External Hard Drive Not Detecting. Disk 1 Unknown.

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  1. Posts : 9
    Windows 64
       #1

    External Hard Drive Not Detecting. Disk 1 Unknown.


    Hi.
    My external (seagate) hard drive can be detected, but it won't show on My Computer. I tried few options however the device is still not being recognised.

    It appears in my device manager. I have uninstalled it, plug my hard drive back. It gets detected, but it still won't appear in My Computer.

    It also appears in disk management. It's shows as Disk 1 Unknown, Not Initialised and the right column is blank.

    I downloaded the MiniTool Partition Wizard and attempted to recover my data. I completed all the steps expect the last step as I can't right click to give the drive a letter.

    I have important unbacked information on this device. Any help would greatly be appreciated. Thanks
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails External Hard Drive Not Detecting. Disk 1 Unknown.-device-manager.jpg   External Hard Drive Not Detecting. Disk 1 Unknown.-disk-management.jpg   External Hard Drive Not Detecting. Disk 1 Unknown.-minitool-1.jpg   External Hard Drive Not Detecting. Disk 1 Unknown.-minitool-2.jpg   External Hard Drive Not Detecting. Disk 1 Unknown.-minitool-3.jpg  

    External Hard Drive Not Detecting. Disk 1 Unknown.-minitool-4.jpg  
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 71,988
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #2

    Hello Liyah,

    Your screenshots are two small to be able to read.

    For now in Disk Management, see if you area able to right click on the smaller Disk 1 box in the lower pane, and click on an Online or Initialize option in the context menu. Afterwards, make sure the disk has a drive letter.

    Disk - Set as Offline or Online

    Hope this helps for now, :)
    Shawn
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 9
    Windows 64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Hi Shawn.
    I tried to initialise disk but I received an incorrect function response. What should I do now?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 9
    Windows 64
    Thread Starter
       #4

    I tried again and now I received "the drive cannot find the sector requested" response.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 7,055
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
       #5

    I wrote and then deleted this post 12 hours ago not wanting to override Brink.:) My logic was that just initialising the disk will do no harm. It will only write the MBR code in the first sector. If the MBR was corrupted that should set it right.

    Now here it goes. Try it and let us know.

    Hi Liyah

    Wait. Don't do anything.

    As far as I can see, after you did a quick scan with the Partition Recovery Wizard and selected the partition, the preview map at the bottom shed its Unallocated nature and showed your drive as before. Yes or No ?

    If yes, rerun Partition Recovery Wizard and check. If after selecting the partition, the preview map shows your drive as before just click on Finish. (Most probably instead of clicking on the Finish button on that window, you clicked on the Cancel button before.)

    That should take you back to the Partition Wizard main screen where your external drive would be shown with NTFS partition/s as before.

    If it does not have a drive letter, right click on it and give it a drive letter.

    Then go to the top tool bar and click on APPLY for the changes to take effect.

    If in doubt post a screenshot of the Window after selecting the partition - the quick scan result. Use the Windows Snipping tool to capture the screenshot.

    How to Use the Snipping Tool in Vista
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 9
    Windows 64
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Hi Jumanji.
    I rerun Parition Recovery Wizard and pressed Finish. It returns to the main screen, however it doesn't allow me to right click and give it a letter. I have limited options on the operations and giving the drive a letter doesn't appear.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails External Hard Drive Not Detecting. Disk 1 Unknown.-minitool-1.jpg   External Hard Drive Not Detecting. Disk 1 Unknown.-minitool-2.jpg   External Hard Drive Not Detecting. Disk 1 Unknown.-minitool-3.jpg  
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 7,055
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
       #7

    Please wait. I shall be back in another half an hour.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 9
    Windows 64
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Will do. No worries
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 7,055
    Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit
       #9

    OK, I am back earlier than scheduled.:) ( I was just preparing the screenshot)

    When you get to the screen showing the partitions after the quick scan, you should select all partitions shown by placing a tick mark clicking on the square. (Have a look at the following screenshot wherein I had selected all the four partitions shown.)

    External Hard Drive Not Detecting. Disk 1 Unknown.-24-09-2014-14-10-53.jpg

    When you do that the preview map should turn from Unallocated and show your full drive as it existed before without any unallocated space.

    Please rerun Partition Recovery Wizard Quickscan, select all the partitions shown and post a screenshot.

    If after examination I say "yes go ahead" only then you will click on Finish.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 9
    Windows 64
    Thread Starter
       #10

    Hi. Whilst you were away, I ran a full scan and these are the results. I didn't press anything else pass the preview screen. Should I cancel and run a Quick Scan instead?
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails External Hard Drive Not Detecting. Disk 1 Unknown.-fullscan.jpg  
      My Computer


 
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