How To Recover Data From Not Detected Hard Drive

Instead of opening the external hard drive folder, is your computer screen staring back at you when you connect your external hard disk?

Of course, you have all your photos, videos, files, and crucial data backed up on your hard disk, and you can’t risk losing it all.

But before worrying about losing all your data, how about trying some hacks to fix it? If not, you can still recover data from the external hard disk not detected.

As you read ahead of this article, you will discover how to recover/fix an external hard disk that is not detected through the following topics:

• Why is the external hard disk not detected?
• How to fix an external hard disk not detected?
• How to recover data from an external hard disk not detected?

Why is the external hard disk not detected?

An external hard disk not detected will show these signs:

• The hard disk is not detected in the File Explorer
• The hard disk displays Not Initialized, Unknown, even with a new drive
• The hard disk comes up as RAW in Disk Management
• The hard disk shows a yellow exclamation mark

If you see any of these signs when you connect your hard disk, then it can be due to the following:

• The USB connection is problematic.
• The not supported or corrupted file system
• The USB port is damaged and needs to be replaced
• The hard disk drive letter has issues
• The hard disk driver is old and outdated
• Virus invasions and infection due to malware
• Physical damage to the external hard drive due to dropping it down.

How to fix an external hard disk not detected?

1. Work on the USB connection

If the hard disk is not displaying in File Explorer or shows a Disk Management error, it can be due to the disk connection.

Disk connection problems usually happen due to a loose connection or problematic cable.

So the simple three fixes are:

• Inspect the cables. If the USB cable is damaged, replace it with a new one.
• Disconnect and tightly reconnect your hard drive using the cable.
• Switch off and restart your computer to check whether the hard disk displays.

2. Update the disk drivers

If the problem is not with the USB connection, the next one to check for is the hard disk driver issue.

There are chances that old drivers can stop the connection between the drive and the PC, which displays that the hard disk has not identified an error.

To check the status of the driver, do the following steps:

• Press “Windows + R.” Type devmgmt.msc in the run dialogue box, and click OK.
• Extend disk drivers, and check for the name of your hard drive. Then right-click on it.
• Select the ‘Properties’ option and click on the Driver tab.
• Then select Update Driver Software.

Tada! You have successfully updated the disk driver.

3. Change the drive letter

The next way to fix the drive is by modifying or setting a drive letter.

Your hard disk will not be detected when the external hard drive doesn’t have a drive letter or if the current drive letter counters the other disks.

So you have to change the drive letter by doing the following steps:

• Do right-click on ‘My Computer’ or ‘This PC’ and select the Manage option.
• Choose Disk Management.
• Right-click the connected hard disk and select ‘Change Drive Letter and Paths.’
• Select the ‘Add’ option, select a new drive letter from the drop-down list, and press OK.

That’s it, and you are done!

How to recover data from an external hard disk not detected?

If none of the above methods to fix the external hard disk works, then there are possibilities that your hard disk is damaged beyond fixing.

In such a situation, of course, you will have to recover your data stored on the hard disk.

So the next option is to seek the support of a professional hard drive recovery service provider to recover the data.

Stellar Hard Disk Recovery Service provides cutting-edge services to recover data from external hard disks not detected.

Whether the hard disk is burnt, water damaged, dead, or faced logical data loss, Stellar has an 80% success rate in their hard disk recovery service with a no recovery, no charge policy.

Conclusion: Recover/fix an external hard disk that is not detected

Overall, recovering an external hard disk not detected is easy once you identify the reason for your hard disk failure.

Having a certified hard disk recovery service provider for your help will make it even easier.

If you have tried and tested all the above methods and can still not recover your lost data, Stellar Hard Disk Recovery Service can help you retrieve all the data hassle-free.