Open/Redirect to Microsoft Edge in Windows 10

    March 6, 2023

    How to Download & Install Intel Unison on Windows 10 PC (Workaround)

    February 21, 2023

    Fix – Microsoft Store Error Code 0xC002001B in Windows 10 While Installing Apps

    May 21, 2022

    How to Force Update Group Policy from Server Windows 11/10

    September 20, 2023

    Fix: Epic Games Launcher Not Working/Opening

    September 19, 2023

    Fix: Microsoft Edge Tabs got Bigger after Update (117.0.2045.31)

    September 18, 2023

    What Is Facebook Advertising & How Does it Work?

    September 18, 2023
  • Browser
    1. Microsoft Edge
    2. Google Chrome
    3. Firefox
    4. View All

    Fix: Microsoft Edge Tabs got Bigger after Update (117.0.2045.31)

    September 18, 2023

    How to Remove Briefcase from Microsoft Edge New Icon

    August 30, 2023

    How to Disable “Personalize your web experience” Prompt in Microsoft Edge

    August 4, 2023

    How to Take Screenshots for (History) Web Navigation in Microsoft Edge

    July 17, 2023

    How to Fix “Chrome-error://chromewebdata/” in Chrome

    September 18, 2023

    How to Delete Chrome History in Laptop | Android | iPhone – 2023

    September 8, 2023

    How to Clear Host Cache in Chrome (DNS Cache)

    August 16, 2023

    How to Restore Download Shelf in Chrome from Top to Bottom

    August 4, 2023

    How to Disable Firefox Efficiency Mode on Windows 11 (Permanently)

    July 31, 2023

    How to Automatically Reject All Cookies Banner on Sites in Firefox

    December 23, 2022

    How to Install Firefox v100 in Windows 7

    April 9, 2022

    How to Enable Close Tab Warning in Firefox 94

    October 27, 2021

    How to Force Update Group Policy from Server Windows 11/10

    September 20, 2023

    Fix: Epic Games Launcher Not Working/Opening

    September 19, 2023

    Fix: Microsoft Edge Tabs got Bigger after Update (117.0.2045.31)

    September 18, 2023

    What Is Facebook Advertising & How Does it Work?

    September 18, 2023
  • Gadgets
    1. Earbuds
    2. View All

    TOZO NC7 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds

    July 16, 2023

    TOZO OpenReal True Wireless Earbuds with Noise Cancelling Microphone 2023

    July 5, 2023

    Tozo Golden X1 Earbuds – Best Sounding Wireless Earbuds 2023

    June 21, 2023

    TOZO Open Buds: Lightweight & Best True Wireless Earbuds 2023

    August 10, 2023

    TOZO NC7 Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds

    July 16, 2023

    Tozo W1 – Fast Charging Wireless Charger for Samsung | iPhone | AnyPhone

    July 12, 2023

    TOZO OpenReal True Wireless Earbuds with Noise Cancelling Microphone 2023

    July 5, 2023
  • Gaming

    Fix: Epic Games Launcher Not Working/Opening

    September 19, 2023

    Fix: Valorant VAN9003 This build of Vanguard is Out of Compliance Error

    August 10, 2023

    5 Best Multiplayer Card Games to Play Online 2023

    June 19, 2023

    Immersive Gaming Experiences on Windows PCs

    June 10, 2023

    Fix – Avast Antivirus Blocking or Disconnecting League of Legends

    May 4, 2023
  • Best Of

    How to Find Someone Online using their Picture

    April 5, 2023

    Lasta Review: Can This App Aid in Weight Loss?

    April 5, 2023

    How to Create Stunning Visuals for Instagram in 2023

    March 23, 2023

    How to Teach your Child to Program in Python

    January 30, 2023

    What Should You Look at Before Choosing Automatic Captioning Software?

