If you are having trouble locating an external storage device like a USB flash drive, external hard drive, or memory card, there are a few things you can try to find it. The quick answer is to check your computer’s file manager, eject the drive properly if it is currently connected, and use the search function to locate it. If it is still not showing up, you may need to troubleshoot further.
Check Your Computer’s File Manager
The first thing to do when looking for an external storage device is to open up your computer’s file manager. This is also known as Windows Explorer on Windows or Finder on Mac. Here you can browse all the drives that are currently connected to your computer.
Go to the left sidebar and look under Devices and Drives or This PC (on Windows) and click through each drive letter to see if your external drive shows up. If you don’t see it there, it likely is not currently connected to your computer properly.
Safely Eject the External Drive
If your external drive does show up in the file manager, make sure you safely eject it before unplugging it. This prevents any data loss or corruption. On Windows, right-click on the device and select “Eject”. On Mac, click the eject icon next to the drive name or drag it from the desktop to the trash.
Once ejected properly, you can disconnect the physical drive from your computer. Now plug it back in to a different USB port. Give your computer some time to recognize the device, then go back to the file manager to see if it shows up again.
Use the Search Function
Another quick way to locate an external device is to use your computer’s search function. Type in part of the drive name and see if it appears in the results.
On Windows, use the built-in Start menu search or File Explorer’s search bar. On Mac, use Spotlight or Finder’s search bar. You may be able to find the external drive this way even if it’s not showing up in the file manager currently.
Troubleshoot Connection Issues
If your external drive still isn’t appearing, there are a few things you can try to troubleshoot the connection:
- Try connecting the drive to a different USB port on your computer. Some ports may not recognize it.
- Inspect the USB cable for any damage. Switch it out with a different cable if needed.
- Check the external drive’s power cables and connectors if applicable.
- Try connecting the drive to a different computer to see if it appears there.
- Reboot your computer and reconnect the external drive after restarting.
Hopefully after trying one of these troubleshooting tips, your external device will now show up properly on your computer. Continue reading for additional things you can try if it is still not appearing.
Update Drivers and Software
Outdated drivers and software can sometimes cause connection issues with external drives. Make sure you have the latest updates installed:
- Update USB drivers – On Windows, check Device Manager. On Mac, check System Information.
- Update external drive software/firmware if available from manufacturer.
- Update operating system to latest version.
- Update file manager app to newest version.
After updating your computer, restart and reconnect the external drive to see if the issue is fixed.
Change Drive Letter Assignments
If your external drive shows up in Device Manager but not File Explorer on Windows, you may need to assign a drive letter to the device:
- Open Disk Management utility.
- Find your external drive in the list.
- Right-click and select “Change drive letter and paths”.
- Click “Add” to assign a letter.
- Click “OK” to save changes.
Your external drive should now appear in File Explorer with the designated drive letter.
Check for Errors and Format Drive
If your drive is not recognized even after the previous troubleshooting, there may be underlying errors preventing it from working properly. Here are some steps to fix this:
- Run CHKDSK (Windows) or First Aid (Mac) to check and repair errors.
- Use disk utility to reformat external drive.
- Delete all existing partitions and create new volume.
- Reformat with a compatible file system like FAT32 or exFAT.
This will erase all data on the drive but may resolve connection issues if there are software errors. Back up important data first before reformatting.
Try a Different USB Port
If your computer still won’t recognize your external drive after trying the above steps, attempt connecting it to a different USB port on your computer. Some ports may have broken connectors or not supply enough power to run the drive. Try plugging it directly into the rear USB port or a powered hub if using a desktop PC.
Replace Hardware Components
Faulty cables, connectors, hubs, or drive enclosures can prevent your computer from detecting an external drive. If you’ve exhausted all other options, replacing these components one-by-one may help isolate and fix the issue:
- Try a different USB cable – faulty cables are common.
- Swap the USB hub or powered hub if using one.
- Test drive in another enclosure/casing if possible.
- As a last resort, replace the actual external drive.
Hopefully just swapping out cheap components like the cable or hub will get your drive recognized again. But the drive itself may need replacing if it’s too damaged or worn out.
Reset NVRAM on Mac
On Macs, resetting NVRAM can help clear out any USB device connection issues:
- Shut down Mac and turn it on while holding Command + Option + P + R keys.
- Keep holding keys until you hear the startup chime a second time.
- Release keys and let Mac restart normally.
Now reconnect your external drive to see if this fixes any USB issues preventing it from being detected.
Contact Technical Support
If you still can’t get your external drive to show up after trying everything, get in touch with the device manufacturer’s technical support team. They may have additional troubleshooting tips or solutions to suggest for getting your specific make and model of drive recognized.
Some companies like Seagate or Western Digital offer data recovery services that may be able to extract your data if the drive hardware is critically damaged. This will likely cost a fee but allows you to retrieve important files off the drive.
Look For Your Drive Externally
As a last-ditch effort, physically look around the area you last used the external drive to see if you can locate it. Thoroughly check behind and under any desks, cabinets, couches, shelves, drawers, etc near your computer workstation. Unplug all cords and power cables to make this easier.
If you share the computer with family members or coworkers, ask each person if they remember seeing the drive recently or know where it was left. Retrace your steps to wherever the drive was last connected or used to aid your search.
Buy a Replacement Drive
If your external drive is well and truly lost and you’ve exhausted all options to find or recover it, you may have to purchase a new replacement drive. Consider buying the same brand and storage capacity as your lost drive to easily transfer over old data backups and continue where you left off.
Of course, losing an external drive full of irreplaceable data is a worst-case scenario. Be sure to consistently back up important files and folders to multiple locations so this doesn’t happen again. Some backup options to consider:
- Cloud storage services like OneDrive or Dropbox.
- External hard drives or SSDs.
- NAS (Network Attached Storage).
- Optical discs like DVDs or Blu-Rays.
Following automatic backup procedures will help mitigate potential data loss if an external drive gets damaged or lost in the future. Your data is the most valuable asset so protect it diligently.
Conclusion
External storage devices occasionally not showing up on a computer is a common issue. But in most cases, you can resolve the problem quickly using the troubleshooting tips outlined above. The key steps include:
- Checking your computer’s file manager.
- Properly ejecting the drive before unplugging.
- Using the search function.
- Troubleshooting connections and cables.
- Updating drivers, software, and operating system.
- Reformatting the drive to fix errors.
- Trying different USB ports and cables.
- Replacing faulty hardware.
- Physically looking for the lost drive.
With some perseverance and the right troubleshooting approach, you should be able to regain access to your important external storage drive. Just be sure to always keep your irreplaceable data backed up in multiple locations so a lost drive doesn’t turn into a catastrophe.