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5 Methods to Fix “USB 3.0 External Hard Drive Not Showing Up” in Windows 10

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USB 3.0 offers high-speed data transfer which is why most of the people are opting for USB 3.0 hard drives. However, users have reported issues with the external hard drive USB Port 3 when connected to a Windows 10 PC.

If you notice that USB 3.0 is not recognized in Windows 10, nor it is visible in the Windows Explorer, there might be a few reasons behind this strange problem.

So what’s wrong with your USB 3.0 external hard drive? Why is it not showing up on your Windows 10 PC? And how to fix it? Let’s see.

Common Causes for USB 3.0 Hard Drive Problems

  • BIOS can’t detect the Eternal drive : Many users have complains that the BIOS can’t detect their external hard drive. It can be due to a fault in the cable or drive and firmware issues.
  • The laptop does not detect USB 3.0 external device : This issue occurs when you connect the USB 3.0 to your laptop. It is due to the Outdated Drivers.
  • USB external hard drive is not working on Windows 10 : This problem may occur if your hard disk is not formatted. To solve the issue try to set it to a different drive letter.
  • Seagate does not detect the external drive USB 3.0 : this issue can affect the Seagate devices as well. This issue takes place due to outdated drivers or firmware.
  • USB 3.0 does not recognize USB 3.0 flash drive : Sometimes, your USB 3.0 can’t recognize the flash drives. It is due to the outdated motherboard drives.
  • USB 3.0 is not showing up in the Disk Management : At times the External drive does not show in the Disk Management. Windows 10 external hard drive problem occurs due to the issues with your cable.

Full Fix for USB 3.0 External Hard Drive Not Showing Up Problem in Windows 10

So, we now know a few of the common USB 3.0 issues in Windows 10 and their causes. Following are a few solutions for USB 3.0 external hard drive not showing up issue in Windows 10.

1. Uninstall and Reinstall the External Hard Drive

According to many users, USB 3.0 shows up on the system by simply uninstalling, disconnecting and reconnecting the USB 3.0 hard drive.

Follow the steps below:

  • Go to the Start search box and type Device Manager
  • Select Disk Drives from the hardware list
  • Right-click on the USB external hard drive which has issues and click Uninstall

  • Now, unplug the USB cable and wait for a while
  • Reconnect the USB, and the driver should load automatically now
  • Search for the USB drive in Windows Explorer

2. Disable the USB Selective Suspend Setting

Making a couple of changes to the power settings can also help you fix the hard disk not showing up problem in Windows 10.

Do as follows:

  • Type Power Management in the Search menu and open the Power & Sleep Settings
  • Open the Additional Power settings

  • Next, to your selected power plan, click on Change plan settings and then click on Change advanced power settings

  • Search and expand the USB settings , double-click on USB selective suspend setting
  • Click on the drop-down menu and select Disable
  • Now, Click on Apply and Ok
  • Reboot your computer and check if you’re able to connect the USB device

Ensure that you create a restore point before you change your power settings

3. Update the USB 3.0 Controller Driver on Your PC

If the USB 3.0 does not show up on your PC, this may also be due to an outdated driver. You can just fix the issue by downloading the latest driver for USB 3.0 controller by downloading it from the motherboard manufacturer’s website.

In some cases, you may need to update some additional drivers manually. There are specific tools to update all the outdated drivers on your system automatically.

4. Change the Drive Letter

If you still face this issue, just fix it by changing the drive letter. Follow the below-list to change the drive letter:

  • Open the Disk Management tool
  • Now, locate your e xternal drive and right-click on it
  • Go to Change Drive Letter and Paths from the list
  • Click on the Change icon

  • Select the desirable letter and click on OK to save changes

Hopefully, your external drive is now recognizable after the above process

5. Reinstall the Drivers

If your system does not detect the USB 3.0 external drive, You may need to reinstall your drivers to fix the issue. Follow the steps below:

  • Connect a USB 2.0 port to your system
  • Open Device Manager by right-clicking on the Start menu
  • Go to Universal Serial Bus Controllers , double-click to expand the list of USB drivers

  • Select and uninstall the USB 3.0 device from the list

  • Disconnect your drive and reboot your PC

Now, finally connect the drive to a USB 3.0 and Windows may recognize the driver and install the correct driver.

That’s it! Hopefully one of these solutions may help you to solve the issue and use your USB 3.0 external hard drive on Windows OS. Let us know which of these solutions works the best for you in the comment section below.

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2 comments
  1. hp customer support
    September 24, 2018 at 4:21 am

    After connecting an external hard drive to a USB 3 Port, they have found that the computer does not read it. The drive is not recognized by the OS and is no more visible in Windows Explorer.

    Reply
    • DTP Editor
      September 24, 2018 at 4:55 am

      Yes, many users have reported the same problems with their USB 3.0 external hard drive. The above guide helps to find and fix the issue in no time.

      Reply
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