While it is true, the external are estimated as an optimal tool for use portable storage units with large storage capacities that you can have on hand and take anywhere. Which operate as a mechanical hard drive inserted in a box with interface And because of that, can be used externally.
Now, this type of external elements are executed by means of a PC, In most cases. However, sometimes the computer may not be able to recognize an external hard drive. Which, It usually happens in teams that work with , specifically.
Therefore, although this version of the operating system of Microsoft guarantees excellent benefits to its users, the truth is that it is not exempt from problems and the one mentioned above is one of them.. As a consequence, through this post, we will let you know the main causes of this and the solution to get your Windows 8 to recognize an external hard drive with total efficiency.
What are the main causes why my PC does not recognize an external drive?
Before knowing what are the most common reasons why a PC cannot recognize an external hard drive normallyit is essential to know how you can realize that this problem is occurring on such a computer.
So, below, we list the main ways to discover that a computer does not register an external hard drive:
- If the disk in question It does not appear in the “My Computer” sectionit means that the machine has not detected it.
- If enter the physical element and there are no sounds coming from the external unit and no lights come on, it also means that your PC hasn’t read it.
- You can access the and enter the Device administrator for check your external drive is there or not. If it is not found, logically, the PC has not detected it. Also, if it is on this list and has any caution label, it also means that there is something wrong with it.
On the other hand, when you discover that your PC does not recognize the external hard drive, surely, you wonder why is this happening. Consequently, it is worth knowing what are the main causes of it? in order to find an appropriate solution.
So, here are the most common reasons why a Windows 8 PC fails to detect the presence of an external drive:
Disk formatting has incompatibility
Usually, an incorrect format is the cause of the computer not being able to recognize the input of an external hard drive. Taking into account that, in any case, these elements have a format and so that they can be detected by a system, It is important that there is compatibility between the two.
In the case of computers with Windows, they usually use two main formats for this, which are: FAT32 and NTFS. So, if for example the external drive is formatted as NTFS and it doesn’t work for unknown reasons, the best thing to do is try to format it to FAT32. In this way, you will be able to verify that the fault is caused by an incompatibility problem.
There are certain mechanical failures
Although it may not seem like it, mechanical failures in external hard drives are more common than you think. Well, on numerous occasions, when users purchase this type of item that, despite being new, arrives broken in their hands. Which, is known as “Dead On Arrival” (DOA) What does it mean “Dead on arrival”.
As usual, This happens due to blows, high temperatures, vibrations or simple wear of the elements. that cause a total mechanical failure inside and that does not allow its correct operation. Whereas, by nature, hard drives they are very sensitive despite its appearance of solid piece.
The software causes the PC not to recognize the external drive
Another reason why a computer cannot detect an external hard drive is by the software included in this item. Which means that if the external drive in question has been designed with specialized software and the PC does not have this program installed or it is incompatibleOf course, it is the reason that is causing problems between the computer and the external hard drive.
For your part, you will wonder why the manufacturers of said elements do this and, basically, It is a matter that few people know. However, it can be intuited that these manufacturers focus the design of their unit assuming that it will be used only to make , for instance; when the user actually wants to handle it to save files or other different actions.
Drive letter inconsistency
A recurring problem in this type of circumstance, lies in the drive letter. Since, many external hard drives do not have such an identification and, as a consequence, are not detected by the operating system. Even, it can also generate a problem of these when said unit is assigned a letter the same as that used by the other disks on the PC.
In this sense, you will have to verify if the problem in question is happening for this reason. So it will be necessary remove such inconsistency in drive letter in order for the PC to detect the presence of the disk. Well, by not having an identification or presenting a letter identical to another element present in the system, automatically, will be rejected by the same.
due to logical failures
Although it is not the most common cause, it is worth noting that it can be another reason why a computer fails to detect an external drive. In this sense, the logical failures refer to computer viruses or power outages. Since these failures can affect the file system, notably. Which is the one that is in charge of ordering and storing the information within it. Therefore, if it presents faults, the PC will not find anything inside said drive and will choose not to read it.
A driver problem
In case the computer cannot detect the external hard drive and this item also does not appear in the disk manager of Windows 8, The problem probably has to do with the drivers.. Which consist of certain device drivers that allow the OS to interact with a peripheral, in this case, with the external drive.
Therefore, if they are not updated or have certain failures, the PC will not be able to detect the presence of an external element, even if it has been entered. In addition, it is a problem that also reveals poor performance of the computer and reduces its stability.
Learn step by step how to make your Windows 8 recognize an external hard drive
As there is a solution for every problem, you can make your PC Windows 8 recognize the external hard drive you need to use, one way or another.
Well, by implementing the following solutions depending on the type of failure that has occurred, your computer will detect the presence of an external drive effectively:
Uninstall internal hard drive software
As we explained to you in the previous part, hard drives have internally installed software that allows you to increase its functionalities and makes it work correctly. So, to ensure compatibility, users opt for download such software on your PC to acquire such benefits.
However, in many circumstances, these types of programs can show errors in windows which, unfortunately, prevent the recognition of the external drive (although it seems illogical). Therefore, the best solution is based on uninstalling said software from the computer and thus, re-insert the hard drive to verify that the problem has been corrected.
Reformat the disk
If the external drive has format incompatibility with the PC, it will need to be formatted again so that it can be detected by said equipment. Considering that, you need to carry out this solution when the hard disk Task Manager display a portable storage drive with a RAW formatinstead of FAT32 either NTFS.
In this sense, what you should do is find the hard drive in question and right click on it to choose the option that indicates “Format”. Subsequently, you have to select a file system for the disk and thus, the formatting process will start after which the external drive will be ready to use.
Assign a drive letter
As, it is likely that the problem was caused by the external hard drive not having a drive letter set, it is important that you check this and, if necessary, assign a letter to it. With this, surely your PC will be able to recognize it immediately.
In general, this is resolved by accessing the section “Disk Manager” and choosing the option “Change drive letter and paths”. Then, in the next window, click on “Add” and assign the letter you prefer. Finally, you have to accept the changes made and thus, your external drive will appear inside the PC.
Install the latest version of the driver
If, ultimately, the problem has to do with the driver, It is required to install the latest version of it on your PC. Since, due to outdated reasons, the driver causes problems regarding the detection of external drives on the computer and, consequently, it will be necessary to obtain its latest version for it to operate correctly again. For this, you can resort to the manufacturer’s website in order to seek help for know how to install the latest driver version.
Likewise, you can also update it manually or make use of a tool that simplifies this process and, from the same system, take care of keeping your drivers updated at all times to avoid another situation like this.
However, after performing said installation of the driver, it is necessary to reconnect your external drive to verify that this action has solved the pre-existing problem. Taking into account that, for no reason, you should make that update with the element introduced in the equipment because could cause more serious damage.
Try the drive in another port or another computer
If you have used different techniques to solve this problem, but you do not get a positive result; it is opportune that you choose to test the external hard drive in a different port and even on another PC. Which, more than anything, is advisable to do when there is no sound when entering the item or the item does not appear in the list of new connected devices.
In case it is recognized by a different port of your machine, it means that the other port has a damage which does not allow you to link the external drive with the operating system. But, if doing so still fails to detect the drive, it is essential that you use another PC to test it. If it works like this, it means that the ports of your other PC are completely damaged and It is advisable to go to a technician to fix them.
On the other hand, if it still cannot be recognized, the hard drive itself is the problem and to find a solution, it is best to go to the manufacturer or the…
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