How To Recover Data From Undetected Seagate External Hard Drive?

Summary: External hard drives are one of the most useful data storage devices. These devices are not just used for data backup purposes but also make it easy to carry a huge volume of data as they’re portable. These external hard drives are offered by many popular brands. One such brand is Seagate, which offers external hard drives in different sizes and storage capacities. Seagate hard drives are reliable and can store a huge volume of data, depending on the storage capacity.   Get FREE Quote

Sometimes, you face a situation when your Seagate external hard drive becomes undetected on the computer. If you have an undetected Seagate external hard drive and looking for solutions to fix the issue, you’ve landed on the right page. In this post, we’ve mentioned the fixes to resolve the undetected Seagate external hard drive issue and ways to recover data from an undetected hard drive.

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Table of Content: 

1. Understanding Why Your Seagate External Hard Drive Goes Undetected
2. How to Fix an Undetected Seagate External Hard Drive?
3. Data Loss While Accessing Data from an Undetected Seagate External Hard Drive
4. How to Recover Data from Undetected Seagate External Hard Drive?
5. Case Study: Data Recovery from Non-Reading External HDD
6. Why Stellar Hard Drive Recovery Services?
7. How To Prevent the Problem of an Undetected Seagate External Hard Drive?
8. Frequently Asked Questions

But before moving further, let’s know the reasons behind an undetected Seagate external hard drive.

Understanding Why Your Seagate External Hard Drive Goes Undetected

When your Seagate external hard drive goes undetected, it can be due to various reasons. These reasons can be either hardware-related or software-related. Identifying the root cause is the first step towards resolving the issue.

Hardware Issues

1. Faulty USB Cable or Port: A common cause for an undetected Seagate external hard drive is a faulty USB cable or port. If the cable or the port has a problem, your computer might not recognize the hard drive. Try using a different cable or plugging the drive into a different port to see if the issue resolves.
2. Damaged Hard Drive Enclosure: The enclosure protects the hard drive’s delicate internal components. If the enclosure is damaged, it might lead to connectivity issues, making the drive undetectable. Inspecting the enclosure for any visible signs of damage can help in diagnosing the problem.
3. Internal Hardware Failure: Sometimes, the hard drive itself might have an internal failure, such as a malfunctioning disk or damaged read/write heads. This type of failure often requires professional assistance to recover data and make the drive usable again.

Software Issues

1. Outdated or Corrupt Drivers: Drivers facilitate communication between your computer’s operating system and the external hard drive. If these drivers are outdated or corrupt, the drive may not be detected. Updating the drivers can often resolve this issue.
2. Incorrect File System Format: The file system format of your Seagate external hard drive needs to be compatible with your operating system. If the format is not supported, the drive will not be detected. Reformatting the drive with a compatible file system may be necessary, but note that this will erase all data on the drive.
3. Missing or Corrupt Drive Letter: In some cases, the drive letter assigned to your Seagate external hard drive may be missing or in conflict with another device. Assigning a new drive letter through Disk Management in Windows can help in making the drive detectable again.
4. Virus Infection: If you aren’t using a good antivirus, your Seagate external hard drive may get infected with viruses or malware. This can also make the hard drive undetected by the computer.
5. Data Corruption: A sudden power outage during data transfer can corrupt the data on the external hard drive and make the device inaccessible.

How to Fix an Undetected Seagate External Hard Drive?

Follow the given solutions to fix an undetected Seagate external hard drive.

Solution 1: Use a Different USB Port

Sometimes, due to a faulty USB port, your Seagate external hard drive is not detected by the system. So, try a different USB port for the hard drive. If you are using one at the front of the CPU cabinet, you can switch to the one at the back. You can also try to connect your Seagate external hard drive to another system to check if the issue is with the USB port.

Solution 2: Reinstall the USB Driver

Sometimes, a computer doesn’t recognize an external hard disk because of a corrupt or outdated USB driver. You can uninstall and reinstall the same by following these simple steps:

1. Go to “Search bar” and type “Run” to locate and launch the “Run” app.

2. Type “devmgmt.msc” and click “OK”. It will open the “Device Manager.”

3. Find “Universal Serial Bus Controllers” in the list of devices displayed and click on the arrow icon to expand it further.

