How To Access an External Hard Drive on Windows 10

How To Access an External Hard Drive on Windows 10


This article is provided as a courtesy. The original article can be found at https://www.lifewire.com/access-external-hard-drive-on-windows-10-5191643

How Do I Use an External Hard Drive With Windows 10?

Using an external hard drive with Windows 10 is typically a very straightforward process. Here's how to do it.

  1. Plug your external hard drive into your desktop or laptop PC.
Tip: You may need to look for where the USB port is on your system. Typically, on a desktop, these are on the front or back of the case. On a laptop, they're usually on the sides.
  1. In the Windows 10 search bar, type This PC.
  1. Click This PC.
Windows 10 search bar results displaying This PC
  1. Click the external hard drive listed. 
Windows 10 file explorer with external hard drive highlighted
Tip: It's usually listed next to a hard drive named Windows.
  1. Access any files on the hard drive like you would with an ordinary internal hard drive.

Additional Ways To Find My External Hard Drive on Windows 10

There are other ways to find your external hard drive on Windows 10. Here's another option that may be more convenient for some users. 

Tip: Either method provides the same result but one method may prove more useful for your workflow.
  1. Click the folder icon on the Windows 10 taskbar.
Windows 10 desktop folder quick access icon
  1. Click the arrow to the left of Quick Access.
Windows 10 file explorer with arrow next to quick access highlighted
  1. Click the external hard drive name to access it.

Why Does Windows 10 Not Recognize My External Hard Drive?

If Windows 10 won't recognize you have an external hard drive plugged in, there are numerous reasons why this might be the case. Here's a look at some of the main reasons why.

  • There's an issue with the USB connection. Try moving the external hard drive to a different USB port. The issue may have been with the USB connection.
  • Try a different USB cable. If your external hard drive has a detachable USB cable, try a different one in case the cable has failed.
  • Check the power. If your external hard drive is powered by an AC outlet (rather than just the USB port), check it's receiving power.
  • Try a different PC. Try a different PC to see if the problem lies with the PC or the hard drive. 
  • Check the hard drive is detected in Disk Management. Press Windows key + R then type diskmgmt.msc to bring up Disk Management. Check that the hard drive is listed here. 
  • The hard drive can't be read. If the hard drive is listed in Disk Management but can't be viewed, try formatting the disk. You'll lose all stored files but the hard drive should be viewable again. 
  • The hard drive has failed. In some cases, the problem may be the hard drive has failed. If you've tried all other solutions, this is likely the case.

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