Windows 10: External hard drive not recognized by Windows 10

I connect my WD Elements 1042 portable hard drive to my PC running Windows 10. The computer sees the hard drive because it appears in devices. However, the hard drive does not appear in the files menu and I cannot access it. This question was asked in 2016, but it has not really been answered. I have the same problem and my TB backup is locked!!!! I have gone through all the troubleshooting online, including YouTube videos without success. But on the disc manager it says it need to be initialized but it won't give me the option or it gives me an error. But if I go to properties right there, it says the device is working properly and that it has the best drive. It seems to be a common error because it's all over the internet, but Microsoft have not solved it. PLEASE HELP!

:)

 

external hard drive not recognized

Hello zbook
#1) I have tested the external drives in three different computers, win10 pro, Win10, and XP. The results are identical. When I plug in the external hard drive windows signals a new device with an audio signal and the light comes on on the external drive. The results on all three pc's is identical in disk manager, file explorer and device manager.
#2) I have tried all solutions presented to me by FreeBooter, from the simplest solution of uninstalling the external drive in device manager and rebooting windows, to using the various third party software that was suggested, obviously with out success.
#3) The attached screen shots will only show one of the drives attached because I don't have enough free USB ports to attach two drives and I didn't think it would have been a good idea to use a hub.
#4) one strange thing about one of the drives is that now device manager lists it as a Toshiba drive although it is a Western Digital.
#5) Sorry but I have no way of getting a photo of BIOS










I look forward to reading your comments

 

External Hard Drive Not Recognized by Windows 10

Hi Thomas,

Sometimes, PCs fail to recognize the External Hard Drive even after confirming a successful connection. This is usually due to a corrupted or outdated device driver. However, for us to isolate the issue, we need additional information. Kindly answer the
questions below:

• Have you tired to plug your external hard drive to another port or to another device to make sure that it is working properly?
• Are you getting any error messages when you plug in your external hard drive?

In the meantime, we suggest that you run the Hardware and Device Troubleshooter. This automated tool will check the hardware/USB connected to your PC for any known issue and resolve it automatically. Refer to this link to access the troubleshooter:
Find and fix problems with devices and hardware.

Update us on how it goes.

 

External Hard Drive Not Recognized Windows 10

Hi,

To rectify and narrow down the cause of the issue, I would also suggest that you perform the methods mentioned below:

Method 1: Uninstall and then reconnect the external hard drive.

• Right click on Start Menu, and select Device Manager.
• Double click and expand Disk Drives.
• Right click on each of the drives and select Uninstall.

Note: You may be prompted to enter an Admin password.

• After it uninstalls, reboot the computer and plug the external hard drive and check.

If the issue did not resolve proceed to the next method.

Method 2: Windows Updates.

This method will install the latest device drivers for your USB external hard drive. Open Windows updates and check if there are any pending updates in your computer. If so, disconnect all external devices other that keyboard and mouse. Install the updates
a check.

Regards.