Solving problems with external hard drive. Why doesn't a computer or laptop see a flash drive and a removable hard drive?

Not so long ago I encountered such a problem on an already installed Windows 8.1 operating system. The computer was handed to me so that I could reinstall the system from Windows 8.1 to Windows 7, and first of all I checked the USB input. I connected a flash drive and a computer mouse to it, but the laptop did not see any equipment. Then I noticed that the USB port itself is blue, which indicates that it is USB 3.0

It doesn't work for only one reason: drivers for USB 3.0 are not installed on the system.

To check the presence of drivers in the system, look in the device manager to see if there are any questions or other signs next to the installed drivers. If there are no suspicious signs, then the driver is installed in the system, but it is either old or does not fit the operating system.

What are the options for solving the problem?

1. As an option, I loaded USB 3.0 drivers for Intel, AMD and Asus motherboards onto my server. You need to download one of the presented drivers.

How to find out what motherboard you have?

Laptops usually have an INTEL or AMD type label.

In the device manager, in the USB controllers section, pay attention to the following inscriptions:

As you can see in the photo above, I have a motherboard with an Intel chipset installed, so the driver needs to be downloaded from this particular manufacturer.

2. Download the DriverPack Solution program, then install or update the USB 3.0 driver. The program is absolutely free and does not require installation, but this 1 version requires an Internet connection.

3. If the top two options did not help you, you must either install from the disks that were given when you purchased the computer, or use my article “Where to download drivers”. In this article, I showed how to download firewood from the official websites of such manufacturers as Acer, Samsung, Toshiba and Dell. A video is attached to the article.

But I think that the first option will definitely help in solving this problem.

An external hard drive is a portable storage device containing a storage device (HDD or SSD) and a controller for interacting with a computer via USB. When connecting such devices to a PC, sometimes some problems are observed, in particular, the absence of a disk in the “Computer” folder. We will talk about this problem in this article.

There are several reasons causing this problem. If a new drive is connected, then perhaps Windows “forgot” to report this and offer to install drivers and format the media. In the case of old drives, this may be the creation of partitions on another computer using programs, the presence of a blocking virus, as well as the usual malfunction of the controller, the disk itself, cable or port on the PC.

Another reason is lack of nutrition. Let's start with it.

Reason 1: Nutrition

Quite often, due to the shortage of USB ports, users connect several devices to one socket through a hub (splitter). If connected devices require power from the USB connector, a power shortage may occur. This leads to a problem: the hard drive may not start and, accordingly, may not appear in the system. The same situation can arise when ports are overloaded with energy-intensive devices.

In this situation, you can do the following: try to free up one of the ports for an external drive or, as a last resort, purchase a hub with additional power. Some portable drives may also require additional power supply, as evidenced by the presence of not only a USB cord included, but also a power cable. Such a cable may have two connectors for connecting to USB or a completely separate power supply.

Reason 2: Unformatted disk

When you connect a new blank disk to your PC, the system usually reports that the media is not formatted and prompts you to do so. In some cases this does not happen and it may be necessary to perform this procedure manually.

1. Let's go to "Control Panel". You can do this from the menu "Start" or press the keyboard shortcut Win+R and enter the command:

   

2. Next we go to "Administration".

   

3. Find the label with the name "Computer Management".

   

4. Go to the section "Disk Management".

   

5. We are looking for our disk in the list. You can distinguish it from others by its size, as well as by the RAW file system.

   

6. Click on the disk RMB and select the context menu item "Format".

   

7. Next, select the label (name) and file system. Place a checkmark opposite "Quick format" and press OK. All that remains is to wait for the process to complete.

   

8. A new disk has appeared in the folder "Computer".

   

Reason 3: Drive letter

This problem can arise when performing disk operations - formatting, partitioning - on another computer using special software.

In such cases, you must set the letter manually in the snap-in "Disk Management".

Reason 4: Drivers

The operating system is very complex software and that is why various failures often occur in it. In normal mode, Windows itself installs standard drivers for new devices, but this does not always happen. If the system does not start driver installation when you connect an external drive, you can try restarting the computer. In most cases this is enough. If the situation does not change, you will have to “work with your hands.”

If the software for the disk cannot be installed, you need to check the branch "Disk devices". If there is a drive with a yellow icon, this means that the OS does not have such a driver or it is damaged.

A forced installation will help solve the problem. You can find software for the device manually on the manufacturer’s website (perhaps it came with a driver disk) or try to download it automatically from the network.

Reason 5: Viruses

Virus programs, among other nasty things, can prevent the initialization of external drives in the system. Most often they are located on the removable drive itself, but they may also be present on your PC. First, check your system drive and, if you have one, your second hard drive for viruses.

