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How to Format an External Hard Drive That is Not Visible You can use a third-party tool or run the hardware troubleshooter376
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Often external hard drives aren’t visible on a Windows PC, making it challenging to format.
This issue could be because of the problematic hard drive or some problems with Windows.
You can try updating the drivers or checking the hard drive connected to fix the issue.
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There are multiple user queries where users have asked how they can format an external hard drive if that is not visible on their PCs. Here is one user query;
How can format WD 500GB External Hard disd drive that is not visible at my computer. The disk simply shows at the task bar, it cannot be read, the green light also shows on the disk. I need to format the drive…….how do I do that since it’s not visible.
If you also have a similar question as mentioned above regarding how to format an external hard drive that is not visible, then this guide is here to help you. We will show you some solutions to help you format the external hard drive when it’s not visible. So let us get right into it.
Why is the external hard drive not showing up?Here are a few reasons that could cause the external hard drive to not show up on your Windows PC.
Problematic port: Chances are that the port is problematic where you have connected your external hard drive.
System drive problem: If the external hard drive is corrupt or there are some issues with it, then it could trigger multiple problems.
It is not powered on: Some hard drives come with their own power chord which is required to be connected to the power outlet. In case that is not connected, your HDD won’t show up on your PC.
Outdated drivers: Windows may be having some device driver issues with your hard drive because they are not up to date.
How can I format an external hard drive if that is not visible on my PC?
Restart your PC and reconnect your external hard drive. There might be some temporary glitch or something that is preventing the hard drive to be detected.
Try a different port. You can connect your hard drive to a different USB port or a to a different computer altogether and check if this resolves the issue or not.
Chances are that the hard drive driver version isn’t compatible with your PC and is causing the issue. You can try updating the drivers.
In addition, you might want to check the manufacturer’s website for the latest drivers. After you have updated the driver, try formatting the external hard drive and see if this resolves the issue or not.
Alternatively, to ease out the process of manually updating drivers on your PC, you can use third-party software that we recommend called Outbyte Driver Updater. Outbyte Driver Updater is a great solution to keep all drivers up-to-date.
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2. Run the troubleshooter
Press Windows + R to open the Run dialogue.
Type the following command and press Enter to open the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter: msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic
Hit Next to start the troubleshooting.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the troubleshooting.
Once the troubleshooting process is finished, check if you can format the external hard drive or not.
3. Use AOMEI Partition AssistantSeveral users have reported that their undetectable external hard drive was detected using a third-party partition tool AOMEI Partition Tool.
You can also try using the tool and format it within the tool and see if this resolves the error or not.
4. Check if your hard drive shows in BIOS
Turn off your PC.
Restart it and while it boots, keep pressing F2, F8, F11, or Del to enter the BIOS menu. It might be a different keyboard key for your brand’s laptop. So, check your motherboard’s manual.
Once you enter BIOS, look for your hard drive.
If your hard drive appears in BIOS, it means that it’s connected and working properly.
If the hard drive doesn’t show in BIOS, it’s rather likely that it’s not properly connected or there is some problem with your external hard drive.
You can take a closer look at our dedicated guide that will teach you how to easily access the BIOS menu if you are finding it hard to do.
For users facing issues with their new hard drives, you can refer to our guide which gives you some important steps to troubleshoot the new hard drive not showing up in Windows 10/11.
If the second hard drive is causing a similar issue, then we have a bunch of solutions that will help you fix the problem.
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