external drive not showing up in disk utility

Enable Hard Drive from BIOS/UEFI Settings So try plugging it into a different USB port and see if it shows up on your PC. It may be possible that the USB port is damaged or faulty. This method applies if you use an external hard drive and connect it to your PC using a USB port. Now check if your PC can detect the hard drive. If you are using a custom case for the hard drive, we also recommend that you open the external disk case and reseat the drive inside the case properly. If it is an external hard drive, disconnect it from both ends and then plug it in again. Before you do that, make sure the device is powered off and the power cable is unplugged. If it is an internal hard disk, open up your PC/laptop and re-seat the hard drive properly. Enable USB ports from BIOS/UEFI settingsįix Hard Drive Not Showing in Windows Check Hard Drive Physical Connectionīefore we begin technical troubleshooting, we suggest that you check your connections on the hard drive.Troubleshooting External Hard Drive Not Showing Enable hard drive port from BIOS/UEFI settings.Troubleshooting Internal Hard Drive Not Showing However, some solutions need to be performed on either type of disk.Ĭlick on the respective link below and you’ll be taken to a guideline on how to perform that particular process. How to Fix Internal or External Drives Not Showing Upĭepending on whether you are troubleshooting your internal or external HDD, there are different things that you can do to solve it.

Now that we know what the potential causes are, let us see how to fix them. A letter has not been assigned to the partition(s) on the drive or conflicts with another.The port is disabled from UEFI/BIOS settings.

Here is a list of potential reasons why your hard drive may not be accessible: The hard drive is not showing up in Explorer, but is visible in Disk Manager.ĭepending upon where the hard drive is showing up and where it is not, the reasons could be different.The hard drive is not showing up in the Device Manager.The hard drive is not showing up in Explorer.The hard drive is not showing up in the UEFI/BIOS settings.Depending upon where it is visible, we will apply the solutions accordingly. Run 'Hardware and Devices' Troubleshooterīefore we list the potential causes why your hard drive may not show up, there are several areas on a PC where the hard drive may be missing, and some areas where you may still see it.Enable USB Port from BIOS/UEFI Settings.Enable Hard Drive from BIOS/UEFI Settings.Troubleshooting External Hard Drive Not Showing.Troubleshooting Internal Hard Drive Not Showing.

How to Fix Internal or External Drives Not Showing Up.

External drive not showing up in disk utility