Occasionally, when you plug in any Seagate external hard drive to PC, it may not show up or be detected by your PC. Consequently, the disk itself and the folders and files saved on it become unapproachable and unluckily this is a common problem with Seagate drives. If you don't have any important data on the hard drive, you can just format it easily. However, if it contains lots of important data, how can you recover data from it? In this article, we'll tell you why is your Seagate external hard drive not showing up or detected. Then, we'll cover the methods to fix it as well. And what's important, we'll tell you how to recover data from the hard drive after making it work again.

1Why Seagate External Hard Drive Not Showing Up or Detected?

External hard drive not showing up or detected is just one of the many situations that indicate your Toshiba hard drive is not working. To help you fix your problematic device quickly, you should specify your situation according to the steps below before applying the fixes for 'Toshiba external hard drive not working'.

In most cases, you can access the Seagate External Hard Drive through Windows File Explorer. However, there is a great possibility that the hard drive doesn't show up in the devices and drives list. Apart from that, the Seagate external hard drive might also not show up in Disk Management. The problem can be caused by one of the following reasons:

1. Above are the top 10 situations as well as the solutions for new hard drive not showing up/external hard drive not showing up. You may just have a try and see if they are helping. We hope you will never take the last one. If you have any questions or better suggestions, let us know by tying them in the comment section below.
2. Aug 12, 2019 If your external hard drive isn’t showing up, many things could be causing the issue, including problems with your computer, a hard drive that’s dead on arrival, a fault cable and more.
3. Sep 19, 2019 External hard drive not showing up Before you begin unplug the external hard drive from the port and insert it into another port. If it works, maybe your first post is dead. Alternatively, use.

• Broken USB port or broken USB cable

• Unsupported File System

• Partition issues on the hard drive

• The hard drive driver is corrupted or outdated.

In the following part, we'll talk about how to fix the Seagate external hard drive not showing up in the computers based on the above possibilities.

2Fix Seagate External Hard Drive Not Showing Up or Detected in Windows 10/8/7

Seagate external hard drive is always used to back up important data or transfer data between computers. So, it's essential to make it works fine all the time. The following are some solutions to solve 'Seagate external hard drive not showing up or detected'.

• Method 1: Try a Different USB Port or USB Cable

• Method 2: Initializing the External Hard Drive

• Method 3: Create a New Partition

• Method 4: Change or Assign Drive Letter

• Method 5: Reformat Hard Drive

• Method 6: Update or Reinstall the Device Driver

Method 1: Try a Different USB Port or USB Cable

If your Seagate external hard drive is blinking but is not detected by your PC, then you can try to unplug it from the USB port and should plug it into a different USB port. Besides, you can reboot your PC and try to connect your Seagate external hard drive to the computer again. You can also connect it to a different computer or use a different USB cable. If this simple solution works then your problem is resolved. If not then move on to the other solutions offered here.

Method 2: Initializing the External Hard Drive

When you find the Seagate external hard drive is not showing up in your computer, the first place you should check is Disk Management. You can right click on the Windows button and choose 'Disk Management' from the list. Or press Windows button + R to bring out the dialog. Enter diskmgmt.msc to proceed. This will also open Disk Management.

You'll see the available hard drives which are connected and recognized by the computer. If you are attaching a brand new external hard drive to the computer for the first time, you'll see it here but it's not initialized. Follow the simple steps below to initialize the disk.

Step 1: Right click on the disk and select 'Initialize Disk'.

Step 2: Choose a proper partition style and click 'OK' to confirm it.

Method 3: Create a New Partition

If you see that your disk is simply unallocated, you only need to create a new partition for it. Here's how to do it.

Step 1: Right click on the unallocated disk and choose 'New Simple Volume' from the options.

Step 2: A 'New Simple Volume Wizard' will show up. Follow the wizard to specify the volume size and assign drive letter or path.

Once done, remove the Seagate external hard drive and connect it to the computer again. Then, you'll find that the disk is detected and showing up in the Windows File Explorer.

Method 4: Change or Assign Drive Letter

If the Seagate external hard drive does not have a drive letter or the drive letter conflicts with other disks, the hard drive won't show up in your computer. Under this circumstance, you need to assign or change the drive letter.

