7 Best Ways to Fix External Storage Not Appearing in Windows 10

Most Windows-based computers continue to support the USB-A port for various devices. You can easily connect a hard drive, Solid State drive or USB Pen drive to the Windows 10 machine and access the contents inside. But what if Windows 10 cannot detect the connected external storage?

The situation can hinder your workflow. Follow the troubleshooting guide to fix external storage not showing up in Windows 10 issue.

1. Check Cable Connection

It is always recommended to check the cable connection on both sides. Make sure the cable is properly connected to both Windows 10 and the external drive.

If the cable has any connection loss or malfunction, the system will not read the connected device and display the content.

2. Try Another USB Port

Chances are, the USB port you are trying to use in Windows 10 may be malfunctioning for a number of reasons. There may be physical damage or software bug related to the port.

You can always try your luck with another USB port on the device and see if the external storage works as expected in Windows 10. Most Windows 10 laptops only come with a single USB port. If you have a Type-C dongle, try connecting the external storage to the Windows 10 desktop via USB Type-C dongle.

3. Update USB Drivers

Corrupted or outdated USB drivers in Windows 10 can affect the USB connection. You can find the latest drivers from windows updates. Alternatively, you can use Device Manager to update the relevant drivers in Windows 10. Follow the steps below.

Stage 1: Press the Windows key on the keyboard and search for Device Manager.

Step 2: Open Device Manager.

Stage 3: Scroll down and locate Universal Serial Bus controllers.

Step 4: Right click on all drivers from the menu and update.

4. Update Disk Drivers

In rare cases, connected external drives also need updated drivers to work properly. All popular hard drive companies continue to release corresponding drivers for a seamless experience. Here’s how to update them in Windows 10.

Stage 1: Press the Windows key on the keyboard and search for Device Manager.

Step 2: Open Device Manager.

Stage 3: Scroll down and locate Disk drivers.

Step 4: You will find your connected external drive. Right click on it and update the drivers to the latest version.

5. Create a New Drive

You can use this trick if the external storage drive shows up in Disk Management. So, after connecting the external storage to your Windows 10 PC, open the Disk Management tool.

The Disk Management tool can fix partition and file system problems on your drive.

If the attached drive has a basic data partition and you still don’t see it, make sure it has a drive letter set. This should happen automatically. However, if it is not working properly, the drive has a letter assigned and may not be accessible in Windows.

Stage 1: Right click on the drive and select Change Drive Letter and Paths.

Step 2: Click Add and choose one. Add any alphabet letter like G, J or E and it will work.

6. Format the Drive

If the drive has a basic partition and you can’t access it, it’s probably partitioned with a different file system.

Warning: Formatting the drive or changing the file system will cause data loss. We don’t recommend doing this unless the external storage is free or you have any data you might need.

For example, you may have formatted the drive with XFS file system on Mac or APFS file system on Linux. Windows cannot read these file systems. You must format the drive with the latest NTFS file system for Windows to recognize it.

Stage 1: Connect external storage to Windows 10 device.

Step 2: Open Disk Management.

Stage 3: Right-click the mounted disk and select Format from the menu below.

Step 4: Select the File system you want to format and hit the OK button at the bottom.

We recommend using the NTFS file system for hard drives and SSDs. For small flash drives, you can use the exFAT file system.

7. Update Windows

Now the external storage shown in Windows 10 may have nothing to do with the external storage itself. A new Windows 10 major might have affected the USB operations on the machine. Microsoft is quick to fix such problems.

In Windows, open the Settings app (Windows + I) and go to the Update & Security menu. Update Windows 10 to the latest version available.

Access External Storage in Windows 10

Windows 10 not showing external storage can break your workflow. Go through the above troubleshooting tricks and fix the problem. While you’re here, let us know which scheme worked for you in the comments below.

Next: Seeing blurry text in random places in Windows 10? Read the post below to know how to fix blurry text issue in Windows 10.