External Hard Drive Detected But Not Opening - [2024 Solutions]

Issue: My External Hard Drive is Recognized but Won't Open

Recently, I connected my 64GB external hard drive to the computer, and it didn't show up normally in the 'My Computer' folder. Instead, I received a disk not initialized error in Device Manager.

"My external hard drive is detected but won't open? There are numerous important files on it, so I can't format the drive unless I've ensured the safe restoration of those files. Is it possible to fix this problem without losing my data?"

Unlike an unrecognized external hard drive, the causes of the "external hard drive detected but cannot open" error seem to be more frequently discussed. Here are some common symptoms when an external hard drive or other storage devices become inaccessible:

• Access denied
• File system error
• The storage device driver is outdated
• Device not formatted error
• Unsupported file system
• The request failed due to a fatal device hardware error
• Unknown disk not initialized

The mentioned issues may commonly occur on most older devices. To address these issues, you can first follow the guidelines in Part 1 to restore and extract data from the device, and then refer to Part 2 for specific solutions.

For a new external hard drive, users might encounter the last mentioned issue, and they simply need to initialize the device to make it accessible.

Part 1. Restore Data from Non-Opening External Hard Drive (3 Steps)

How can you access saved data on an external hard drive that isn't opening on your Windows computer? The professional data recovery software, Data Recovery Wizard, allows you to access data on an inaccessible storage device.

Using it, you can thoroughly scan and recover data from the inaccessible hard drive in just 3 steps:

Step 1. Use the correct USB cable to connect your external hard drive to your computer. Run the Data Recovery Wizard, and you'll see your external disk listed under External Drives. This software supports all popular external hard drive brands, such as WD, Seagate, Toshiba, LaCie, SanDisk, Samsung, etc.

Select the external hard drive and then click the "Scan" button.

Step 2. As soon as the scanning process begins, the software will find and display more and more lost and deleted data in the scan results. The retrieved data will be neatly organized. You can quickly locate the target files/folders by file type or search for them using the exact file name in the search box.

Step 3. Preview the files found by Data Recovery Wizard's scanning algorithms. Next, select the files and click "Recover". To prevent overwriting data, we advise saving the recovered data to a different drive than the original Seagate drive.

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Following this, proceed to Part 2 to find an effective solution to regain access to the external hard drive on Windows 10, 8, or 7.

Part 2. Resolving "External Hard Drive Won't Open" Error (5 Methods)

如何解决外部硬盘被检测到但不显示的问题，让设备恢复正常工作？在这里，我们收集了5种可靠的方法来帮助您：

Manuel hard drive repair service	This can fix corrupted/inaccessible hard drives, especially for issues related to physical damage on the hard drive. It involves manually repairing and replacing faulty hardware components such as the head, motor, circuit board, etc.
Gain administrator permission	This method may be effective when the user account lacks sufficient permissions to access certain files or folders on the external hard drive. However, it may not work if more serious factors cause the issue.
Update external hard drive driver	This can resolve issues with an outdated device driver or a malfunctioning external hard drive driver. By updating the driver, the computer can better recognize and communicate with the external hard drive.
Check and fix file system errors	Effective when the file system on the external hard drive is corrupted. The system can fix file system errors, bad sectors, or other disk-related issues that might lead to data loss or system crashes.
Change the file system to NTFS	This method can help when the external hard drive's file system is incompatible with the operating system or software used to access it. However, it may erase all data on the drive, so remember to back up your data beforehand.

Method 1: Seek professional hard drive repair service

Applies to: repair corrupted/damaged/inaccessible hard drives

This is the most effective method to resolve "external hard drive detected but not opening." You don't need to attempt repairing the hard drive yourself. Expert hard drive repair tools, such as Data Recovery Services, can handle this task for you.

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Tools Data Recovery Services

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Consult with Tools data recovery specialists for personalized manual recovery assistance. After a FREE diagnosis, we can provide the following services:

• Repair corrupted RAID configuration, unbootable Windows operating system, and damaged virtual disk files
• Recover or repair lost partitions and re-partitioned drives
• Undo hard drive formatting and repair RAW drives (including Bitlocker encrypted drives)
• Rectify disks that have become protected by GPT partitions

Method 2: Obtain administrator permissions (3-4 minutes)

Applies to: Resolving the issue of a device being inaccessible due to lack of access permissions

The process of obtaining access permissions on Windows 10 and 8 is similar, with just a slight variation on Windows 7 and older operating systems.

Step 1. Open "This PC", right-click the inaccessible external hard drive, and choose "Properties".

Step 2. Go to Security, click "Edit," and then click your username under Group or username.

Step 3. Check all boxes under the Allow column, click "OK" to confirm, and "Apply" to save all changes.

Restart your PC and reconnect the external hard drive to your PC if needed.