4. Right-click the first USB controller and select “Uninstall”.

5. Repeat the steps for all the remaining USB controllers.

6. Restart the computer. The system will reinstall the USB drivers automatically.

Solution 3: Enable “Show Hidden Devices”

If your Seagate external hard drive is “hidden,” it will show undetected on the computer. You can change the hidden device’s settings by following these steps:

1. Go to “Search bar” and enter “Run” to locate and launch the “Run” app.

2. Type “devmgmt.msc” and click “OK”. This will open “Device Manager.”

3. Click “View” on the top and select “Show hidden”.

4. If there are any grey-out entries, right-click and select “Uninstall”.

5. Restart the computer and try to connect the hard drive.

Solution 4: Turn on the USB Root Hub

At times, the external hard drive becomes undetected when multiple devices attached to the same USB hub go into the condition of selective suspend. To resolve this issue, you can try enabling the USB root hub by following these steps:

1. Go to “Search bar” and enter “Run” to locate and launch the “Run” app.

2. Type “devmgmt.msc” and click “OK”. This will open the “Device Manager.”

3. Right-click on “USB Root Hub,” select “properties”, and then “power management.” Uncheck the option that says “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power”.

4. Repeat the uncheck method for all the remaining USB Root Hubs (if there are any).

5. Restart the computer and see if the issue is resolved.

Solution 5: Initialise the External Hard Drive

If your Seagate external hard drive is new or hasn’t been used on your computer before, it might not show up because it’s not initialised. Here’s how to initialise it:

1. Right-click the Windows button and select Disk Management. Alternatively, press Windows + R, type diskmgmt.msc, and hit Enter.
2. In Disk Management, right-click on the Seagate external hard drive and choose Initialize Disk.
3. Select a partition style (MBR or GPT) based on your needs and click OK.

Solution 6: Create a New Partition

An unallocated Seagate external hard drive needs a new partition to be recognized:

1. In Disk Management, right-click on the unallocated space of your Seagate hard drive and select New Simple Volume.
2. Follow the New Simple Volume Wizard to set the volume size and assign a drive letter.
3. After these steps, disconnect and reconnect your hard drive. It should now be detected and appear in Windows File Explorer.

Solution 7: Change or Assign Drive Letter

Sometimes, the issue is due to the Seagate external hard drive lacking a drive letter or having a letter that conflicts with another device:

1. Right-click on your Seagate hard drive in Disk Management and select Change Drive Letter and Paths.
2. Choose Add if there’s no drive letter, or Change to modify an existing one.
3. Select a new letter for your drive and confirm.

Solution 8: Reformat Hard Drive

An incompatible file system can also cause your Seagate hard drive to be undetected. Reformatting it to a file system recognized by Windows can solve the issue:

1. In Disk Management, right-click on the Seagate hard drive and choose Format.
2. Select NTFS or FAT32 as the file system and proceed with the format.

Note: Formatting will erase all data on the drive. It’s crucial to back up any important data before proceeding or use data recovery software to retrieve data post-formatting if a backup wasn’t possible.

Additional Reading: Troubleshooting “Seagate External Hard Drive Not Showing Up Windows 11”

Data Loss While Accessing Data from an Undetected Seagate External Hard Drive

When trying to access data from an undetected Seagate external hard drive, you might encounter situations leading to data loss.

This could happen during attempts to fix detection issues, such as reformatting or repartitioning the drive without a prior backup. Other times, software conflicts or incorrect handling of the drive can corrupt data, making it inaccessible.

The next steps depend on the nature of the problem causing the data loss.

• If the issue is software-related, such as accidental deletion or format, you might be able to recover your data using data recovery software. This software scans the drive for recoverable data and attempts to restore it.
• However, if the data loss is due to a hardware malfunction, like a damaged read/write head or other internal components, you will likely need professional data recovery services. These services can often recover data from physically damaged drives, but it’s important to choose a reputable provider to avoid further damage.

