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External hard drives are a better and convenient way to store data. They make it even more seamless to transfer or move data between places without having to travel with the whole computer system. But they come with challenges too.
You could have used one external hard drive for a very long time. Then, one day it just stops showing up on PC! This problem may not be Windows specific since the drive can start having problems whether you use it on Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC. However, in this guide, we will show you how to troubleshoot an external hard drive that’s not showing up on Windows 11 and recover lost data where that is the case. Read on so that you do not miss a point.
Why is My External Hard Drive Not Showing Up on Windows 11?
External hard drives not showing up on Windows 11 can be so annoying especially when you have stored some of your very precious data in it. But what could be causing this problem? We will show you some of the most common culprits in this section.
Generally, external hard drives or any storage devices that cannot show up on PC after connection are a sign that the OS of the PC cannot or has not detected them. Some of the common hard drive issues that can lead to this problem include:
- The external hard drive has a loose connection to PC
- The drive is virus infected
- The drive letter of the external hard drive conflicts with another
- The USB port where the external hard drive is connected is faulty or not working
- There is insufficient power supply to the port where the drive is connected
- The Windows 11 computer you are using has corrupted, outdated, or unstable drivers
- The file system on the external hard drive is incompatible
In some instances, the problem will be as a result of one of the issues listed above. However, a combination of the issues listed above can also contribute to an external hard drive not showing up on Windows 11.
In the next section, we will show you how to fix external hard drives not showing up on Windows 11. Read on carefully so that you are able to troubleshoot this problem easily at the end of it.
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| How to Fix External Hard Drive Not Showing Up on Windows 11? |
How to Fix External Hard Drive Not Showing Up on Windows 11
If you are still in doubt what could be causing your external hard drive not to show up on Windows 11, you should read the section above. This is because this guide will basically focus on troubleshooting some of the problems listed that could be contributing to this error on your Windows 11 computer. Otherwise, read on to learn some of the best ways to fix external hard drives with this issue and regain confidence with your hard drive.
Method 1: Power PC Off and On Again
Improper PC booting could cause the external hard drive to stop showing up. If this is the case, powering the Windows 11 PC off and back on will solve the problem and the external hard drive will be visible again.
You can also enhance this troubleshooting by disconnecting all the devices attached to the PC before powering it back on. Generally, when you do this, we recommend you give the PC a few minutes rest before you can switch it on again.
Boot the PC the normal way and allow it to stay a few minutes before connecting the external hard drive and other devices. Check if the problem is fixed and the drive is now showing up.
Method 2: Connect External Hard Drive to a Different USB Port
Like we mentioned above, some ports on your Windows 11 PC may just be faulty or not working at all. If this is the scenario, you can try fixing the matter by changing the USB port. Try connecting to a different USB port and see what happens.
If you have tried all the ports and the drive still not showing up, you can try connecting to a different computer. If the problem persists, then the external hard drive may have internal issues that require urgent attention. However, if it shows up when connected to a different port on the same PC or a different port on a different PC, then it is very clear that the port where it was initially connected had an issue.
PC port issues can be corrected by updating Windows PC drivers or by replacing the port. Otherwise, check the external drive to ensure it is in good working condition and troubleshoot if not.
Method 3: Correct Lose Connections
Losing connections is one way your external hard drive will not show up on PC. This is because when the connection is loose, the drive does not communicate seamlessly with the computer. As a result, you will not be able to see it or read its contents.
Where there are loose connections affecting your external hard drive, change the USB cable you are using or change the port where the device is connected to.
Method 4: Change External Drive Letter
There are high chances the external hard drive is not showing up because it is not assigned with the right letter. It could also not have been named at all.
In order to assign an appropriate name to the external drive, follow the steps below:
- Step 1: Begin by pressing “Win + R” on your Windows 11 PC to open the Run Window.
- Step 2: Now type “diskmgmt.msc.”
- Step 3: Right click the external hard drive and select “Change drive letter and paths.”
- Step 4: Hit the “Add” button and look up for a good letter from the drop-down menu.
- Step 5: Hit “Ok.”
- Step 6: Check if the external hard drive has an appropriate letter and that it now shows up on your Windows 11 PC.
Can I Recover Data from External Hard Drive That’s Not Showing Up on Windows 11?
Well, you might have tried all the above methods but still won’t get the hard drive to show up on Windows 11 PC. In this case, you will need to consider data recovery with some of the best data recovery software. In this section, we show you some of the steps to recover data from a hard drive that won’t detect. The bottom line is that you can still recover data even if the drive won’t detect.
To recover data from an undetected external hard drive, you will need a powerful data recovery software such as Disk Drill data recovery.
The software can be downloaded from the official Cleverfile’s website and installed on Windows 11 PC. Once done, you will need to launch the software and institute a scan order to detect issues and fix them.
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