Step 1: Right click on your hard drive and select 'Change Drive Letter and Paths'.

Step 2: Select 'Add' option if your hard drive doesn't have a drive letter, and select 'Change' option if it already has one and you want to change it.

Step 3: Choose a letter for the drive and that's all.

Method 5: Reformat Hard Drive

As we have mentioned in the Part 1, the unsupported File System will cause the 'Seagate external hard drive not showing up' issue. If you find your hard drive is partitioned but still not show up in your computer, it is possible that it's partitioned with a different file system. For example, if you have formatted the hard drive with APFS File System on Mac, this problem will certainly happen when you connect the hard drive to Windows computers. To fix it, you need to reformat your Seagate external hard drive with NTFS File System or FAT32 File System.

Step 1: To do this, right click on the hard drive and select 'Format' option.

Step 2: Choose 'NTFS' or 'FAT32' from the File Sysetem.

Note: Reformat your Seagate external hard drive with new File System with erase all the data on it. If you can, please remember to back up your data before formatting. However, if you do not have the chance to back up the data, you can use a professional tool to recover the data after formatting.

Method 6: Update or Reinstall the Device Driver

Maybe your Windows has a driver problem with your device and by using the Device Manager you can check it. You can open Device Manager by pressing Win+R together to open the 'Run' dialog then enter devmgmt.msc. Next, Expand the Disk drives category and check for any devices with a yellow exclamation point next to them, right-click on its name and select 'Update Driver'. If it works then it's ok otherwise uninstall and then reinstall the driver. To uninstall the driver, click on Uninstall that will help you completely uninstall Drivers.

3Bonus: How to Recover Files from Formatted Seagate External Hard Drive?

Due to the 'Seagate external hard drive not showing up' issue, you might not be able to back up your data before initializing or reformatting the hard drive. Luckily, there are loads of powerful data recovery programs nowadays. One such program is iMyFone AnyRecover which can help you recover data from the formatted hard drive easily and quickly. Furthermore, it is compatible with all the versions of Windows. Together with the accessible interface, the software does not require any technical knowledge. You can do it by yourself without anyone's assistance.

Why Choose iMyFone AnyRecover?

It proves helpful to support 1000+ file types including documents, musics, images, audios, emails, archives and others.

Based on the all-round scan and deep scan, it guarantees the highest recovery rate in the market.

After scaning, you can preview the data freely. And you can use the free version to recover 3 files for free.

By using the program, your data security is 100% ensured.

Simple Steps to Recover Data from Formatted Hard Drive:

Step 1: First of all launch AnyRecover software. Then select a disk under the 'External Removable Devices' tab.

Step 2: After selecting the location, hit 'Start' button to start scanning.

Step 3: The program will start scanning, and show you all the lost files in the list. You can select to preview them and click 'Recover' to get back your data.

Overall, it is not too difficult to fix Seagate external hard drive not showing up only if you take proper action. If you tried the above-mentioned solutions and the Seagate external hard drive still not detected or recognized the cause might be the hard drive itself. If you accidentally format your Seagate external hard drive, iMyFone AnyRecover can help you recover data from it.

Many Windows users have reported an issue that one of theirhard drives is not showing up on their computer. They can’t find any partition on that hard drive in File Explorer. This usually happens when they have installed a new hard drive or upgraded their computer from a previous version of Windows.

If you get this issue, you may not be able to use and access the data stored on the problem hard drive. And this can drive you mad. Perhaps you are trying desperately to find a solution to fix this problem.

But don’t worry! Your hard drive not showing up issue CAN be fixed. The following methods has helped many people that were in the same condition, and they will be able to help you.

NOTE: The methods as follows may erase your data on your hard drive. It is recommended that you perform data recovery to save your data before troubleshooting. You will need a third-party program or a specialist to help you recover your data. Do some research on the Internet. Experiment with those notable data recovery programs or search for the data recovery service providers near you. Be extra careful about these programs and providers, as the more trustworthy they are, the more likely they are to recover your data on your disappearing hard drive.