How to Recover Data from Undetected Seagate External Hard Drive?

1. Use Data Recovery Software for Undetected Seagate External Hard Drive

If your Seagate external hard drive becomes inaccessible due to logical errors such as data corruption or malware infection, you can use specialized data recovery software such as Stellar Windows Data Recovery. This DIY software is 100 percent safe and secure.

2. Seek Data Recovery Services for Undetected Seagate External Hard Drive

When there’s a logical error with an external hard drive, you can usually recover the data using data recovery software. These errors involve issues with the file system or logical structure of the external hard drive.

However, there are some cases where the issues are really complicated, and you need to get professional help from a data recovery service. Also, if the hard drive is physically damaged, like if it gets dropped or gets wet, you’ll definitely need the experts to recover the data for you.

Stellar is a trusted hard drive recovery service provider that can help you recover all the data from undetected Seagate external drives.

Our data recovery experts handle all Seagate External Hard Drive data recovery cases.

Here’s an example, taken from a recent case, where a client wasn’t able to access the data in her Seagate External HDD. We describe how Stellar Seagate hard drive data recovery service helped them.

Case Study: Data Recovery from Non-Reading External HDD

Client: Individual

Goal: Recover data from non-reading external HDD

Approach: Stellar Data Recovery performed the data recovery

Challenges Faced:

The client was unable to read data from the Seagate external HDD (2.5)

Data on the HDD included MS Office files, photos, and videos.

The client attempted different systems and cables, but HDD remained unreadable

She dropped off the Seagate external hard drive at the Stellar Data Recovery Lab.

Stellar Data Recovery’s Process:

Our experts observed that a USB drive appeared in Device Management, but our standard data recovery software failed to access it

The drive operated smoothly without noise

Our technician removed the outer casing

Internal HDD could not be directly read in software, but scanning was possible

The scanning process detected initial bad sectors but successfully retrieved data

The assessment report confirmed data recovery was possible

Data recovery was completed successfully

Client Feedback:

The client visited the Stellar Data Recovery office to verify and confirmed the recovery of valuable data.

Note: Do not open your hard drive in an uncontrolled environment. Even if just a few dust particles stick to the magnetic platter or the read/write head, it can damage the data permanently. We have a state-of-the-art Class 100 Clean Room where we carry out all our hard disk data recovery processes.

Why Stellar Data Recovery Services for Undetected Seagate External Hard Drive?

Stellar is an ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 certified organization that offers 100 percent safe and reliable data recovery services for all types of hard disk drives. The data recovery experts at Stellar works in a world-class lab environment to ensure risk-free and guaranteed data recovery. Stellar has a track record of recovering data from more than 10,000 Seagate external hard drives of different make and models.

If your hard drive is still under warranty period, you can check how to claim a replacement of a hard drive during data recovery.

How To Prevent the Problem of an Undetected Seagate External Hard Drive?

To avoid the issue of an Undetected Seagate External Hard Drive:

1. Always use the “Safely Remove Hardware” option before disconnecting your Seagate hard drive. This ensures that all data transfers are complete and prevents data corruption.
2. Regularly check for and install updates for your Seagate hard drive’s drivers. Updated drivers can prevent compatibility issues that might cause the drive to go undetected.
3. Handle your Seagate external hard drive carefully. Protect it from drops, extreme temperatures, and moisture, which can lead to hardware issues.
4. Create regular backups of your data. In case of detection issues, you’ll have a copy of your data, reducing the risk of data loss.
5. Use high-quality USB cables and ensure your computer’s USB ports are clean and functioning properly. Faulty cables or ports are common reasons for detection problems.

FAQs

1. Where can I find a Stellar data recovery service laboratory to recover my hard disk data?

Stellar Data Recovery Services are widely accessible, having a global footprint and a network of over 8000+ partners worldwide. Specifically, in India, we have a significant presence with branches in 14 major cities. These include Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Kochi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Noida, Pune, and Vashi.