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If you're experiencing a similar issue with your hard drive, you can try the fixes below directly.

How to Fix Hard Drive Not Showing Up in Windows

Is your hard drive, whether new or old, internal or external, not appearing in File Explorer or Disk Management? Continue reading to learn how to make your hard drive visible again in Windows 10/8/7 without data loss.

Method 3: Update the external hard drive driver (3-5 minutes)

Applies to: Resolving device driver outdated and non-functional issue

This method is worth a try if you can't access your external hard drive on Windows 10.

Step 1. Connect the external hard drive to the PC.

Step 2. Right-click on the This PC/My Computer icon, choose Manage, and then go to Device Manager.

Step 3. Expand Disk drives, find and right-click on the external hard drive, then select "Update driver".

Update the external hard drive driver.

Step 4. Choose "Search automatically for updated driver software" and wait patiently until the process is finished.

如果系统需要，重新启动PC并重新连接设备。

Method 4: Check and fix file system errors (4-5 minutes)

Applies to: Repairing a corrupted file system or addressing existing errors that prevent the device from opening

To accomplish this, you can either employ disk error checking utilities or use the Command Prompt (cmd) to detect and rectify existing file system issues on your device.

注意: 运行chkdsk有可能修复文件系统错误，但同时也可能导致数据丢失。因此，请先进行数据恢复，然后再继续使用CMD方法。

Here's an example of using the CMD command to fix file system errors:

Step 1. Press the Windows + R keys together to open the Run dialog. Type cmd in the blank box and press Enter.

Step 2. Type diskpart and click OK to launch it.

Step 3. Type chkdsk G: /f /r /x and press Enter. (Replace G with the correct drive letter of the external hard drive that isn't opening.)

Exit the command prompt and safely remove your external hard drive. Wait a few seconds, then try reconnecting it and see if you can access it normally.

If the command line isn't your preferred option, you can use this command-line alternative tool called CleanGenius. Utilize this one-click solution to fix the file system error on your hard drive.

Step 1. Download the CleanGenius tool for free on your computer.

Step 2. Launch the software. Click "Optimization" on the left panel, and then select "File Showing."

Step 3. Go to "Choose drive" and select the drive with a file system error. Check the "Check and fix file system error" option and click "Execute".

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Step 4. Wait for CleanGenius to complete the repair process. After that, click on "here" to view the results.

Method 5: Format the external hard drive and change the file system to NTFS

Applies to: Resolve unsupported or unrecognized file system leading to device being inaccessible

NTFS and FAT32 are the default file systems for external hard drives and USB devices. Occasionally, if the operating system does not support a particular file system, the device may fail to open.

To address this issue, you can reformat the device to NTFS or FAT32 using Disk Management or a free formatting tool. Here's an example of how to change the file system of an external hard drive using the free formatting tool - Partition Master Free. It only takes 3 simple steps: 1. Download and install Partition Master Free. 2. Launch the tool and locate the external hard drive you want to format. 3. Right-click on the drive and select "Format". Choose NTFS or FAT32 as the file system, then click "OK" to start the formatting process. After the process is complete, your external hard drive should be functional again.

Step 1. Right-click the hard drive partition and choose the "Format" option.

Step 2. In the new window, specify the Partition label, File system, and Cluster size for the partition, then click "OK".

Step 3. A warning window will appear; click "Yes" to proceed.

Step 4. Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button, followed by "Apply" to commence formatting the hard drive partition.

Wait for the formatting process to finish. Then, you can safely unplug and re插入the external hard drive to use it for storing files again.

底线

In summary, to safely disconnect an external hard drive using the safe removal method, promptly update disk drivers, fix file system errors, and utilize a compatible file system on storage devices, you can effectively prevent the issue of the device being detectable but not opening.

Additionally, when encountering this issue, try not to panic. First, utilize a file recovery tool to restore and export important files, and then apply the 4 methods provided on this page to regain functionality on your device.

"External Hard Disk Detected but Not Opening" FAQs

The following topics pertain to issues with external hard drives not being accessible. Please find the concise answers to these problems.

< strong > 1. Why won't my Mac open my External Hard Disk?

The following explanations could apply if your hard disk is accessible:

• Issue with the USB port or cable connection
• Corruption of the file system on the external hard drive
• Bad sectors occupying the drive
• Disk needs to be updated

**2. How do I resolve the issue of an External hard disk being detected but not opening on a Mac?**

To resolve the issue, please follow the solutions below:

• Update the drivers on Mac
• Inspect the file system and reformat to Fat32
• Repair using Disk Utility
• Initialize the disk
• Reinstall macOS

3. Can I recover files from a hard disk that won't open?

Yes, you can attempt to recover a hard drive that won't open by following these steps:

Translate the following text into English: - Select the SD card to be scanned. - View the scan results. - Click Recover after choosing the desired files.