Hard Drive Recovery

Hard Drive Shows in Device Manager But Not Disk Management Windows 11, 10 – Fixed

Is your external hard drive shows in device manager but not disk management in Windows 11, 10, 8, or 7? This article will help you completely fix the “Device Manager shows only external USB hard drives” problem.

Several computer users faced one common scenario: their external hard drive is connected to the computer and displayed in Device Manager. However, it is not showing up in Disk Management or File Explorer in Windows 10. If you are one of such users and landed on this page while searching for the solution, then relax.  It happens that a hard drive showing in device manager but not disk management in Windows 10. So, in this guide, we have tried to roll up some actually working techniques that can fix the external hard drive not showing up in disk management issue quickly.

Common Causes of Hard Drive Detection

There are several reasons why a hard drive may appear in Device Manager but not in Disk Management. These include:

1. Driver Problems: Outdated or corrupt drivers can prevent proper communication between the operating system and the hard drive.
2. Problems with Partitions: A hard drive that has missing partitions or a damaged partition table may not appear in Disk Management.
3. Equipment Conflict: Sometimes other devices can conflict with the hard drive and cause detection problems.
4. Drive Letter Assignment: A hard drive may not appear in Disk Management if the drive letter is missing or conflicts with another device.

Read More: How to Recover Data from WD External Hard Drive?

Methods to Hard Drive Shows In Device Manager But Not Disk Management in Windows

If your external HDD shows up in device manager but not disk management in Windows Explorer, then below are some solutions to resolve this error:

Method One: Reinstall or Update External Hard Drive Drivers

Follow the steps listed below to update the hard disk driver and fix the issue of external disks not showing up in disk management.

1. First of all, connect your external hard drive to your computer and navigate to Devices Manager. Now, click Universal Serial Bus Controllers
2. Hit right-click on your external hard drive and select Uninstall >> Unplug the drive
3. After this, plug the hard drive back in your computer, open Device Manager and choose Universal Serial Bus Controllers.

4.Now, select hard drive component to be updated
5. Then, hit right-click on the hard drive and select Update Driver Software option from the drop-down menu.
6. Go with on-screen instructions in Update Driver Software Wizard to update the external hard drive drivers

Method Two: Assign External Hard Drive A New Drive Letter to Fix Issue

After updating the hard disk driver, the issue remains the same. Then try the below-mentioned steps to assign a new drive letter to resolve the WD passport showing in device manager but not my computer issue.

1. Press Windows + X keys and choose Disk Management option from the opened menu list
2. Detect and hit right-click on the external hard drive and choose Change Drive Letter, then Path…
3. Click on Add if the drive does not have a letter or assign a new letter to this drive. Enter a new drive letter and click OK to apply the changes

Method Three: Create a New Volume on Hard Drive and Resolve Error

You can format and reset the file system on the external hard drive to NTFS. For this, follow the instructions mentioned below:

1. Hit right-click on Start and choose Disk Management
2. Next, locate and detect your external hard drive
3. Select the hard drive that is showing up in Device Manager but not in disk management and hit right-click on it. Choose Format Volume…

4.Now, reset your file system from FAT/RAW to NTFS. Hit the OK button to confirm and apply all the changes.
5. After this, if your external hard drive displays unallocated space on Windows 10, you can create a new volume on the disk to make it useful for storing data again. Below is how to do this:
6. Hit right-click on the Start button and choose Disk Management.
7. Search and right-click on the unallocated space on the external hard drive. Choose the new simple volume...
8.Recreate, then set drive file system with a new drive letter to make it searchable by Disk Management in Windows 10

Observational Verdict

Connecting an external hard drive to Windows 10 is very simple. However, sometimes it might not display when connected to the computer or we can say the drive is not detected by the Windows OS. Well, this is a common issue that can be resolved with the help of some technical tips. In this article, we have disclosed all the possible methods via which users can solve hard drive shows in device manager but not disk management issues in Windows 10, 8, 7 and 11 quickly and seamlessly.

Frequently Asked Questions by Users

Q1: What should I do if none of the above solutions help?

Ans: If you’ve tried all the solutions and your hard drive still doesn’t appear in Disk Management, this may be a sign of hardware failure. You may want to consider contacting a professional data recovery service or considering replacing your hard drive.

Q2: Can I recover data or a file from a hard disk that doesn’t appear in Disk Management?

Ans: In some cases, data recovery is possible, especially if the drive is recognized in Device Manager. To recover files, you can use data recovery software or seek professional help.

Q3: How can I prevent this error from occurring in the future?

Ans: To avoid detection problems, keep your drivers updated, take care of your hard drive, and run regular checks on your computer’s hardware and software.