User Query

“I need to copy some files from my external hard drive to my PC. Plugged in my external drive but I was not able to read the disk. I am not able to figure out what the main problem is. A few days ago, my hard drive was working perfectly; now it is not working. I need to access my data immediately. Please suggest me a simple and instant way to fix my disk and read data from it. My hard drive is not reading in Windows 10.”

Also Read: Remove Write Protection from External Hard Drive

Reasons Which Makes Hard Drive Unreadable

There are a number of reasons that can cause an external hard drive not found in a PC. Some of them are listed below:

• The USB Port may be inactive.
• Hard drive driver is not working.
• System unable to read external hard drive due to virus attack.
• Hard Drive failure can restrict PC from reading it.
• The disk drive may be corrupted and a system unable to read.
• The external hard drive is not perfectly attached.
• Windows OS may be creating some trouble and restricting reading the external hard drive.
• hard drive not showing up in Windows 10 after drop.

Note: The external hard disk won’t read in Windows PC. There is not any specific reason behind the disk not reading error. So, the solution to this issue is also not fixed. It depends on the cause due to which the external hard drive won’t read.

Also Read: Get Windows 10 to Recognize A New Hard Drive

Methods to Resolve ‘External Hard Drive Won’t Read’ Issue

In this section, we are going to introduce different methods to troubleshoot your query, “How Do I Fix My External Hard Drive that Won’t Read Issue?” Perform the steps listed below, as suggested:

Solution 1: Try a Different USB Port to Fix Hard Drive Not Recognize in PC

Sometimes, the real problem is with the USB port to which the external hard drive is connected. If the pen drive is not responding, then it is recommended to plug the hard drive into a different USB port.

1. Remove the external hard disk connecting the cable from your PC.
2. Try to attach the external hard disk to another port.
3. You can check in all ports; it will take little time.

Solution 2: Uninstall External Hard Drive Driver to Fix Won’t Reading Issue

If the hard disk drive is outdated or damaged, then the system will not read the externally attached disk. So, simply perform the steps and fix hard drive not recognize Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, etc.

1. First, you need to click on Start and then type: devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
2. Now, open Device Manager and then expand Universal Serial Bus controllers.
3. After that, you have to check whether any device shows up as unrecognized.
4. If it shows unrecognized, then navigate to the Drivers tab and delete/uninstall the driver.
5. Next, you need to check whether the external hard drive not showing up in My Computer/My PC or not.
6. If it does not show up, then you need to reboot or restart the PC.
7. If it shows but disappears later, then you have to repeat the above step.
8. Navigate to Disk Management > Change drive letter of your external hard drive only.
9. After that, select one new drive letter to replace the old one by clicking on Change.
10. Finally, click on the OK button to confirm.

Solution 3: Turn On USB Root Hub to Fix Hard Drive Not Reading in PC

Perform the below steps and turn on the USB root hub. And check whether the external hard drive is reading or not. Follow the steps:

1. First, click on Start and then type: devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
2. Now, open Device Manager and click on Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers.
3. After that, you need to right-click USB Root Hub > Properties > Power Management > uncheck Allows the computer to turn off this device to save power.
4. Now, repeat this process for each USB Root Hub in the list and reboot to try again.

Solution 4: Show All Hidden Devices to Fix Not Reading Error

Sometimes your system setting is set to hide all externally attached disks. In this situation, you may understand that your system is not reading an external hard drive. Follow the steps listed below:

1. First of all, click on Start > Type: devmgmt.msc and press the Enter key.
2. Now, click on View > Device Manager > Select Show Hidden Devices.
3. After that, expand all notes by clicking on the + (plus) symbol.
4. Next, check if there are any grayed-out entries, then right-click on them and select Uninstall.
5. Reboot and try again.

Solution 5: Make Changes in Registry to Fix Hard Drive Not Detected

Before changing Windows registry settings. Be sure that you are making the right change. Because one wrong step may lead you into trouble. If you are new to this, then don’t perform this step.

1. First, click on Start and then type: regedt32 and click OK.
2. Now, backup your registry by navigating to file and then clicking on Export.
3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E967-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}.
4. Next, if you see any upperfilter or lowerfilters at the right side, then delete them.
5. Retry to connect the external hard drive again.

Solution 6: Use Antivirus to Fix Hard Drive Not Reading Issue

Sometimes, due to virus infection, the external hard drive not found. Thus, the user can scan the external hard drive using reliable antivirus software. It is a common practice, but some time it is a working solution for How Do I Fix My External Hard Drive that Won’t Read? Query!

1. Attach your external hard drive to your PC.
2. Launch the antivirus on your system.
3. Try to scan your disk.

Summing Up

The situation becomes worse when the external hard drive is not reorganized by the system. The user is not able to access his/her data present in this external hard drive. Thus, in this blog, we have explained various solutions using which the user can easily fix the ‘external hard drive won’t read’ issue.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Why doesn’t my computer see my hard drive?

Cause:

• Disconnected or damaged cable
• Driver issues
• Damaged drive

Solution:

• Try using a different cable or port.
• Update or reinstall the driver from Device Manager (Windows) or Disk Utility (Mac).
• Run a disk management tool such as chkdsk on Windows or fsck on Mac to check for file system errors.

Q2: What if my external hard drive doesn’t show up?

• Try to rule out USB port issues by using a different USB port or a different computer.
• If it’s a powered external hard drive, make sure it’s plugged in to a power source.
• Check disk management (Windows) or disk utility (Mac) to see if the drive is listed but not mapped.

Q3: How do I fix a hard drive that shows up but can’t be accessed?

