Fix: External Hard Drive "No Media Error" (2023)

External hard drives offer a great way to store important files and data. However, if you use external hard drives regularly, you might get the missing media error. This error can appear at any time without warning, even if your external hard drive was working fine the last time you used it. Basically, your external hard drive will not show up on your computer when you plug it in. Sometimes it can't be formatted. Most of the time, it doesn't show up anywhere besides Device Manager, Disk Management, and Computer Management, but in some cases it may show up in Device Manager or Disk Management.

Many things can cause this problem, so there are a wide range of solutions. This could be due to corrupted drivers, a bad port, less power to the port, and other things causing the problem.

Since there is no solid way to verify the cause of the problem, start with Method 1 and continue until the problem is resolved. However, first review the troubleshooting to determine where the real problem lies.

1. Sometimes the problem is simply connectivity. Your USB port must be properly connected for your drive to work. A bad or missing connection between the port and the external drive can also cause this problem. So make sure that your drive is properly connected to the USB port. Try folding and moving it several times. Make sure it is inserted correctly.
2. If your external drive has lights, make sure they are on. The lights should turn on when the outdoor unit is properly connected.
3. Try connecting your drive to different ports. Maybe it's a bad port.
4. Try using your external drive with another computer and see if it works there. If the external drive works on the other computer, then your drive is fine, the problem is probably with a specific PC. If your device works on another PC, right click on the drive and select format (make sure to save your date before formatting). Now check your external drive with the computer causing the problem.
5. Mac and Windows use different file systems (Mac uses HFS and Windows uses NTFS) for USB and external drives. So if you used your external hard drive with a Mac, it could cause problems on Windows (and vice versa). The solution to this would be to format the drive in Windows to make it work in Windows (make sure to back up your data before formatting).

Method 1 – Check Device Manager for disconnected devices

For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10:

1. to stopwindowsbutton and pressX.
2. cliqueCommand Prompt (Admin).
3. cliquepanorama
4. To chooseshow hidden devices
5. Expand all the entries by double-clicking on them
6. search everythinggrayishRight click and selectuninstallto any gray input it finds.
7. restart your computer

For Windows 7 and earlier versions:

1. cliquebeginningthen playcmdin the search field and pressCONTROL,CHANGEmiGet intosimultaneously (CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER)
2. Writedefinir devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1and pressureGet into
3. WriteCD\and pressureGet into
4. Writecd windows\system32and pressureGet into
5. WriteInicie devmgmt.mscand pressureGet into
6. cliquepanorama
7. To chooseshow hidden devices
8. Expand all the entries by double-clicking on them
9. search everythinggrayishRight click and selectuninstallto any gray input it finds.
10. restart your computer

Connect your external hard drive once your computer restarts. Now check if the issue is resolved or not. If this doesn't resolve the issue, repeat steps 1-9, right-click the grayed-out entry, and select Scan for hardware changes.

Method 2: Connect to the rear USB PORT

If you have an external hard drive from Seagate and are using one of the front USB ports for connectivity, the problem may be that the external hard drive is not receiving adequate power. Sometimes the USB port does not provide enough power. Try connecting your external hard drive to the USB port on the back of your computer.

You should try changing the port even if your external hard drive is not a Seagate drive.

Method 3: Change the drive letter

1. to stopwindowsbutton and pressR
2. Writediskmgmt.mscand pressureGet into
3. Make sure your external hard drive is listed. If you find the external hard drive, right click on it and select it.Change drive letter and paths...
4. cliquechange
5. Choose a drive letter from the dropdown menu (located next toAssign the following drive letter)
6. Click OK

Method 4 – Use Diskpart to assign a drive letter

1. cliquebeginning
2. Writepart of the diskno search field
3. In the search results, right click and select diskpartExecute as an administrator
4. Writelisten volumeand pressureGet into
5. You should now be able to see your external hard drive, among other things.
6. WriteSelect volume 1(replace 1 with the volume number assigned to your drive in the list)
7. WriteCombine letter T(Replace T with a letter of your choice)

Now close Diskpart and see if the computer recognizes your drive.

Method 5: Check the power supply

If you are using a hard drive adapter or enclosure and have a 3.5" drive, the correct power supply may be the problem. There are some adapters that come with their own power supply, but most require you to connect the correct power source for your unit.

So if you're using an adapter or case, plug it into a power source (or something else) to provide power. Your USB port may not be able to supply enough power to the drive. You can check the website of the adapter or drive enclosure manufacturer to see if it meets the power requirements or not.

Observation:Some 2.5" drives may also require more power than usual (depends on the drive). So if you are using a 2.5" hard drive with an adapter, try connecting it to a reliable power source as well. .

Method 6: Repair hard drive with Chkdsk

In extreme cases, your external hard drive can become corrupted and have bad sectors. This problem can be resolved by running the chkdsk repair tool. chkdsk checks your drive for bad sectors and repairs your hard drive if it finds a problem.

1. to stopwindowsbutton and pressR
2. Writecmdand pressureGet into
3. Writechkdsk #: /Rand press Don't forget to replace "#" with your drive letter.

The computer will now check your drive for errors and attempt to repair them if it finds any. This process can take a long time, so please wait patiently even if there is no progress in the first few minutes.

Method 7 – Activate the external drive

In rare cases, your external hard drive may be disabled automatically. If your drive is disabled, enabling it usually resolves the issue.

1. to stopwindowsbutton and pressR
2. Writedevelopingmscand pressureGet into
3. Locate your external drive. must be belowuniversal serial bus controllerwith the nameusb mass storage.
4. Look for a red mark or arrow. If yes, right click and selectTo allow🇧🇷 If you can't see the Mount option, then the drive is already mounted.

Now check theunits(by double-clicking on the drive) in thedevice Managerand make sure the drive is also mounted. If it is not, which means it has the same bookmark as the USB mass storage device, right click and select itTo allow.

Now check if the issue is resolved or not.