Comments on: USB External Drive Does Not Show on Windows Explorer

By: ProfCookSez

ProfCookSez — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 22:12:38 +0000

New –> In windows 7 the file browser (explorer) does not show the volume correct! It labels the drive “local” and not Toshibia as in the disk manager … Anyone have a fix or know why ????

By: vinarja

vinarja — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:43:34 +0000

Thanks man, it worked !!!

By: Richard Milward

Richard Milward — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:16:53 +0000

Just found this MS note that explains it:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297694
Wish I’d known this months ago! :-/

By: Richard Milward

Richard Milward — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:10:46 +0000

Had a similar problem on XP at work. Server was assigned to E:, and flash drive seemed to be recognized (got the “bing-bong”) but did not appear in WinExplorer. Changed server mapping to drive Z:, and then flash drive showed as E:. XP apparently has problems distinguishing between locally-attached drives like flash, and network drives. Check your drive-letter assignments!

By: Jerry W

Jerry W — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:15:10 +0000

It worked – beat advice I have recieved in a long time

Thank You !!

By: milan

milan — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 04:50:19 +0000

Hello,
I got the same problems of not showing my usb drive in windows explorer and all drivers (C: & D: drive)are not shown in disk management console. I think it may be due to virus so please any one have solution for this, it will be appericiated
thanks

By: giannaros

giannaros — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:24:34 +0000

Just type the next available drive letter in the explorer’s adress bar. This allows you to see the contents of your external drive, it doesn’t solve the problem though…

By: JimL

JimL — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:27:52 +0000

I put the Travelstar drive from a dead laptop into a USB console and plugged it into an XP PC. Windows found the drive and installed it. Device Manager says its working properly. Disk management sees it, but claims that it is FAT (as opposed to NTFS as my other drives are) and does not assign it a volume label. It also refuses to assign it a volume label. It does not show up in explorer. Any suggestions on how to recover the data on the drive?

By: Graham

Graham — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:43:15 +0000

Well, after a couple of reboots. it appeared and has ever since. – weird.

By: Graham

Graham — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 20:14:36 +0000

Hi,
late, I know, but I’ve just found this site and I have a similar problem. I bought an external HD kit and inserted my Travelstar 20Gb into it. It was recognised ans mass storage (safely remove hardware in the sytem tray), but didn’t appear in Explorer. I followed your advice and a wizard came up, whereupon it led me to partition and format the disk. When done, I could see it in explorer.
I unplugged the drive and plugged it back in.
I now get the icon warning me that a usb 2.0 device is in a slower port, but I do not get the safely remove hardware icon, it does not appear in the computer management window and it no longer appears in Explorer.
What has happened and can I still get to use it ?
thanks.