Western Digital External Hard Drive not Recognized by Windows XP: Does not show up in My Computer or Device Manager.

Anonymous

My external hard drive does not run automatically when plugged into my USB port on my computer. It is not recognized in my computer and it does not show up in Device Manager. I have applied a hot fix for this problem and it was stated that problems are detected but after applying the hot fix the problem still exits! HELP. I went to Western Digital for this problem and they stated in their FAQ's that it is a Windows problem and that the drivers might be corrupted. This is probably true as the device works perfectly on other computers. Now what do I do?

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Here’s the actual steps needed to get your external USB drive assigned a letter in Windows XP if it does not show up in Windows Explorer:

1) Right-click on “My Computer”

2) Click “Manage”

3) Double-click “Disk Management”

4) You will probably see Disk 0 and Disk 1 for your primary hard drive. Go to lower right portion of box and scroll down until you see Disk 2. It is probably your USB drive without a letter. It should show the size of the drive.

5) Right-click in the left portion of that drive box (Disk 2)

6) Click “Initialize” and “OK” in the next dialog box. This takes just a few seconds and it should now say “Online” in the “Disk 2” box.

7) Right-click in the box to the right side of the “Disk 2” box (where it shows your disk drive size and says “Unallocated”.

8) Click “New Partition” and a “New Partition Wizard” will open up.

9) Click “Next”, then select “Primary Partition” and click “Next”.

10) Verify partition size (use entire disk size available unless you are creating multiple drives) and Click “Next”.

11) Assign drive letter (“F” is typical if CD-Rom is E) and click “Next”.

12) Format this partition with “NTFS”, “Default”, “New Volume” and click “Next”.

13) Then click “Finish” to exit the wizard and start formatting.

14) Be patient… this can take awhile (it took just over an hour for a 320GB drive).

15) When done, you should see an icon for your drive in Windows Explorer!

Hope this helps!!

Doc

0 comments

42 additional answers

Anonymous

2010-05-16T17:36:36+00:00

My external hard drive is a 250 GB, My Passport Essential. As I stated above it works on other computers. The hotfix was from Microsoft, but I can't locate it at the moment so I cannot provice a link. I will look and try to provide that for you. It was in an answer from another user who was having the sameproblem. I did the above in step 2, and nothing worked. I have to try the USB in the back of my computer and see if that works. I do have not power supply to this drive as it is quite lightweight, it just plugs into the USB Port and would normally run automatically.

I went to Western Digital, and it stated that there is no driver from WD, that the drivers are provided for this product by Windows. I have been in touch with their techs and have done what they told me to do, which was uninstall and re-install, the drivers for each USB hub and this did not work either. HELP

This is what I have done so far. Any other suggestions? I am really at my wits end! LOL Thank you for any help at all!

Sincerely

bonfan1823
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
LemP 74,990 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2010-05-16T18:33:51+00:00

Try the USB port in the back of your computer.

Also, as I wrote earlier, disconnect all other USB devices from your computer except your mouse and keyboard. Your external drive gets its power from your computer's USB port. There is only a limited amount of power available from the internal USB hub. If you have several USB devices drawing power, you may exceed the capacity of the hub.

When you connect your drive to a USB port, is there any indication (sound or popup) that Windows has detected that you connected it? Please report any messages verbatim. If there is no indication that Windows has detected your drive, then with the drive connected, open Device Manager, right click on the entry for USB controllers and click "scan for hardware changes." Do the same for each of the USB Root Hubs as well.

General USB troubleshooting help is here . You may have already tried most of these suggestions.

There are several "USB device not detected" hotfixes from Microsoft. Some of them are specific to certain service pack levels of Windows XP. Was the hotfix you installed appropriate for your version of Windows? Have you installed sp3?

There are many entries in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for Windows XP and "USB not detected." Some may not apply to your configuration, so read them carefully before using. See, for example, this one. Please read it all the way through before using the automated fix.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2010-05-17T14:46:03+00:00

I still have to try the back of my computer. However, yes sometimes it makes a noise when I plug it in and sometimes it does not!! I noticed a noise the other day, when I plugged it in, and said to myself, well it knows something is connected. However, on Sunday, I did not get the same noise. That is why I am so confused the symptoms are not consistent. The hotfix that I installed was the one that you suggested in your answer. It just doesn't work. Yes, I have SP3. I will check the USB troubleshooting too. My computers are networked but to me that should make no difference, and the drive works perfectly fine on the other computer. Thank you for your suggestions so far, and I will just keep trying.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2010-05-17T22:07:07+00:00
hello

according to the wd website you are not alone with this problem see this explaination of this note the link to microsoft to do a sfc /scannow

External Drives:

If your WD external drive is not recognized, it can be caused by one of the following problems:
1. Your driver may be corrupted. The symptoms of this problem can vary - The majority of the time however, the drive may request a driver, or will not appear as a connected device. You will need to contact Microsoft or your System Manufacturer for assistance in resolving this issue, as we are unable to provide assistance in diagnosing your OS. Important Information: It has been reported to us that some users have been able to resolve this issue using the SFC Command in a Command Prompt. When contacting Microsoft or your System Manufactuer, providing them with this information may assist in resolving this issue. Please note that WD Technical Support cannot assist with the usage of this command line program, and is not responsible for any damage to your system or data it may cause.
2. Your drive may be damaged or have failed. A good test for this is to try the drive in another system. If the issue continues to occur, than this is most likely the case. For assistance replacing your drive under warranty see Answer ID 8: How can I replace a product under warranty?.
3. In some cases you may need to install a drive in order for your drive to be recognized. Check the table below to see if your model drive requires a driver to be installed besides the one that is included in your Operating System. Please note that this table includes any drive that has a driver for any reason.In most cases the drivers listed are not required for the drive to function, but add some additional funcationality that the OS supplied driver cannot provide. If an OS is not listed in either column, your WD external drive is not supported on that OS. If a driver is available, select the OS in the list to go to the download page for that driver.
Please click the Check Mark As Answered On This Page If this post helps to resolve your issue as it helps others who need quick access to Answers THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments