# Computer doesn't show drive name in Windows Explorer when connecting external drive



## tonydoss (Dec 11, 2007)

Hi,

I have a Dell Latitude E6500 with Windows XP 3.
when I connect an external drive (I tried with different ones), Windows Explorer doesn't show any drive name. However, in Device Manager, the external drive is seen.

Problem with USB memory stick too: Windows Explorer do show the drive, but when I click on it asks to format it, although on another computer it works fine (I also tried with various USB sticks).

Note: connecting iPhone, iPad works fine.

thanks in advance.


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## makinu1der2 (Jan 1, 2008)

Are there any device errors in Device Manager?

Check Disk Management to see if the drive is recognized

Click Start > Run > type *diskmgmt.msc*

If the drive is recognized attempt to initialize the drive by right-clicking


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## tonydoss (Dec 11, 2007)

I did that before: the drive was recognised in Disk Management (but still not showing in Windows Explorer), I right-clicked and changed the drive letter. It asked to re-start, I did, but same problem (still not showing in Explorer).
What do you mean by "initialize", there's no such option when I right-click.
thanks


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## makinu1der2 (Jan 1, 2008)

Since the drive is recognized then you won't have the initialize option.

Is a drive letter assigned to the drive is Disk Management? Post a screenshot if possible.

Did you check Device Manager for any driver errors?


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

With the USB drive in the computer go to Start/Run and type *chkdsk X: /R *and press enter (Change *X: *to the actual Drive Letter of your External Drive) In the Command Prompt box (DOS) type a *Y* to Unmount the drive. the Check Disk Utility will try and fix any file errors on the drive.


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## tonydoss (Dec 11, 2007)

when I type chkdsk F: /R (the drive letter for the USB stick is F) the DOS window pops up and then is gone, so I don't have the time to type anything! any idea why?


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## makinu1der2 (Jan 1, 2008)

Open a command window (Start > Run> cmd) then type the chkdsk command.


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## tonydoss (Dec 11, 2007)

I get the following message:

The type of the file system is RAW
CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives


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## tonydoss (Dec 11, 2007)

makinu1der2 said:


> Since the drive is recognized then you won't have the initialize option.
> 
> Is a drive letter assigned to the drive is Disk Management? Post a screenshot if possible.
> 
> Did you check Device Manager for any driver errors?


There is no drive letter assigned in Disk Management. See screenshot attached (the external drive is Disk 1).
No driver error and device detected has working properly in Device Manager (see screenshot; external drive is: OEM Ext Hard Disk USB Device).


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Disk 1 is one single drive that has 2 partitions. The first partition is fine. the second partition is *Unallocated space*. That means the file system is corrupt and now it is a RAW HDD space. If there was data on that partition it is now lost. To retrieve the space, Just right click the *Unallocated* space and choose *Format*, NTFS.


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## tonydoss (Dec 11, 2007)

I doubt the problem is with the disk: when I connect to another computer and run Disk Management, I read: 465.06Gb NTFS Healthy


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

OK, do you see 2 partitions on the drive in the other computer, like it is listed in the troubled computer? 
Run Check Disk on the drive in the other computer that sees the whole drive.


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## tonydoss (Dec 11, 2007)

no, when connected to the healthy computer, I see only one partition for the external hard drive


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

Then you are not looking at the same drive._ This _drive has 2 partitions. Either way, run Check Disk on the drive.


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## tonydoss (Dec 11, 2007)

errr... I'm 100% sure I am, there's no other drives beside the DVD player and the local disk. Again I'm 100% positive I'm looking at the same drive. Especially because the healthy computer shows "Iomega_HDD" for this drive and.. well, the external hard drive is Iomega


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

spunk.funk said:


> Run Check Disk on the drive in the other computer that sees the whole drive.


Have you run Check Disk on the Iomega Drive yet?


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## tonydoss (Dec 11, 2007)

spunk.funk said:


> Have you run Check Disk on the Iomega Drive yet?


I did. There was a whole bunch of invalid security ids. I ran again Check Disk with /F. It fixed all that and said "CHKDSK discovered free space marked as allocated in the volume bitmap. Windows has made corrections with the file system."

However, that didn't change anything: same thing shows in Disk Management on the healthy computer and the "sick" one.


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## tonydoss (Dec 11, 2007)

any thoughts??


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