Alienware laptop not recognizing my ext hard drive

[Guest]

I have a Alienware laptop. I connected my external hard drive to it and was able to move files to it, although it kept going opening and closing several times while I was trying to do this. When I was finished, because even if I was no longer using it, it still continued to open and close so I unplugged the USB plug from my laptop. Later after I'd left home and returned, I had to restart my laptop to get my wireless to connect and when I went to open the hard drive to the laptop, nothing happened. The drive (F) did not show up.

Note: I hadn't used this hard drive in some time as it used to be hooked to an old desktop that I no longer used. Given the files on my laptop were accumulating, I decided to connect it to the hard drive in order to move files more regularly to cut back on storage space.

Now it's not recognizing it in either the disk management or under drivers. I have tried several different attempts from "help" sections and none apply to my situation. Additionally this laptop has Windows 10.

I would appreciate any help. I'm not very tech-geeky. Thanks.

 

[dudmont]

tried plugging it into different usb ports?

 

[Guest]

tried plugging it into different usb ports?

I have three on this laptop. I've tried all of them. I have other things in them and they work, just this ext drive does not. Unfortunately I don't have another cord for it to see if it's just that and I don't have another computer with me to test if it works on another computer or not.

If I don't find a good solution that works, i will take it to work and try it there. Then it's a matter of "what do I do now?".

Thanks for your reply.

 

[dudmont]

you're leaving it plugged in all the time, or plugging it in when needed, and then using the remove USB device option, before unplugging it right?

 

[Guest]

I've never used it with this laptop before today. I always had it hooked up with my desktop all the time.

I was intending to only plug it in and use it when I need it. When I went to unplug it from the USB, I did so when it wasn't listed with the other drives (C and DVD) so I didn't think to use the remove USB device option.

 

[dudmont]

I ask these perhaps trivial questions, cause I have a drive that's flaky too. It's a seagate 2tb. Sometimes doesn't recognize, then shows up at the oddest times. Frankly don't trust it much. Cross your fingers, and I'd bet it will show up again sometime, if you leave it plugged in.

 

[Guest]

I ask these perhaps trivial questions, cause I have a drive that's flaky too. It's a seagate 2tb. Sometimes doesn't recognize, then shows up at the oddest times. Frankly don't trust it much. Cross your fingers, and I'd bet it will show up again sometime, if you leave it plugged in.

 

[Guest]

Thanks. No, not trivial questions. I can't think of everything so I appreciate the suggestions. I tried it again this morning (leaving it plugged in all the time) and still nothing. Going to take it to work tomorrow to see if it's just not compatible with my laptop. I would never figure that an external drive wouldn't work with any computer but what do I know. Thanks for your help.

 

[hang-the-9]

If drive does not want to work in any port when other devices work OK, test the drive an another system.