author avatar
7 June 2024  John Weaver  Senior Program Developer
 

Summary
Find solutions for the "Toshiba external hard drive not showing up" issue and choose from various capacities to meet diverse storage needs.



Table of contents

table iconI. What is the reason why the Toshiba external hard disk cannot be recognized?
table iconII. How to solve the problem that Toshiba external hard disk cannot be recognized?
toshiba external hard drive not showing up

I. What is the reason why the Toshiba external hard disk cannot be recognized?

The issue of a external hard disk not being recognized is common and can stem from various reasons. Here, I will list potential causes for a Toshiba external hard disk being unrecognized, allowing for a preliminary diagnosis and solution. If the problem persists, refer to the more detailed solutions in the second part of the article.
The reasons why Toshiba external hard disk may not be recognized are as follows:
● The file system of the external hard disk is damaged (e.g., displayed as RAW in disk management), preventing normal access to files. Please check: Repair RAW drive methods.
● Missing necessary software/hardware updates, available in Device Manager. You may solve it by updating hard drive .
● Sudden power failure may damage the hard disk being read and written.
● The external hard disk has no drive letter, which can be found in disk management. You can solve it by adding drive letter .
● The USB port is damaged. It is recommended to replace the USB port or USB data cable and try again.
● Anti-virus software can be used for scanning and anti-virus for virus intrusion or malicious software attack.
● Issues with hard disk partitions, such as partitions disappearing and becoming unallocated space, preventing them from being viewed in file resource management.
● If the device is not plugged and unplugged safely, the data in the hard disk will be damaged, and some connection problems may occur.
Common reasons for a external hard disk not being recognized include connection issues or hardware failure. Re-plugging the device may resolve the problem. If the hard disk appears in disk management but is still unrecognized, use professional data recovery software to extract your data before addressing the underlying issue.

II. How to solve the problem that Toshiba external hard disk cannot be recognized?

1. Recover lost data with Renee Undeleter

What is Renee Undeleter ?
Renee Undeleter is specialized software for restoring various data files. Whether you’ve accidentally deleted important files, emptied the recycle bin, or formatted a disk/storage, this tool can retrieve lost data. It features four modules: Fast Partition Scan, Whole Partition Scan, Whole Disk Scan, and Image Creation, providing comprehensive solutions for all data loss issues.
Renee Undeleter - Powerful Data Recovery SoftwareRenee Undeleter data Recovery software

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan for different recovery needs.

File types Support to recover pictures, videos, audios, documents, mails, etc.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Supported systems Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS X10.6, 10.7, 10.8.

Easy to use Only simple steps to recover data from storage devices.

Multiple scan modes - 3 scan modes for different recovery needs.

Supported storage devices Recover data from recycle bin, SD card, external disk, etc.

Free TrialFree TrialFree Trial

3000 users have downloaded Renee Undeleter and found data back!

How to use Renee Undeleter?
Step 1: Download, install, and run Renee Undeleter. Select the (Whole Disk Scan) option on the main interface.
Note: Be sure not to install on the disk that requires data recovery, as this may result in data being overwritten.
select whole disk scan in renee undeleter
Data Recovery Function:

  • Fast Partition Scan – Quickly retrieve files lost due to accidental deletion or emptying the recycle bin.
  • Whole Partition Scan – Recover files from inaccessible or formatted partitions.
  • Whole Disk Scan – Analyze partition information and fully scan the entire disk.
  • Image Creation – Create an image of a partition to back up its current state.
Step 2: Select the Toshiba external hard disk and click (Next).
select a disk to recover in renee undeleter
Step 3: The software will analyze the Toshiba external hard disk. A prompt window saying “Select the partition you want to scan” may appear. Select the desired partition or all partitions will be scanned, which will take longer.
scanning the whole disk in renee undeleter
After scanning, preview the files in the right window, select the ones to restore, and click the Recover button in the lower right corner.
select taget files to recover with renee undeleter
Step 4: Select the target folder, click Browse to choose the storage path, then click Recover to start file recovery. Note: Avoid saving recovered files on the original disk to prevent data overwriting; choose another disk for storage.
recover files from whole disk scan with renee undeleter

2. Add a drive letter to the external hard disk in Disk Management

Step 1: Run the computer, enter “computer management” in the search box, and click on it.
find computer management
Step 2: Click (Disk Management) on the left window. If the disk lacks a drive letter (such as D: / E: / F:), please verify if it is a Toshiba external hard disk.
disk management
Step 3: Rght-click on the disk without a drive letter and select the (Change Drive Letter and Paths) option.
change drive letter in disk management
Step 4: Click the (Add) button.
add a drive letter
Step 5: Check “Assign the following drive letter,” select a letter, then click OK to assign a drive letter to the Toshiba external hard disk. You should now see the hard disk device in File Explorer.
disk Management Change Driver Letter

3. Update the driver of the external hard disk in the device manager

Step 1: Start the Windows computer, connect the external hard disk, and press Windows key + R to open the Run window. Enter devmgmt.msc and click OK to open Device Manager.
open device manager
Step 2: In the “Disk Drive”, right-click on the target external hard disk, and select the (Update Driver) option.
update driver disk
Step 3: Select the “Search automatically for updated driver software” option and follow the instructions to complete the external hard disk driver update.
update Driver Confirm

4. Use the CMD command to repair the faulty device

Step 1: Connect the external hard disk to the computer, and make sure the device can be found in “Disk Management”.
Step 2: Search (cmd) directly in the search box, and select (run as administrator) to open the command prompt tool.
run as administrator
Step 3: In the command prompt window, enter chkdsk F: /f /r /x (F is the disk number; /f repairs errors; /x force unmounts the drive; /r scans and recovers bad sectors), and press Enter. After the repair, check if the device works normally.
Enter the disk repair command