While it is true, hard drives externalities are considered an optimal tool for use portable storage units with large storage capacities that you can have on hand and take anywhere. Which operate like a mechanical hard disk inserted in a box with interface USB 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 your computer may not be able to recognize an external hard drive. Which, it usually happens on computers running Windows 8, specifically.
Therefore, although this version of the operating system of Microsoft guarantees excellent benefits to its users, the truth is that it is not without 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 make your Windows 8 recognize an external hard drive with total efficiency.
What are the main reasons why my PC does not recognize an external disk?
Before knowing what are the most common reasons why a PC cannot recognize an external hard drive normally, it is essential to know how you can tell that this problem is occurring on such equipment.
So, below, we list the main ways to discover that a computer does not register an external hard drive:
- If the disc in question does not appear in the “My Computer” section, it means that the machine has not detected it.
- If introduce the physical element and there are no sounds coming from the external unit and no lights come on, it also means your PC hasn’t read it.
- You can access the Control Panel and enter the Device administrator for check that 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 some problem is happening about it.
For its part, 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.
Thus, below, we present the most common reasons why a PC with Windows 8 cannot detect the presence of an external drive:
Disc formatting is incompatible
Habitually, wrong format it is the cause that the computer cannot recognize the input of an external hard disk. Taking into account that, in any case, these elements have a format and for it to be detected by a system, it is important that there is compatibility between both.
In the case of Windows computers, 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 does not work for unknown reasons, the best thing is try to format it in FAT32. In this way, you can 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 acquire this type of item that, despite being new, comes into their hands broken. Which, known as “Dead On Arrival” (DOA) what does it mean “Dead on arrival”.
As usual, this happens due to shocks, high temperatures, vibrations or simple wear of the elements that cause a total failure of mechanics inside and that does not allow its correct operation. Whereas, by nature, hard drives they are very sensitive despite its appearance as a solid piece.
The software makes the PC not 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 its part, you will wonder why the manufacturers of these 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 will only be used to make Backups, for example; when the user actually wants to handle it to save files or other different actions.
Drive letter inconsistency
A recurring problem in these types of circumstances, lies in the drive letter. Since many external hard drives do not have an identification of this type and, as a consequence, they are not detected by the operating system. Even a problem of these can also be generated when said drive is assigned a letter equal to the one used by the other disks on the PC.
In that sense, you will have to verify if the problem in question is happening for this reason. Therefore, 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 an identical letter to another element present in the system, automatically, will be rejected by himself.
By logical failures
Although it is not the most common cause, it is worth noting that it may be another reason why a computer cannot 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 in charge of ordering and storing the information within it. So, if it presents breakdowns, 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 Windows 8 disk manager, surely, the problem 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 up to date or have certain errors, the PC will not be able to detect the presence of an external element, even when it has been entered. In addition, it is a problem that also reveals poor computer performance and reduces its stability.
Learn step by step how to make your Windows 8 recognize an external hard drive
As for every problem there is a solution, you can make your PC Windows 8 recognize the external hard drive you need to use, in some way or another.
Well, by implementing the following solutions according to the type of failure that has occurred, your computer will detect the presence of an external drive effectively:
Uninstall the internal software from the hard drive
As we explained in the previous part, hard drives have internally installed software that allows to increase its functionalities and makes it operate correctly. Therefore, to ensure compatibility, users opt for download said software on your PC to acquire these benefits.
However, in many circumstances, these types of programs can file errors in Windows which, unfortunately, prevent the recognition of the external unit (although it seems illogical). Therefore, the best solution is based on uninstalling such software from the computer and thus, reinsert the hard disk to verify that the problem has been corrected.
Reformat the disk
If the external drive has a format incompatibility with the PC, it will be necessary to format it again so that it can be detected by said equipment. Taking into account that, it is necessary to carry out this solution when the Hard Disk Task Manager display a portable storage drive with a RAW format, instead of FAT32 or NTFS.
In that sense, what you should do is find the hard drive in question and right-click on it to choose the option that says “Format”. Subsequently, you have to select a file system for the disk and thus, the formatting process will begin after which the external drive will be ready for use.
Assign a drive letter
Like, the problem has probably been caused because the external hard drive does not have a letter set, it is important that you check this and, if necessary, assign a letter to it. With it, surely, your PC will be able to recognize it immediately.
In general, this is solved by accessing the section of “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 in 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.
Now, after performing this driver installation, you must reconnect your external drive to verify that such action has fixed 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 found more serious breakdowns.
Try the disk in another port or other equipment
If you have done different techniques to solve this problem, but you don’t get a positive result; it is opportune that you choose to test the external hard drive in a different port and even in another PC. Which, more than anything, is advisable to do when there is no sound when the item is entered or the item does not appear in the list of newly connected devices.
In case it is recognized by a different port of your machine, it means that the other port has a damage It does not allow you to link the external drive with the operating system. But, if doing so still does not detect the disk, it is essential that you use another PC to test it. If this works, 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 can’t be recognized, the hard drive itself is the problem And to find a solution, it is best to go to the manufacturer or the store where you purchased it. Well, it is possible that reveal any of the mechanical failures mentioned above.