Win 11 laptop won’t recognize external HDD anymore (8/24/2025)

Professional Blog Article:

Troubleshooting External Hard Drive Recognition on Windows 11: A Case Study

In today’s digital landscape, external storage devices are indispensable for data backups and transfers. However, users sometimes encounter perplexing issues, such as Windows 11 failing to recognize external hard drives. This article explores a detailed case study of such a problem, providing insights and potential solutions for users experiencing similar challenges.

Case Overview

The affected device is a 5TB Seagate portable HDD connected to an ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 running Windows 11 Home (version 10.0.26100). The user has reported that, despite previous functionality, the external drive no longer appears or can be accessed by the operating system. Notably, the drive displays power and activity lights, indicating it receives power, but Windows 11 does not recognize or mount the drive.

System Information and Recent Changes

• Operating System: Windows 11 Home (build 10.0.26100)
• Hardware: ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 laptop
• External Drive: 5TB Seagate portable HDD
• Recent Updates: KB5056579, KB2267602, KB890830
• Additional factors:
• The drive was previously used successfully on the same system.
• The drive is accessible on a Windows 10 desktop, confirming hardware integrity.
• No recent reformatting or reconfiguration of the drive took place.
• The user has performed multiple troubleshooting steps, including system scans and driver checks.

Troubleshooting Steps and Observations

The user’s troubleshooting repertoire was extensive:

1. Device Manager: The drive appears without errors.
2. Disk Management: The drive does not show up, preventing mounting.
3. Disk Rescan: Rescanning stalls when the drive is connected, completes instantly when disconnected.
4. File Explorer: The drive does not appear, making data access impossible.
5. Hardware & Devices List: The drive is recognized but only offers removal options.
6. Windows Troubleshooter: Unable to detect or repair the drive.
7. Command-Line Tools (diskpart): The drive does not list.
8. USB Ports Testing: All tested ports recognize other devices; the drive’s power indicator remains active.
9. Drive Format Compatibility: NTFS format is supported by Windows 10 and 11.
10. Previous Functionality: The drive functioned previously on this