Windows 10: External Hardrive Does Not Appear in File Explorer

I have a USB external hard drive that appears on my Windows Desktop under drive letter E. However, when I connect it to my Windows laptop it does not appear in the file explore or in the Disk Management.However, it does appear in the Device Manager and under 'Bluetooth and Devices' in settings.To make things stranger, when it was first connected it created a drive under the letter L which also appeared on the desktop and appeared in File Explorer but without showing my files due to that being on another partition I guess?. When I removed that L drive and extended the drive it got me to whe

:)

 

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 Use the Device Manager to check for any outdated or malfunctioning drivers, and update or reinstall them as needed.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 disk appearing twice in Explorer

Hope someone can help me.

I have 2 external disks - labelled M & N which I use for backups.

When they are connected however, they appear twice in Explorer

Attachment 240106

This is very confusing especially as they are listed so close to each other - as N can appear above M! When expanded it is even more confusing.

Right clicking doesn't appear to offer any solutions to hide the "extra" entry. As I don't know what this effect is called, Googling is just about impossible.

Can anyone suggest why they are appearing twice, and whether I can hide the second entry.

Thanks

Colin

 

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