You won’t be able to check the external drive using the tools given in the article above, since it cannot be initialized. Only a bootable USB flash drive with an antivirus scanner, for example, will help here. With its help, you can scan the media for viruses without loading system files and services, and therefore the subject of attack.

Reason 6: Physical problems

Physical malfunctions include failure of the disk or controller itself, failure of ports on the computer, as well as a banal “breaking” of the USB or power cable.
To determine the problem, you can do the following:

• Replace cables with known good ones.
• Connect the drive to other USB ports; if it works, then the connector is faulty.
• Remove the device and connect the drive directly to the motherboard (don't forget to turn off the computer before doing this). If the media is detected, then there is a controller malfunction; if not, then the disk. You can try to restore a non-working HDD at a service center, otherwise it will end up in the trash.

Despite the massive spread of cloud technologies and the increase in data transfer speeds over the Internet, removable USB storage media are still actively used in working with computers. The latest generation flash drives transfer large amounts of information at significant speed and do not depend on the connection, provider or network restrictions. This article describes the most common reasons why a personal computer does not see a USB flash drive, and provides instructions for solving these problems.

Physical problem with the flash drive

This is not the most common, but the most obvious reason why the computer does not see the flash drive. Inside these devices there are microcircuits that, like any other electronics, can burn out. It is possible that water got inside the case and caused the contacts to short out. Also, due to improper use, one of the plug contacts could be damaged.

There are even special viruses that burn out all devices connected to a specific USB port of a personal computer. In this case, nothing can be done to help.

Physical problem with the port

Another obvious reason why the computer does not see the flash drive lies in problems with the port itself on the computer. The condensate that got inside it could oxidize the contacts, which leads to a loss of their performance. The port may have burned out due to power outages and unstable operation of the power supply.

Also, a similar problem can occur if the port is not connected to the motherboard. Similar situations often happen with the front panel of a PC case. The controls and ports located on it must be additionally connected to the motherboard. If the wire comes loose, or they simply forgot to connect it, nothing will work.

In this case, you should check the wiring inside the system unit yourself, or contact an assembly specialist.

Drivers for USB 3.0

The USB 3.0 generation, which came into use not so long ago, has not yet completely conquered the market. Typically, such ports are installed in cases along with the still relevant, but slower 2.0. They can be identified by a blue strip of plastic inside the connector itself.

The problem may be that the BIOS version used or the “clean” installed operating system only has second-generation drivers installed. Regular ports in this case operate in normal mode, and the “blue” ones will not show any signs of life.

The problem is solved by installing drivers on your motherboard. They can be found on the included DVD or downloaded from the official website of the product manufacturer. You can also try updating the operating system - the Windows Update Wizard automatically pulls up and installs all the necessary patches.

Reinstalling drivers

If you are confident in the operation of your ports and a portable device that the computer cannot read for some reason, you can try reinstalling the driver for the USB port. Extreme caution is recommended when working with installed drivers. Incorrect actions can disrupt the stable operation of the OS. It is best to create a Windows restore point before following these instructions.

The necessary drivers will be automatically installed on your computer.

Virus infection

If your PC or laptop does not detect the flash drive, the problem may lie in some malicious code. Firstly, a script may be running on the computer itself, interfering with the correct operation of the controllers or Windows Explorer. To solve this problem, you need to scan your system for viruses and clean it. This is done using special programs - antiviruses.

If you do not have an antivirus installed, it is highly recommended to download it. You can use a free utility from Microsoft – Security Essentials, which can be downloaded from this link https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/download/details.aspx?id=5201.

Install the program and run it. In the options menu on the right, select “Full” and click the “Check Now” button. After this, you will need to wait a while while the utility searches for malicious scripts on your system.

External HDDs and SSDs are becoming more and more popular every day. This is not at all surprising, because this small box can contain a huge amount of information - up to 1-6 terabytes! For comparison, today not every PC even has an internal 1TB hard drive.

But what to do when your computer or laptop does not see the external hard drive? In this article we will look at why this happens and how to properly solve this problem.

If the new external hard drive is not detected

In this situation, we mean a portable drive that you just purchased for your PC. First thing to do:

1. Go to Control Panel/Make sure that “Small Icons”/Administration is selected in the “View” menu.

3. In the left column, go to the “Disk Management” menu.



4. Wait 5-10 seconds for the configuration to update, after which both internal and external media that are connected to the computer or netbook will be displayed. Quite often, a PC may not read media due to incorrect letter assignment.

This is what needs to be changed. To do this, you need to right-click on our device and select “Change letter”.