    April 20, 2022
  • How to

    Convert HEIC to JPG without Losing Quality Online for Free

    May 8, 2023

    How to Know Someone Is Lying to You Online

    April 25, 2023

    How to Add Text Box to PDF on Mac? Three Effective Ways

    April 18, 2023

    How to Recover Data From SD Card Using Recuva

    April 17, 2023

    Upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10: How to Keep Your Data Safe‍

    March 20, 2023
  • DONATE 👈
Geeker Mag.
Home»Windows 10»Fix – Why My External Hard Drive is Not Showing up in Windows 10
Windows 10

Fix – Why My External Hard Drive is Not Showing up in Windows 10

Viney DhimanBy Viney DhimanAugust 8, 2021Updated:August 8, 2021No Comments6 Mins Read
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

Use OutByte PC Repair and OutByte Driver Updater. Recommended for Fixing Issues and Updating Drives on Windows PC. Trusted by Millions.

External hard drive makes it easier for one to back up their data. External hard drives are portable to carry and with drag and drop you can easily share or store your data on them.

However, sometimes when trying to use an external hard drive it may not get detected on your PC.

You may encounter this issue due to several issues such as faulty USB ports, outdated device drivers, wrong file format, or faulty external hard drive. Apart from that, it is highly possible that there might be some other issue that we’re not aware of.

Contents show
Fix – External Hard Disk Not Showing up in Windows 10
Ensure Your Drive Turns On
Try Switching USB Port Or Computer
Check Whether The Drive Is Listed In Disk Management
Update The Device Drivers
Reinstall The Device Drivers
Try Cleaning The Disk Using Command Prompt
Faulty Hard Drive

Fix – External Hard Disk Not Showing up in Windows 10

If your external hard drive is not showing up on Windows 10, then fortunately there are various troubleshooting that you can perform. Below in this blog post, we covered all the possible solutions that work for the majority of the affected users.

Ensure Your Drive Turns On

All the external hard drive comes with a small light to indicate whether the drive powers on or not.

When you plug in the external hard drive on your PC, this flashlight will turn on, indicating that the drive is connected to your PC.

If the light doesn’t turn on then you should try swapping the cable you are using and also try switching the ports. Ensure whether the light turns or not. If the light doesn’t turn on, then it could probably mean a faulty drive.

However, if the flashlight turns on, but is not recognized by your Windows 10 PC, then you should move ahead to the next troubleshooting steps.

Try Switching USB Port Or Computer

If the external hard drive is not showing up in Windows 10, then you should try switching the ports.

Try plugging the hard drive in any other port, and check if it works or not. If the external hard drive is detected on any other port, then this could probably indicate a dead USB port.

You should try plugging in the hard drive into any other PC that you have access to. Check if the hard drive works or not. If it didn’t work then your external hard drive is faulty, and you need to get it replaced.

If the drive is recognized on another computer, then you will have to configure the drive to be detected by your PC.

Check Whether The Drive Is Listed In Disk Management

Disk Management shows you information on all the drives connected to your PC. You can change their volume, format them, change their path letter from here.

If the external drive turns on but does not show up on File Explorer, then you will find the drive listed here. To check whether your drive is listed in Disk Management, follow the steps given below-

Press the Windows + R key combo to open the Run dialog box.

In the run dialog box, type diskmgmt.msc and click on OK. This will open Disk management window.

Run Dialog

Here you should find your disk listed. Disk 0 will be the internal hard drive on your PC, while Disk 1 will be the external hard drive.

If your PC has hybrid storage solution then there will be two disks by default Disk 0 and Disk 1. If there is Disk 2, then that will be the external hard drive.

Right-click on the external hard drive, and then click on delete volume. This will mark the drive as unallocated space.

Disk Volume in Disk Management tool

Right-click on that Unallocated space/ Hard drive and click on New Simple Volume. Follow the on-screen instruction to make a new simple volume.

Create New Volume in DIsk Management tool

After following the above steps your drive should show up on File Explorer. If the external hard drive is still not showing in Windows 10, then you should move to the next step.

Update The Device Drivers

If you still face this issue, then you should probably try updating the drivers of the external hard drive. You can do that with the help of the device manager. To update the device drivers, follow the steps given below-

In the Start menu, search for Device Manager and open it.

In the device manager, expand the Disk drives section by double-clicking on it.

Update disk drive driver in windows 10

Select your hard drive, and right-click on it. Now click on Update driver to update the driver of the hard disk.

Once done, restart your PC, and you should no longer face the issue.

Reinstall The Device Drivers

If updating the device drivers didn’t work for you, then you will have to reinstall the device drivers. To reinstall device drivers, follow the steps given below-

Open the Device Manager on your PC.

