What to Do When Your External Hard Drive Won't Show Up 
                     What to do when your external 
hard drive wont show up
Introduction:
It can be annoying if your 
computer does not 
recognize your external 
hard drive. 
The steps to troubleshoot 
the issue are as follows
Source: PCmagazine.com
2
Examine the connections: 
Make sure your computer 
and hard drive are 
connected correctly. 
Try switching to a different 
USB port or unplugging and 
replugging the cable.
       Source: 
windows101tricks.com
3
Switch to a different cable or 
adapter:
 These items may 
occasionally be defective. 
To connect the external 
hard drive, try using a 
different cable or adapter.
          Source: blogspot.com
4
Disk Management 
(Windows):
Choose Disk Management 
by performing a right-click 
on the Start button. 
Here is where to find your 
external drive. 
If it shows up, select it with 
a right-click, give it a drive 
letter, and examine the file 
system.
Source: akitio.com
5
Verify Disk Utility (Mac):
Open Disk Utility by going 
to Applications > Utilities. 
Check if the drive shows up 
here. 
If the drive is visible, you 
can attempt mounting it or 
fixing it.
Source: pinterest.com
6
Restart your computer: 
Occasionally, a 
straightforward restart can 
fix a connectivity problem.
Try this on a different 
computer: 
To check if the external 
drive is recognized, connect 
it to a different computer. 
This makes it easier to 
identify whether your 
Source: dailycoolgadgets.com computer or the drive is the 
problem. 7
Use disk management tools: 
If the drive is found but not 
accessible, file system or 
partition problems may be 
the cause. 
To inspect and fix the drive, 
you can use disk 
management programs like 
Disk Utility's First Aid (Mac) 
or CHKDSK (Windows).
             Source: coolgear.com
8
Think about data recovery 
software:
 There are options for data 
recovery software that 
might be able to help you 
recover your files if the 
drive is recognized but 
cannot be accessed 
because of data corruption. 
But proceed cautiously to 
prevent more harm.
Source: 
classroom.thenational.academy
9
Examine the drive's 
hardware: 
If none of the 
aforementioned fixes 
resolve the issue, the drive 
may have a hardware 
malfunction. 
In this situation, it might be 
essential to get in touch 
with a professional data 
recovery service or the 
manufacturer's support.
Look for updates for the 
drivers:
               Source: pinterest.com
 Make sure the external 10
hard drive's drivers are up 
to date on your computer.
 To get any required 
updates, go to the 
manufacturer's website.
Conclusion:
Always ensure you have 
backups of important data 
on your external drives to 
prevent data loss in case of 
drive failure or issues.
Source: 
rulednotegk.blogspot.com
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