Discos rígidos externos

Is your external hard drive not recognized, does it click, beep, or flash? Is your computer, laptop, or Mac not recognizing the external storage? Is your hard drive no longer displayed in Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac)?

First of all, stay calm. Really! Keeping calm protects your files, since in almost all cases it is still possible to recover the data from the external hard drive. However, a hasty action can lead to irrevocable data loss. More than 47% of data loss is due to user error.

External hard drive not recognized – The ultimate checklist

Before making any attempt at data recovery, perform an initial analysis of the external hard drive:

External hard drive noise analysis

Is your hard disk making strange noises?

Noise analysis is the most important step if the external hard drive is not recognized. Get as close as possible to the hard drive with your ear. Some noises cannot be heard from a distance. What can you hear?

Warning! Regular clicking, buzzing, beeping, and grinding noises from the external hard drive are clear signs of a serious defect in the read/write heads. Turn off the device immediately to avoid further damage. This is definitely the end of any “do-it-yourself” attempts.

Tip: Is your hard drive not making any noise? You might have an SSD in an external enclosure – in that case, it is not necessarily a defect. SSDs have no moving parts and are usually silent.

However, if it is an HDD and it makes no sound, you should assume that the circuit board, controller, or motor is damaged. In this case as well, you will need a professional data recovery service to restore your data.

External analysis of the external hard drive

Does the external hard drive show any damage to its casing (dents, marks, scratches)?

Tip: Not every scratch is necessarily responsible for data loss, but even a small drop of just a few centimeters can cause hardware damage to the hard drive. Small scratches may indicate this.

Is the USB plug socket intact or does it appear to be bent?

If nothing is bent, proceed to the next check.

Check the USB socket: is it loose and possibly broken or detached?

If the USB socket is broken or loose, you will need an experienced IT technician or you should go directly to a data recovery center.

Check both plugs of the connection cable: are the USB plugs OK, or can you see any breakage or bent contact pins inside them?

If you find a defect in the external hard drive cable, replace it with a comparable cable and test whether the external hard drive is being recognized.

Tip: Sometimes dirt and lint accumulate in the connector. They often prevent proper contact, and the external hard drive is not recognized. Carefully clean the contacts using a toothpick. Then reconnect the external hard drive to the computer.

Analyze through the operating system

Check whether your operating system recognizes the hard drive

For Windows:

Check whether the hard drive is displayed in Device Manager.

To do this, start Device Manager ([Windows key] and type “Device Manager”) and check under “Drives” to see whether the external hard drive is displayed.

For Mac:

Open the Disk Utility (use the key combination [Command] + [Space bar] to open “Spotlight”).

Now type “Disk Utility” and confirm with [Enter], then look for the external hard drive.

Warning! If the hard drive is not recognized by the operating system, the device has physical or mechanical damage. In any case, turn off the device.

You should no longer attempt this on your own, as it will make a successful data recovery more difficult or even impossible.

Check whether a drive letter has been assigned (Windows).

If the external hard drive is recognized in Device Manager but not displayed in Explorer, check the following:

Press [Windows key] + [R] and type “compmgmt.msc” in the search field. Press the [Enter] key.

Computer Management opens. Click on Disk Management.

Can you locate the external hard drive, and it has no drive letter assigned? Great. Your data may soon be recovered.

Right-click on the external hard drive partition and select “Change drive letter and path…”.

Click on “Add” and select an available letter.

In a few seconds, your hard drive will reappear in Explorer. Congratulations!

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Digital Recovery can recover your data

If your external hard drive is no longer displayed, we will recover your data. We offer unbeatable and affordable data recovery, especially for private customers. We can help you recover your data in the following situations:

Data recovery for all manufacturers and models:

Currently, most external hard drives are from Western Digital (WD), Seagate, or Toshiba. These companies design and build their own hard drives. All other brands only manufacture enclosures and adapters. However, inside, there will always be a hard drive from one of the three main hard drive manufacturers.

In addition to the three giants (Western Digital, Seagate, and Toshiba), there are other well-known brands of external hard drives: