How to Recover Data from A Hard Disk That’s Not Detected

If your Windows or Mac computer is not recognizing the hard drive or flash drive you connect to it, you don’t have to over worry on this issue because this is a common problem among Windows, macOS, and Linus computer users. All you need to be doing now is searching for the right fix for this issue. 

However, we’re here to make life better for you by doing the research and finding for you, so you don’t have to be going through millions of websites that claim to have the solution for this issue. The truth is that the solution to recover data from a hard disk that is not detected by your computer is easy, but the steps are somehow complicated. In this post, we’ll bring to your disposal the different solutions about how to recover data from hard disk which is not detected.

How to Recover Data from Hard Disk That’s Not Detected

External hard drive not being detected in Windows can be easily resolved by the following solutions. These solutions can resolve this issue even when you’ve encountered the following situations:

When the device driver is corrupt or outdated.

When Windows refuses to recognize external hard drive even after confirming that the hard drive is successfully connected.

When the problem arouses due to hard drive partitioning issue.

When using the wrong system file or dead hard drive.

Driver issues in Windows and other problems.

If you want to know how to recover data from hard disk which is not detected due to stemming from any of these factors, then use the solutions discussed below to resolve it.

Way 1. How to Recover Data from Hard Disk Which is Not Detected via AnyRecover

If you’ve resolved the hard drive not detected problem using the tips below but found out that some of your important files and data are missing from the external hard drive, then use iMyFone AnyRecover to get such data back.    

There are situations when at the point of solving hard disk not detected, Windows will require you to format your drive, don’t format your drive, just use AnyRecover to get your lost data back, save them in a secure folder before formatting your hard drive.

Steps to recover data from undetected hard disk:

Step 1. Download and install AnyRecover on your PC. Launch the program and select “External Device Recovery” mode from the Home interface. 

Step 2. Connect the undetected hard disk to your computer. 

Step 3. Click “Next” and select the hard disk you want to recover. Then, crosscheck the file type and click the “Scan” tab. 

Step 4. Preview through the files and select the ones to recover by clicking the “Recover” tab.

Way 2. How to Troubleshoot “External Hard Disk is Not Detected in Windows” Issue

If Windows computer does not detect your hard disk, then the troubleshoot solutions to resolve and fix external hard drive not detected error are outlined and discussed in here.     

Step 1. Press the Windows key + R, type “diskmgmt.msc” into the dialog box, and click the “Enter” key to show Disk Management.

Step 2. If you can’t see the hard disk in Disk Management, then try the Device Manager by pressing the Windows key + R. Then, type “devmgmt.msc” into the dialog box, and click the “Enter” key to show Device Manager.

View the list of devices under Disk Drives to see if any has a yellow mark on it. If the disk that’s undetected has a yellow mark on it, then the drive has a problem.

To solve this, right-click on the device and select “Properties”. Then, read the error message to see how to fix the problem.

Tips on How to Fix Hard Disk that’s Not Detected on Windows Computer

If your hard drive cannot be detected and you’ve tried to connect the external hard drive to another USB port or another computer but the issue persists, then you have to solve the hard drive not detected an issue before using AnyRecover to recover data lost in such drives. 

1. Disabled USB selective suspend settings by:

Go to “Control Panel > Additional Power Settings > Change Plan Settings > Change Advanced Power Settings > USB Selective Suspend Settings”.

Disabled it.

2. Update or reinstall the device driver From Way 2: Step 2 above by:

right-click on the device name, and select “Update Driver Software”.

Select “Search Automatically for Updated Driver Software”.

Then, follow the instruction to update the driver.

3. Create new partitions on your hard drive using the Disk Management tool. 

Do not forget that these solutions won’t bring joy to your face again if you’re still missing some of your important files and data. So, use AnyRecover to get your lost, formatted and deleted files back.