Double-click on the Disk drives option to expand it.

Here, right-click on the disk, and then click on Uninstall device.

Uninstall External Hard Disk Driver in Windows 10

After uninstalling the device, restart your PC.

Once your PC has turned on, the driver will be automatically reinstalled.

You can check whether the driver is installed or not from the Disk drives section in Device Manager.

If the driver is not installed, then click on the Action tab in the device manager, and then click on Scan for hardware changes. This will reinstall the device driver on your PC.

Try Cleaning The Disk Using Command Prompt

If the external hard drive is still not showing up in Windows 10, then your last option will be to clean the disk using the command prompt. To do so, follow the steps given below-

In the Start menu, search for Command prompt. 

Right-click on it, and then click on Run as administrator. 

In the command prompt, type the command diskpart and hit Enter. 

You will get a confirmation prompt to access Diskpart. Confirm it.

Now enter the command list disk and hit Enter. This will list all the disks that are plugged into your PC.

Next, enter the command select disk Disk-Number and press Enter. Ensure you replace the Disk-Number with the actual disk number (0, 1, 2, etc). Make sure you are selecting the correct disk.

Now enter the command clean and execute it.

Next, enter the command create partition primary and press Enter. 

After doing so, set the format of the partition as NTFS. To do so, enter the command format fs=ntfs and hit Enter.

Try Cleaning The Disk Using Command Prompt

Wait for the process to complete. Once the process has been completed, you will be able to use your external hard drive.

Faulty Hard Drive

If any of the above methods didn’t solve the issue for you, and if the external hard drive is still not showing up in Windows 10, then it is probably faulty.

You can get it replaced if it is on warranty. If it is in warranty, then most probably you will get your data recovered as well.

These were some troubleshooting methods that you can try if the external hard drive is not showing up on Windows 10. These methods will help you solve the issue you are facing.

In case, you know any other solution that helps in troubleshooting external hard disks not showing up in Windows 10, then feel free to share with us in the comments.

As an independent platform, it takes a lot of effort to create and curate quality content daily. Our content is totally funded by users like you.

Therefore, if you find information on this website useful, we kindly ask for your support in maintaining the longevity of our platform. If each person who benefits from our website contributes, we can secure a brighter future for our website.

Donate on Paypal or Buy us a coffee if you find the information shared in this blog post useful. Mention ‘Coffee’ in the Subject. So that I can thank you

external hard disk not showing in windows 10
Viney Dhiman
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

Viney Dhiman, the mind behind GeekerMag, is a seasoned content writer with over 12 years of experience. Specializing in simplifying complex tech concepts, he covers Windows OS, Android, iOS, web apps, and product reviews. His work can be found on popular tech websites like Gizmodo and The Verge, and he has been interviewed by the Microsoft Edge team.

Related Posts

How to Disable New ‘Bing Search Bar’ on Windows 10 Desktop

March 17, 2023

How to Stop Internet Explorer Open/Redirect to Microsoft Edge in Windows 10

March 6, 2023

How to Download & Install Intel Unison on Windows 10 PC (Workaround)

February 21, 2023

Fix – Microsoft Store Error Code 0xC002001B in Windows 10 While Installing Apps

May 21, 2022
Add A Comment

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recommend App

Free HEIC to JPG Converter Online

Need Support?

Please do not hesitate to Contact me on Twitter or Join Facebook Group if you want assistance with issue related to Windows 11, Windows 10, and Edge browser. I will try my best to assist you ASAP. (Follow me first and then PM your issue on Twitter)

Our Picks

How to Force Update Group Policy from Server Windows 11/10

September 20, 2023

Player Location Check in Windows 11: What You Need to Know

September 17, 2023

How to Blur Background of Picture in Photos App Windows 11

September 16, 2023

Fix: Secure Boot Can Be Enabled When System in User Mode

September 12, 2023
Receive Exclusive Tutorials Directly to Your Inbox!
Powered by follow.it
Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Telegram Facebook Instagram Pinterest
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • TOC
  • Our Team
  • Career
  • Corrections Policy
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Fact Checking Policy
© 2023 Geekermag | All Rights Reserved

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.