Windows 10: External Drive not showing up in File Explorer/Disk Management

Hello,


I have a Seagate external drive that isn't showing up on my PC. Windows makes a sound when I connect it, but it's not showing up in File Explorer and Disk Management. I've tried using a different cable one that works and connecting it to a different USB port, but it doesn't help. Other peripherals do work.


My PC is Windows 10 Pro Version 1909 64-bit


The drive used to work fine on my PC, but one day it stopped showing up. The drive still works, because it does show up on a laptop with Windows 8.1 and I can access the data.

:)

 

My External Toshiba DVD Drive doesn't show up

Hi Charsmann,



The above issue might occur if a drive letter is not allotted to the external drive.



Please reply, did you try removing and re-plugging the driver to the PC?



Since the drive shows in Device manager, I suggest you to remove the external drive and re-plug to check if the issue is resolved.



If the issue persists, check if you are able to open the drive via
Disk management by following the steps below:

• Connect the external drive to the PC, press Windows logo + X keys on the keyboard and select
  Disk management option from the context menu. Check if the drive is visible in the window.
• If visible, right click on the external drive and select Open. Check if you are able to open the drive in
  File Explorer.
• Close the Disk management window, open File Explorer (Windows logo + E keys on the keyboard) and check if the changes are effective.

Write to us with the status of the external drive not showing in File Explorer on the PC for further assistance. Your reply is important for us to ensure we assist you accordingly.



Thank you.

 

external hard drive showing up in device management but not disk management

Hi,

I recently tried to use a brand new Seagate 2TB External HD, but it is not showing up. It initially showed up, but after I tried reformatting it to exFAT32, it disappeared from the disk management list.

I then tried:

• refreshing the disk management list,
• inserting into a different USB port,
• re-starting my computer, and
• uninstalling the device from device manager/letting it refresh,

I still can't see it. There is no yellow error in the USB controller list.

I'm on Windows 10.

Intel i5-3317U @ 1.7GHz

Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

My USB Backup drive does not show in My Computer window.

Hi Meran,

A few possible reason can cause your external drive to not show in File Explorer. To diagnose and fix this issue, we suggest that you check the Disk Management window. To open it, follow the steps below:

• Right-click on the Start button.
• Select Disk Management.
• Alternatively, you can search diskmgmt.msc in Cortana.

Examine the list of drives in the Disk Management window and look for your external drive. Even if it doesn’t show up in File Explorer, it should appear here. If the drive appears, it may not be appearing in File Explorer because it needs to be assigned
a drive letter. To do this, right-click the partition on the drive in Disk Management and select
Change Drive Letter and Paths.

If you don’t see the drive in the Disk Management window at all, we suggest that you try connecting the drive to a different USB port or use a different USB cable. We also recommend that you avoid using USB hubs, and connect the drive directly to your computer.

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to post a reply.