Method 1: Initialize and format your hard drive
Method 2: Update your motherboard drivers
Method 3: Check your BIOS
Method 4: Check your cable connection
Method 5: Get your computer repaired

Method 1: Initialize and format your hard drive

Your hard drive may not show up on your computer because it is not formatted properly. This often happens after you install a new hard drive. But it is also possible that some corruption issues occur on your hard drive. It is then unrecognized by your operating system. In either case, you should initialize and format your hard drive and see if it appears.

To do so:

1) Press the Windows logo key and R on your keyboard at the same time to invoke the Run box.

2) In the Run box, type “diskmgmt.msc” and press Enter on your keyboard. This will open Disk Management.

3) In Disk Management, you will see an unknown and not initialized disk listed (if not, please skip this method). This should be the disk that didn’t show up. Right click it and select Initialize Disk.

4) In the dialog popping up, select the GPT partition style of this hard drive (GPT is recommended as it is more efficient, but you can also choose MBR if you need compatibility with old operating systems). Then click OK.

5) Right click the disk that has just been initialized, then select New Simple Volume.

6) Follow the instructions of the wizard popping up to set the volume size, format and drive letter,and complete the volume creation.

7) Open File Explorer and see if your hard drive shows up.

Method 2: Update your motherboard driver

Sometimes your hard drive can’t show up because the motherboard drivers on your computer are out of date. You can try updating these drivers and see if this can get your hard drive back.

It can take plenty of time and energy to find the correct drivers for your motherboard and install them on your computer. If you want to save all these troubles and get your drivers updated easily, you can use Driver Easy.

Driver Easy will automatically recognize your operating system and hardware devices. It can quickly detect the drivers you need to update and download the correct drivers automatically for you. And with the Pro version of Driver Easy, you can update all your device drivers with only 2 clicks (and you get 30-day money back guarantee and full technical support).

To update drivers using Driver Easy:

1)Download and install Driver Easy.

External Hard Drive Not Showing Up On Any Computer Remotely

2) Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.

3) Click the Update button next to each of your devices to download the latest and correct driver for this device. You can also click the Update All button at the bottom right to automatically update all outdated or missing drivers on your computer (this requires the Pro version — you will be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All).

Second Hard Drive Not Showing Up

Method 3: Check your BIOS

If hard drive does not appear on your computer, you can check if you can see it on BIOS. BIOS, short for Basic Input/Output System, monitors the interaction between the operating system and hardware devices on your computer. You can access your BIOS and check your hard drive status. The following shows you what and where you should check on your BIOS. (Note that the interface and settings are different depending on the version of BIOS you use. Consult your manual of motherboard or computer for instructions.)

IMPORTANT: Be extra careful when changing BIOS settings as any mistakes may bring about serious consequences. Read the instructions from the manual carefully before you make any change. Ask a computer specialist for help if necessary.

External Hard Drive Not Showing Up On Any Computer Software

1) Shut down your computer and then power it on to BIOS (the manual of your motherboard or computer will show you how to do this, or you can check this guide).

2) Check the boot order list to see if your hard drive shows up on BIOS.

3) If you can see the problem hard drive is not in the list, try enabling the controller related to hard drive on BIOS. There may be some particular settings on BIOS that has been disabled and make your hard drive inaccessible. Look for these settings from your motherboard or computer manual and check to see if they are enabled. If not, turn them on, and then save these settings and restart your computer to see if your hard drive appears.

Method 4: Check your cable connection

It is possible that you hard drive does not show up because of improper cable connection, which is often ignored. The data or power cable may not be correctly plugged into your hard drive or motherboard. You should double check the cable connection. You will need to reconnect your hard drive if the connection is loose.

If the cables are properly connected to your devices, and the problem persists, the (SATA) port you use may be corrupted. You can try plugging the data cable to another port on your motherboard and check if this recover your hard drive. Or you can test with a new cable and see if the cable is your problem.

Method 5: Get your computer repaired

If you have tried all the methods above and your hard drive still can’t show up, it is possible there are some hardware issues with your hard drive or motherboard. You can contact the manufacturer of your devices and ask them for advice or get your devices repaired or replaced.