Fix WD external hard drive not recognized error

  1. Go to Setting > Update & security.
  2. Tab on Recovery > Advanced Startup > Restart now.
  3. PC will automatically boot into another Startup Settings screen.
  4. Press F4 to initiate PC reboot into Safe Mode.
  5. Then check whether the WD external hard disk can be detected or not.

Similarly, What do I do if my hard drive is not detected?


What to Do When Your External Hard Drive Won’t Show Up

  1. Make Sure It’s Plugged In and Powered On. Western Digital My Book. …
  2. Try Another USB Port (or Another PC) …
  3. Update Your Drivers. …
  4. Enable and Format the Drive in Disk Management. …
  5. Clean the Disk and Start From Scratch. …
  6. Remove and Test the Bare Drive.

Additionally, How do I reset my WD Passport external hard drive?
How to Reset a WD Drive

  1. Leave the drive turned on but unplug it from your computer. …
  2. Turn around the drive and locate the “Reset” button on the back panel of the unit. …
  3. Unbend the leg of a paperclip and insert it into the hole until you depress the reset button and the paperclip won’t go any further. …
  4. Warning.

How do I fix my external hard drive not detected Windows 10?


Fixing driver issues

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for Device Manager and click the top result to open the experience.
  3. Expand the Disk drives branch.
  4. Right-click the external drive with the problem and click the Update driver option.
  5. Click the Search automatically for updated driver software option.

How do you recover hard disk data when it is not detected?

  1. Launch EaseUS Data Recovery software on your computer, select the external hard disk not detected to get started.
  2. The hard drive recovery will start scanning the disk to searching your lost data and files.
  3. After the scanning, you can check all recovered files.

What does no hard drive detected mean?

When a computer starts up with a message like hard drive not detected, no boot device found, no boot partition found, missing operating system, hard disk drive failure, etc. It means the computer is unable to find the default hard drive it uses when it loads.

How do I get Windows to recognize my hard drive?


Quick Fix for Second Hard Drive Not Detected In Windows 10:

  1. Go to Search, type device manager, and press Enter.
  2. Expand Disk drives, find the second disk drive, right-click on it, and go to Update driver software.
  3. Follow further updates instructions and your hard disk drive will be updated.

How do I reset my WD Passport without losing data?


How to reformat a drive

  1. First, connect the external drive to your computer using the USB port. …
  2. Open File Explorer.
  3. Click on ā€œThis PC.ā€
  4. Locate your external drive from the list of Devices and Drives.
  5. Right-click on the drive.
  6. Select ā€œFormatā€ from the list of options.

How do I get Windows 10 to read my external hard drive?


Here’s how to do it.

  1. Plug your external hard drive into your desktop or laptop PC. …
  2. In the Windows 10 search bar, type This PC.
  3. Click This PC.
  4. Click the external hard drive listed. …
  5. Access any files on the hard drive like you would with an ordinary internal hard drive.

Why is my external hard drive not showing up in disk management?

If hard drive is not showing up in Disk Management and Device Manager, it may be because it is not enabled in System Setup (BIOS). Some motherboard manufacturers disable unused ports in the BIOS by default, which is the common reason for the 2nd hard drive not showing up in Windows 10/8/7.

How do I fix an undetected external hard drive using command prompt?


Method 3.


Run CMD to Repair Corrupted External Hard Drive Without Formatting

  1. Press Win+R, type: cmd and click Enter;
  2. Type: diskpart and hit Enter;
  3. Type: list disk and hit Enter;
  4. Type: select disk 0 and hit Enter; (0 stands for the drive letter of your corrupted external hard drive.)

How can I recover my hard disk data?


Steps to Recover Data from a Corrupted or Crashed Hard Drive

  1. Download and Install Disk Drill for Windows or Mac OS X.
  2. Launch Disk Drill recovery software, select the crashed hard disk and click: …
  3. Preview the files you found with Quick or Deep Scan. …
  4. Click Recover button to recover your lost data.

Can you recover data from dead hard drive?

That depends on what you mean by dead. If you mean a hard drive that has suffered physical damage, then we have bad news for you: you most likely won’t be able to recover any data from it at home. But if you mean a corrupted or formatted hard drive, then you can use data recovery software to get back your data.

Will a computer run without a hard drive?

A computer can still function without a hard drive. This can be done through a network, USB, CD, or DVD. … Computers can be booted over a network, through a USB drive, or even off of a CD or DVD. When you attempt to run a computer without a hard drive, you will often be asked for a boot device.

How do I fix Windows not detecting my hard drive?

Unplug the hard drive which fails to be recognized by Windows BIOS, and remove the ATA or SATA cable and its power cable. If the ATA or SATA cable and the power cable are broken, change to a new one. If the cables are covered by dust, clear the dust.

How do I fix Windows 10 not detecting my hard drive?


How to fix ā€œHard drive not detectedā€ on Windows 10?

  1. Re-enable the missing drive in the Disk Management.
  2. Reconnect the external hard drive.
  3. Format the drive.
  4. Check the status of the hard drive.
  5. Update the driver.
  6. Update Windows.
  7. Reinstall USB controllers to make the second hard drive recognized.

How do I get my computer to recognize a new hard drive?


What can I do if Windows 10 doesn’t detect the second hard drive?

  1. Go to Search, type device manager and press Enter.
  2. Expand Disk drives, find the second disk drive, right-click on it and go to Update driver software.
  3. If there are any updates, follow further instructions and your hard disk driver will be updated.

Can I format an external hard drive without losing data?

Yes, It Is Possible!

It’s perfectly possible to wipe your hard drive without losing all your data. The process requires you to format your drive, then use data recovery tools to salvage your data.

How can I repair my external hard drive without losing data?


How to Restore Data from External Hard Drive Without Formatting?

  1. Scan Your Computer for Viruses. To scan your computer for viruses, you don’t need to download any third-party antivirus software solution. …
  2. Use CHKDSK to Fix File System Errors. …
  3. Replace Corrupted Files with SFC. …
  4. Recover Your Files with Data Recovery Software.

When you format an external hard drive does it delete everything?

For one thing, they don’t delete everything on your hard drive. Factory resets can’t erase hard drive data, they only make it so that the operating system can no longer access the data. There are many software options for restoring data your system can no longer accessible after a factory reset.

Why is my Seagate external hard drive not showing up?

If your Seagate external hard drive is detected, the original cable is the cause. If the problem still appears, connect the external hard drive to another USB port. Then, check whether the Seagate external hard drive is recognized. If so, it can be concluded that there is something wrong with the previous USB port.

How do I find a missing external hard drive?

To open Disk Management on Windows 8 or 10, right-click the Start button and select ā€œDisk Managementā€. On Windows 7, press Windows+R to open the Run dialog, type diskmgmt. msc into it, and press Enter. Examine the list of disks in the disk management window and look for your external drive.

How do I fix my external hard drive not recognized Mac?


If your external hard drive is not detected, follow these steps to fix the issue:

  1. Go to Applications and open Utilities.
  2. In the Utilities folder, select Disk Utility.
  3. In the View menu at the top of your screen, select Show All Devices.
  4. Select your external drive and click Unmount.
  5. Connect your external drive again.