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What to Do When an External Drive Does Not Appear

Troubleshoot an external hard drive or SSD missing from File Explorer.

Quick Answer

Check power/cable, then open Disk Management to see whether Windows detects the drive and whether it has a drive letter.

Step by Step

  1. Check power, cables, wireless connection, and any physical switches or indicators first.
  2. Check power/cable, then open Disk Management to see whether Windows detects the drive and whether it has a drive letter.
  3. Test the device again before making additional changes.
  4. If the problem remains, check Windows Settings and Device Manager, then use the manufacturer's official support information for the exact model.

If That Doesn't Work

  • Change one thing at a time so you know which action fixed or caused the problem.
  • Avoid downloading drivers or device utilities from unofficial driver-download websites.