PC no longer able to open external hard drives

[AlexArcherPKFR]

Since yesterday my desktop is no longer opening external hard drives. The external drives are showing up in device management but not in disk management. The drives are not broken as they have been tested and open perfectly fine on two other PC's. Have looked online but have not found any solution.

[praveen196]

@AlexArcherPKFR Welcome to HP Community!

• Try connecting the drive to a different port on the computer.
• If possible, try using a different cable.
• Verify the drive light is on. Desktop Drives typically require a power adapter. No light could indicate the power adapter is not connected to power.
• Try a different power outlet. (Desktop Drives)
• If using a surge protector or power strip, plug the power adapter directly into the wall outlet instead.(Desktop Drives)
• Did you get any error code?

In the meantime, please perform the below steps and let us know.

If the drive was not detected under Disk Drives then check the following:

• Within Device Manager look for any entries called unknown device, other devices, or mass storage device with a yellow! icon. Important - Make sure to expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers section so you can see entries there as well.
• If you see an unknown device or other devices then right-click on it and select properties.
• Under the general tab locate ‘Device Status’ and there may be an error code.
• You may see a code 10 or 28.

If you see Code 10 and have already tried another cable and computer then the drive has probably failed.
If you need the data on the drive, then you will want to consider  data recovery.
If you see Code 28 (this may work for other codes too, i.e. Code 43) then try the following:

• Close the window with the code.
• Right-click on the device with the issue and select uninstall.
• Shut the computer down and disconnect the drive.
• Reboot with the drive disconnected.
• Once the computer is booted, plug the drive into a different port.
• You should see that Windows is installing device drivers.
• Once the driver loads, check to see if it is giving the same Code.

Note: If that fails, you will need to try to reload the USB drivers for the operating system by inserting your Windows Media, rebooting and attempting a Repair/Restore.

Warning: This can be dangerous to your data and you should disconnect your external drive before attempting this.

Keep us posted,

If you would like to thank us for our efforts to help you, 

Give us a virtual high-five by clicking the 'Thumbs Up' icon below, followed by clicking on the "Accept as solution" on this post, 

Have a great day!

[AlexArcherPKFR]

I have tried all of the above. Have tried the drives on other desktops. Both drives worked perfectly fine. The drives appear correctly named in device manager with no error messages. All USB ports work as I have tested them with my mouse and keyboard which are connected to my desktop via USB ports.

[praveen196]

@AlexArcherPKFR

Please let me know which brand external hard drive you are using and what is size of the hard drive.

Please see the below screenshot and remove the checkmark on the allows the computer to turn off the device to save power and check.

Also, you can try connecting the external hard drive's USB connector into a USB hub that is 2.0 and check for the issue.

Keep us posted,
If you would like to thank us for our efforts to help you, 

Give us a virtual high-five by clicking the 'Thumbs Up' icon below, followed by clicking on the "Accept as solution" on this post, 

Have a great day!

[AlexArcherPKFR]

The two external hard drives ive tried are a TOSHIBA, and a brand new WD Elements. Both 1TB. Bought the WD drive as a thought my TOSHIBA drive was dead. Tried your latest advice, but this has still not fixed the issue

[praveen196]

@AlexArcherPKFR

Please update the chipset, BIOS and check for the issue. 

Keep us posted,
If you would like to thank us for our efforts to help you, 

Give us a virtual high-five by clicking the 'Thumbs Up' icon below, followed by clicking on the "Accept as solution" on this post, 

Have a great day!

[AlexArcherPKFR]

I have never messed around with the chipset or BIOS so don't know how to go about doing so.

[Riddle_Decipher]

@AlexArcherPKFR I understand exactly what you mean, here's what you need to know:

Updating the BIOS is recommended as standard maintenance of the computer. It can also help resolve the following issues:

• An available BIOS update resolves a specific issue or improves computer performance.

• The current BIOS does not support a hardware component or a Windows upgrade.

• HP support recommends installing a specific BIOS update.

FOR DETAILS & FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS, USE THIS LINK: CLICK HERE

(By the end of this article all the issues should be resolved)

If you wish to thank me for my efforts, you could click on "Accept as solution" on my post as the solution should help others too.

[AlexArcherPKFR]

Unfortunately i have the newest version installed so there is no way I could update.

[praveen196]

@AlexArcherPKFR

Please create the new user and check for the issue.

Also, run the hardware troubleshooter and check. 

1. Press Windows Key + I to open the Setting app
2. Go to the Update & Security section.
3. Select Troubleshoot from the menu on the left and in the right pane choose Hardware and Devices. Now click Run the troubleshooter button.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the troubleshooter

Please install the mass store device drivers.

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Locate your portable hard drive, right-click it and choose Update Driver.
3. Select Browse my computer for driver software.
4. Select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
5. Now select the Mass Storage Device driver and install it.

Keep us posted,
If you would like to thank us for our efforts to help you, 

Give us a virtual high-five by clicking the 'Thumbs Up' icon below, followed by clicking on the "Accept as solution" on this post, 

Have a great day!