Hey everyone! I was trying to access some files on my external HDD today, but it isn't showing up in Windows Explorer or Finder on Mac. I can see it in the partition tool on Windows, but it shows all the storage as unused and doesn't have a drive letter assigned. When I tried assigning a drive letter, it still won't open in Explorer.
I downloaded the EaseUS recovery tool to scan the drive, and surprisingly, all my data appears to be intact. The HDD is a SeaGate, and both SeaGate's software and GSmartControl don't show any health issues with the drive. I'm confused because the drive is stationary and only plugged in or unplugged when needed.
I don't have a spare Micro-B cable to test at the moment. What do you think my next step should be?
1 Answer
It sounds like your HDD might have a corrupted partition. This happens sometimes, especially if the drive is failing. Fortunately, a corrupted partition doesn't necessarily mean you’ve lost your data; your PC just can’t access it properly. You should definitely use something like EaseUS to recover your files, and do it quickly since the drive could be failing, leading to potential data loss.
That’s interesting! I’ve been swapping an external SSD between Windows and Mac too, and once it wouldn’t show up either. I kept swapping devices, and eventually, it worked again. Do you think this could be related to the operating systems causing the issues?