2. How to fix Seagate external hard drive not showing up?

These are the usual ways to fix Seagate external hard drive not showing up:

• Run the device troubleshooter
• Uninstall and reinstall device driver / update device driver 
• Try a new USB port 
• Change USB cable 
• Try a new PC 
• Use CHKDSK 

To run the troubleshooter, press Windows + R key. Type “msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic”. Click next and run troubleshooter.

3. How to fix Seagate 2TB external hard drive beeping and not recognized?

Try these fixes to solve the problem:

• Use a new USB port. 
• Uninstall and reinstall device driver. 
• Enable “Show Hidden Devices”. 
• Turn on the USB root hub. 

If the drive has physical damage you need to contact data recovery experts as soon as possible. At Stellar labs, highly trained experts would extract the data and send it to you.

4. Seagate external hard drive beeping not recognized

There are many ways to troubleshoot this issue.

• Use a Y USB cable. It helps you draw power from two USB ports. More power might help the ha
• rd drive run better. 
• Type CMD is Search bar. Run as administrator and use the CHKDSK command. 
• Plug the device into a new USB port.

In case you are still not able to see the external drive in your computer, then there is a high possibility of physical damage to your drive. If backup is available you can access your data from back up, otherwise contact experts for data recovery.

Additional Reading: Fix Seagate External Hard Drive beeping and not recognized

5. The hard drive is not detectable in “My Computer” or “Disk Management”. How can I fix the issue and recover my data?

Sometimes, the external hard drive may not appear in “My Computer” and “Disk Management” due to various reasons. In such a scenario, try the above-mentioned solutions to fix the undetected hard drive issue. If the drive is still not showing, you can contact Stellar Data Recovery services.

6. My hard drive is not detecting. Can I recover data with the help of software?

If you want to recover the data by using software such as Stellar Data Recovery, ensure that the drive is detectable on the system. In Case, the drive does not show on the system, then the data recovery software will be unable to read the drive for recovery. You can try the “Can’t Find Drive” option in the software to recover the data from the hard drive. But if it is still invisible, you can approach Stellar Data Recovery Services.

7. What are the common reasons behind the ‘hard drive not showing in Disk Management’ issue?

Here are some common reasons that may result in the hard drive not showing in Disk Management:

• Faulty SATA cable.
• Windows is unable to find ATA devices.
• A hard disk drive is corrupt or damaged.
• A hard drive is marked as “Unknown, Not Initialized.”
• Drive is outdated or is not compatible with the operating system.
• The disk is not enabled in the BIOS or device manager.

8. How to recover data from Raw Drive or Raw Partition?

If you are receiving the below-mentioned prompts/error signals on your computer or hard drive partition, it means that your hard drive has become RAW or is having some partition problem.

• Invalid media type reading drive.
• The file system is displayed as “RAW”.
• Hard drive “Sector not found” prompts.
• Warning message: “Disk not formatted. Do you want to format it?”
• File names contain strange characters.

If you encounter the above errors and are looking for Raw Hard Drive Recovery, you can directly approach a data recovery service provider to recover your data.

9. Can I recover data from my Seagate Duet, BarraCuda, FireCuda, or IronWolf hard drive if it becomes undetected or fails?

Yes, data recovery is possible from Seagate Duet, BarraCuda, FireCuda, and IronWolf hard drives, even if they become undetected or fail. The approach to Seagate Duet hard drive recovery, BarraCuda hard drive recovery, FireCuda hard drive recovery, and Ironwolf hard drive recovery, may vary slightly depending on the specific issue and the model of the hard drive.

10. My Seagate external hard drive is not detected in File Explorer. How can I fix this?

Ensure the drive is connected properly. If your Seagate external hard drive not detected still persists, check ‘Disk Management‘ to see if the drive appears there. It might need a new drive letter assigned or require initializing.

11. What should I do if my Seagate hard disk is not detected on my computer?

Try connecting your Seagate hard disk to a different computer. If it’s detected, the issue might be with the original computer’s USB ports or drivers. Consider updating drivers or using a different port on the original computer.

12. Can I recover data from a Seagate hard disk that is not detecting on my system?

If your Seagate HDD is not detected, try using data recovery software on a system where the drive is recognized. If the drive is not visible on any system, professional recovery services might be necessary.