Windows 10: External Drive not seen in File Explorer and followed instructions to locate, but caused...

I had continual small issues with older Lenovo Laptop IdeaPad 110-15lSK and finally decided to reload Windows 10. Since I was reloading, I decided to change RAM DIMM to 16GB from 8. That wasn't an issue and the computer worked great and was faster than original. The issue is when I started reloading apps, all was good until I plugged in an external hard drive which has my old movies on it. It didn't recognize the drive. I couldn't see in File Explorer, but it did appear in the Disk Manager, I followed instructions on this site and decided the drive needed to be renamed. I continued to follow i

:)

 

saving and viewing files on an external hard drive

Hi Sam,

We appreciate you for being part of Windows 10.

Yes, you may format the external hard drive. Follow the below steps.

• 
  Connect the external hard drive to Windows 10 computer.
  
• 
  Press Windows + E keys on the keyboard to the keyboard to open the file explorer.
  
• 
  Locate the external hard drive on left navigation pane in File explorer.
  
• 
  Right click on the external hard drive and click on
  Format.
  
• 
  Click Start and follow on screen instructions to format the hard drive.
  

I hope the above information helps. Kindly let us know if you need any further assistance with Windows. We are glad to assist you.

Thank you.

 

Windows 11 File Explorer not showing external drive

If Windows 11 File Explorer is not showing an external drive that is connected to your device, there are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot the issue:

1. Check the connection: Make sure that the external drive is properly connected to your device. Try unplugging and replugging the drive, or connecting it to a different USB port.
   
2. Check Disk Management: Open Disk Management by pressing Windows key + X, then selecting Disk Management. Look for the external drive in the list of drives. If it appears but has no drive letter assigned, right-click on it and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths". Assign a drive letter to the external drive, and then check if it appears in File Explorer.
   
3. Update drivers: Make sure that your device's drivers are up to date, particularly the drivers for your USB ports. Use the Device Manager to check for any outdated or malfunctioning drivers, and update or reinstall them as needed.
   
4. Check power supply: If the external drive requires a separate power supply, make sure it is properly connected and functioning.
   
5. Test on another device: Try connecting the external drive to another device to see if it appears in File Explorer. This will help determine if the issue is with the drive itself or your device.
   

By following these steps, you may be able to resolve the issue of Windows 11 File Explorer not showing an external drive.

 

External drives are duplicated in File Explorer on Windows 11.

Pls try the steps (or the registry fix remove-duplicate-drives.reg to automate the task) to resolve the issue.

External Drives Listed Twice (Duplicate) in File Explorer Navigation Pane