Another option why the laptop does not recognize the new hard drive is that it is not formatted

In this case, you won’t even be able to change the name to something else. You need to right-click on the disk again, a menu will appear, and then click “Create Volume”. However, be careful! In this case, all information will be deleted from the HDD.

A not so common problem is that the chip on the motherboard responsible for the functionality of the USB ports has failed. In 99% of cases, the solution to the problem is to repair the board.

Lack of drivers is another most common reason

If the hard drive is not visible either in Disk Management or in My Computer, but at the same time functions fully on other equipment, this is precisely the problem. Of course, modern Windows 7, 8, 10 are smart operating systems that search for and install drivers themselves in a fully automatic mode. However, sometimes they also make mistakes.

In this situation it is necessary:

1. Check the operation of the USB ports (2.0/3.0). If other devices work through them, then the problem is not with them at all.

2. If everything is fine with the USB ports, but the hard drive still doesn’t work:

Go to Control Panel/Make sure that “Small Icons”/Device Manager is selected in the “View” menu and select the “Other Devices” and “Disk Devices” sections.

There you can find out whether the drivers for the connected media are installed.

If there are red or yellow identification icons next to the name of the connected device (see screenshot above), it means that the drivers were not installed or were installed with errors; to fix this, you need to do one of the following options:

1. Click “Update hardware configuration”, after which the installation will occur automatically.

2. Use a special program to install the necessary drivers “DriverPack Solution, Driver Booster or others”

3. Reinstall Windows OS.

After completing simple steps, the HDD will operate as usual.

If the old external HDD is not displayed

In this case, we are talking about a hard drive that was previously functioning on your PC, but it stopped seeing it. In such a situation you should:

Now you know how to find out the reason why the computer does not show the removable drive, and you can solve it yourself!

Section: November 11, 2017 10919

In the era of digital storage, users are increasingly expanding the memory of their computer with the help of additional devices - external hard drives, which allow them to add from several gigabytes to several terabytes of auxiliary storage. In this article, we will take a closer look at solutions to the problem when an external hard drive connected via USB is not detected by the computer.

A problem with connecting an external hard drive via USB can arise for a variety of reasons, the maximum number of which will be touched upon in this article.

Reason 1: USB cable faulty

First of all, if the device does not want to be detected via USB, you should make sure that the USB cable connecting the computer to the hard drive is working properly. The easiest way to do this is to connect any other device to the computer through this cable - if it is not detected, the cable should be replaced.

Reason 2: driver problems

If the problem is not with the cable, you should make sure that the external hard drive drivers are working correctly.

Reason 3: lack of nutrition

A hard drive is a much more complex device than a flash drive. Due to the fact that it contains many mechanical elements, it therefore requires more power. As a rule, a similar problem occurs if you connect an external hard drive not directly, but through splitters (USB hubs). In some cases, the problem may occur due to the use of a cheap Chinese USB cable.

In this case, you should connect the device to the computer directly. If you are unsure of the quality of the cable, replace it, preferably using solutions from reputable manufacturers.

Reason 4: Hard drive failure

The hard drive itself is a fragile device, so there is a high probability that it has mechanical damage that cannot ensure its correct operation.

If the device was just purchased, we recommend that you immediately return it under warranty. If the hard drive suddenly begins to behave this way, you should submit it for diagnostics under warranty.

Reason 5: USB port conflict (USB port malfunction)

If you connected your external hard drive to USB 3.0, try reconnecting it to another USB 2.0 port. The same applies to the possibility that the port is faulty.

Reason 6: USB support is disabled in BIOS

This is a rare cause of the problem, because in this case, none of your USB-connected storage devices will work.

If this is the case in your case, you will need to head to the BIOS settings to enable USB functionality.

1. To do this, you will need to turn on your computer or force it to restart. At the very early stage of startup, you should start repeatedly pressing the button responsible for entering the BIOS (in most cases, F1, F2 and Del are used as such keys).
2. The further progress of BIOS setup depends on the version installed on your computer. In most cases you will need to find the section "Integrated Peripherals" and activate the parameter in it "USB EHCI controller" or "Legacy USB storage detect". If you make changes, be sure to save your settings before exiting.

Reason 7: Incorrect drive letter assignment

There are situations when Windows mistakenly assigns a hard drive a letter that is already assigned to another drive on the computer. In this case, the device will be detected as connected via USB, however, you will not be able to use the storage.

Reason 7: Hard drive is not formatted

If the device is detected normally by the computer, but the storage cannot be used, we can conclude that the device is not prepared for use on the computer.

These are the main reasons that affect the operation of an external hard drive connected to a computer via USB. If you know other ways to solve the problem, share them in the comments.