Windows 10: Invisible external drive

I have an old Mojopac external HD, ca. 2006, that I'd like to use for portable storage. (This was a Windows environment on a drive.) When I plug it in, it lights up and I can feel the motor running, but I don't see it in This PC or under Devices in Control Panel.

How can I access and reformat it?

:)

 

Folders invisible on external hard drive?

Thanks for the reply but i already have hidden folders and files shown.

 

Folders invisible on external hard drive?

Hi,

This could happen if the files on the External driven are hidden. Follow the steps

• Press Windows + X
• Click Control panel
• Click Appearance and Personalization
• Click on Show Hidden files

 

Do you see the drive in disk management?

 

Have you tried running something like Minitool Partition Wizard MiniTool Partition Wizard | Best partition magic alternative for Windows PC and Server

See if the drive shows , (probably without a drive letter) , you can then format and allocate a drive letter.

 

You usually can assign a drive letter without having to re-format since it appears to have been formatted for use previously. If it does not have a partition on it you can create as desired followed by formatting. Or re-format to remove any data but I like to really clean one by deleting the partition/partitions first then recreate as desired, quite fast.

 

Tried Acronis Disk Director, which I have on hand, and no trace of it (don't know what Drive 6 is, but 512 bytes seems oddd)

 

Go to Start/Search and type diskmgmt.msc, right click the diskmgmt results and Run As Administrator. In the Elevated Disk Management window in the lower pane, is your drive showing up here? What does it say about Disk 6? If you unplug the external drive, does Disk 6 disappear in Disk Management or Acronis?

 

This time, the mystery is Disk 5, shown as healthy and without content, no file system. Clicking it brings up the Initialize dialog:



I guess I should use MBR, so as not to limit the PCs I can use it with.

 

I clicked MBR and OK, but the readings I get from Device Manager and Disk Management are unchanged. tried it again on a USB 2 outlet (originally tried on a USB 3.0), but still no change.

 

The USB controller inside the enclosure may be failing.
Does this external HDD have its own power adapter? If so, be sure you are using the right one, and it is plugged directly into the wall and not through a power strip. And you are plugging the USB cable into the Back USB ports (desktop) not the front as these ports are weaker. Also, try it on a different computer.
If it fails on all computers, you can disassemble the enclosure and remove the HDD and attach it internally to a Desktop computer, or via a USB adapter, Dock or another Enclosure with a power adapter.