7 Ways to Fix Old WD External Hard Drive Not Recognized

Why did the old Western Digital external hard drive not recognized?

Western Digital (WD) is a well-known company that manufactures a variety of data storage solutions, including external hard drives. An external hard drive is a portable storage device that can be connected to a computer or other devices via USB, Thunderbolt, or other interface options.

However, users may encounter situations where the old WD external hard drive not recognized. This issue can be attributed to various factors:

1. Malfunctioning USB port.
2. Outdated device drivers.
3. Incompatibility with the drive file system.
4. Uninitialized external hard drive.
5. Lack of a drive letter on the hard disk partition.

Old external hard drive not recognized? Enable it in 3 ways

Method 1. Change USB Port

If you encounter the issue of the old Western Digital external hard drive not recognized, it's possible that the USB port is faulty. You can attempt to resolve this problem by changing the USB port using the following method. If the issue persists, you can explore other solutions.

Step 1. Plug the external hard drive into another USB port or connect it to a different computer.

Step 2. If the external hard drive shows up when connected to another port, it indicates that the original USB port may be malfunctioning or not accepting the drive, possibly due to issues such as a dead port or a mismatched USB version (e.g.using a USB 2.0 port).

Method 2. Assign a Drive Letter

Typically, Windows automatically assigns a drive letter to all connected storage drives. If your Windows system fails to recognize an external hard drive, it might be due to a missing drive letter. You can resolve this issue by assigning a new drive letter through the following steps:

Step 1. Right-click on This PC and select Manage> Disk Management.

Step 2. Locate the secondary hard drive, then click on it and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths.

Step 3. Opt for the Add option to assign a drive letter for the external hard drive.

Step 4. Click Assign the following drive letter to specify the drive letter for the external hard drive.

Method 3. Run CHKDSK

To address issues with your unrecognized external drive, you can use the Windows command line tool CHKDSK. However, it's essential to note that CHKDSK might lead to the deletion of files, rendering some inaccessible and unrecoverable. Follow the steps below to fix your external hard drive:

Step 1. Type cmd in the search box, and click Run as administrator.

Step 2. In the Command Prompt window, type the command Chkdsk X: /r(replace * with the letter assigned to your external hard drive that's not recognized) and press Enter.

Note: here X represents your assigned hard drive number.

Method 4. Update Drivers

When your WD external hard drive turns on but not recognized, it might be due to a corrupted disk driver. You can resolve this issue by downloading the latest hard drive driver from the drive manufacturer's official website. Follow these steps to fix driver issues:

Step 1. Type Device Manager in the search bar and open it. Then go to Disk drives option.

Step 2. Locate and right-click your external hard drive, then choose Update Driver. ( Here we take another hard drive as an example)

Step 3. Click Search automatically for updated driver software.

Step 4. After this process is complete, disconnect and reconnect the external hard drive to your computer.

Method 5. Run the Hardware and Device Troubleshooter

Running the hardware and device troubleshooter can help identify and fix errors on your external hard drive. Follow these steps:

Step 1. Connect your external drive and press Win + I to open Windows Settings.

Step 2. Click on Update & Security, then select Troubleshoot.

Step 3. Choose Hardware and Devices and run the troubleshooter to identify and address errors.

Method 6. Create a New Drive Volume

If your removable drive is displaying only Unallocated space, you can resolve this issue by creating a simple volume on the drive. Follow these steps:

Step 1. Press Windows + R, enter diskmgmt.msc, and click OKto open Disk Management.

Step 2. Right-click on the external hard drive and select the New Simple Volume option.

Step 3. Click Next on the Welcome to New Simple Volume Wizard window.

Step 4. Enter a smaller simple volume size in the Specify Volume Size window, then click Next.

Method 7. Format the External Drive

If the aforementioned methods fail to resolve the issue, it's possible that the file system is corrupted or unsupported, necessitating the formatting of the external drive. However, keep in mind that all data will be deleted after formatting. If you have important data that needs to be preserved, please proceed to the next section to recover the data before formatting the external drive.

Step 1. Right-click on Start > Disk Management and select Create and format hard disk partitions.

Step 2. Right-click on your external hard drive and choose Format.

Step 3. Select the desired file system and format options, then click OK.

How to protect your hard drive against loss risks

After resolving the issue of old WD external hard drive not recognized, it's advisable to take steps to better protect your external hard drive. One effective way is to utilize reliable backup software. AOMEI Backupper Standardstands out as a recommended option, offering several advantages, including:

✦ 4 backup solutions: caters to diverse backup needs by offering a range of backup solutions, including system backup, disk backup, partition backup, and file backup.
✦ Scheduled backup: AOMEI Backupper Standard enables users to schedule backup tasks at fixed time intervals, providing automation options on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
✦ Different methods: You can choose full backup or incremental backup to perform your scheduled backup.
✦ Different backup locations: You can backup your external hard drive to HDD, SSD, USB drive, cloud, network, etc.
✦ Multiple operating systems: It not only supports all Windows PC systems, including Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vistad, etc.

Now download this software and install it on your computer:

AOMEI Backupper

Best free Windows backup software for personal use.

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Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7

Step 1. Open this software and go to Backup > Disk Backup.

Step 2. Click Add Disk to choose the WD external hard drive you need to backup.

Step 3. You need to select the destination for your disk backup and then click Start Backup.

Summary

This post outlines the reasons for old WDexternal hard drive not recognized and offers the top 7 effective and secure solutions to resolve the issue. To enhance the protection of your external hard disk post-resolution, consider using AOMEI Backupper Standard—a professional backup and restoration software.

It allows users to schedule regular backups, offering various methods, paths, and locations for customization based on specific needs. Additionally, the software includes professional cloning features, such as system clone, partition clone, and disk clone, catering to diverse cloning requirements. Downloading and exploring this software can provide a comprehensive solution for your backup and cloning needs.