SOLVED External HDD recognition

[skim]

Dell 8910 desktop. I bought an external kit to operate/examine hard drives which connects to the computer via usb. There is sound when I plug it in but the drive does not appear under the C:/ drive menu. I can not examine the contents if it does not show. It does show in the disk management menu so it is there. Any suggestions?

 

[Bighorn]

File Explorer and the earlier Windows Explorer use the backslash \ in describing the path name while the Internet addresses use the forward slash /.

The sound only indicates something has been plugged in such as an External USB drive, a Portable USB drive or other USB device. If a drive won't show in File Explorer look in Disk Management, if shown there it usually means it doesn't have a drive letter assigned which should occur after a drive is partitioned then formatted. Once that occurs a drive letter can be assigned from any that are listed as available.

In the Notification Area there usually is an icon for Safely Remove device, the USB case/adapter may show there instead of the actual drive.

 

[davehc]

Not exactly sure what you mean by the C: drive menu? An external would not appear under a pure isolated C: windows. To se the Ext, use "This PC", or the nav pane.

 

[skim]

Attached .pdf shows the device manager with a 320gb hdd showing that it has been used to record. There is no drive letter. The device does not appear on file explorer. I could find nothing in the notification area.

 

[skim]

Found a way to add a drive letter. It works. Thanks to all for your help.