• Open Disk Management, right-click the drive, and select Change Drive Letter and Paths to assign it a new drive letter.
  Mac: Open Disk Utility and mount the drive, or run First Aid to repair the drive.
• Use a disk recovery tool such as chkdsk (Windows) or fsck (Mac) to troubleshoot the file system.

Q5: Why doesn’t the drive show up in BIOS/UEFI?

Causes:

• The drive is physically damaged or not working properly.
• The drive cable or connector is not connected.
• The BIOS/UEFI settings are incorrect or the firmware is outdated.

Solutions:

• Make sure all cables are securely connected to the motherboard and the drive.
• Reset the BIOS settings to their default values ​​and check if a BIOS update is available.
• Test the drive on another computer to make sure there is no problem with the motherboard or controller.

Q6: What to do if the drive is formatted but you still need to recover data?

Hard Drive Recovery data recovery software can recover files from formatted drives. Before attempting to recover data, make sure the drive is not in use, as new data may overwrite the files you are trying to recover.

The post Hard Drive Not Reading – Know How Do You Fix External Hard Drive Won’t Read Error? appeared first on A Complete How to Guide - Get Solution to Your Queries.

In this situation, a user tries to reconnect the device several times, but the error still remains the same. Though their computer detects the hard drive and is visible in My Computer, yet it does not respond. Even when a user connects it to another computer, the issue continues. So, the main query of the user is how to fix hard disk stops responding error effectively?.

In this article, we will be discussing the solutions to fix the cumbersome problem. As we move forward, initially go through the below-outlined scenario that will help you to understand more about the external hard disk not responding error. The query is taken from the forum site:

User Query

“Yesterday, when I connected my Seagate external hard drive to my laptop, it was detected and the icon for hardware displayed in the bottom taskbar. But when I navigate to My Computer, it comes up as not responding. I can still open another program, etc. that is unrelated to the hard drive, but anything to do with the hard drive is “not responding.” When I plug it out, the laptop begins responding again. So, please provide me with an alternative to fix the external external drive is not working to the laptop issue. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.”

Also Read: Remove Write Protection from External Hard Drive 

5 Methods to Fix External Hard Drive Not Responding Error

There are various ways for fixing the hard disk stops responding issue. These manual techniques are divided into multiple workarounds. You just need to follow all of them to repair an external hard drive not recognized by my computer error:

Professional Solution to Save Data from Not Detected Hard Disk

The below-stated manual solutions are not able to fix the error in an effective manner. The free solutions have some disadvantages that may affect the procedure directly. To overcome all the limitations here, we come up with an appropriate software named SysTools Hard Disk Recovery Wizard. You can download and install this software on the Windows system.

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With the help of this utility, a user can repair the error within a few clicks. This recovery application is capable enough to extract data from an external hard drive, which is not responding to my computer. Moreover, it facilitates amazing features and functionalities and allows you a safe way to perform the repair task. This software is compatible with all advanced versions of the Windows operating system. If you are facing any type of data loss, then try this safe and secure way to get back all files.

Steps to Execute the Procedure to Extract Files from Not Responding Hard Disk

Step 1: The interface of the software will appear as you install and run.

Step 2: Here, scan the specified drive of the system hard drive.

Step 3: After completion of scanning, you can preview all the files and folders.

Step 4: Now, you can extract selected files or folders easily.

Re-Install the Hard Disk to Fix External Hard Drive Not Responding Error

Uninstalling and reinstalling the USB device via “Device Manager” may help you to resolve the external hard drive not working error. To do so, please follow the below-outlined steps:

• First of all, click on “Windows + X” keys and choose “Device Manager” option
• Now, expand the list that contains your device and hit on your device
• Here, select the Uninstall and confirm device removal in the dialogue box that opens
• After that, remove the device and connect it again. Connecting it will automatically reinstall the device.
• Lastly, check if you are able to access your USB; if not, you can proceed to another method.

Note: – After successfully executing complete steps. Check external hard drive recognized or not. If yes, then you need not to perform the below steps. Otherwise move to next method.

Run CHKDSK Command to Fix Hard Drive Stops Responding

If your external hard drive is highly corrupted or consists of bad sectors. Due to this, it creates hurdles in operating and shows a hard disk not responding error. You can repair it with the help of a disk check-up.

• Initially, open command prompt by pressing the “Windows + X” keys
• Now, hit the command prompt and select “Run as Administrator.” Hit on “yes” when the command is prompted properly.
• At last, in the Command Prompt wizard, add “chkdsk X: /r /f.” Here, X is the external hard drive letter and /r or /f are the parameters of CHKDSK.
• The CHKDSK will begin the scan, verification, and repair procedure. When completed, reconnect the external hard drive and check if you are able to access it positively.

Note: – Check if not responding error fixed then stop performing the steps. Otherwise move to next method.

Boot Computer in Safe Mode to Resolve Hard Drive Not Recognize

Sometimes, when an external hard drive is not showing up to my computer. This problem might occur and exist on the PC. Therefore, you can reboot the PC or laptop in safe mode and then check out where the problem exactly happens. This is not a technical workaround to fix the stop responding issue. But in some situations, it works. So, I recommend you, if the above-mentioned methods are unable to resolve Seagate hard drive stops responding error. Then try this solution.

Fix External Hard Drive Not Working Error Using Anti-Virus

If the external drive is highly infected by the virus or malware, it can cause some troublesome issues, which can lead to your crucial data loss. To clean a hard drive, you may need to utilize an appropriate and reliable anti-virus or anti-malware application.

Summing Up

You have to keep your system protected by installing a reliable antivirus program. Schedule CHKDSK to ensure your external hard drives health. However, if you faced any problem, such as an external hard drive not responding to my computer error, with the hard drive, or with any other device that can lead to data loss, The complete solution explained in this post: find a step-by-step guide to resolve an external hard drive stop responding issue.

FAQs

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