Seagate external drives are one of the popular portable storage devices and are widely used by Windows users. However, sometimes Seagate external drives can experience issues that cause them to flicker but are not detected by the Windows operating system. This is of course very annoying, especially if you have important data on it.
There are several possible reasons why your Seagate external drive is blinking but not detected, such as:
- Damaged or mismatched USB cable
- Problematic or incompatible USB ports
- Uninstalled or out-of-date drive drivers
- Damaged or lost hard disk partitions
- Virus or malware infection
- Physical damage to the drive
To fix this problem, you need to perform some repair steps that correspond to the cause. Here are some steps you can try to resolve a blinking but not detected Seagate external drive in Windows:
Step 1: Replace the USB Cable or USB Port
The first step you can take is to check the USB cable and USB port you use to connect your Seagate external drive to your computer. Make sure the USB cable isn’t damaged, dirty, or loose, and that the USB port isn’t buggy, dirty, or blocked by dust. If necessary, replace the USB cable or USB port with another that works properly.
To check if the USB cable or USB port is the problem, you can try connecting your Seagate external drive with another computer or device that has a USB port, such as a TV, game console, or media player. If your Seagate external drive is detected by another device, the USB cable or USB port you used earlier is likely the problem.
Step 2: Update or Reinstall Drive Drivers
The second step you can take is to check your Seagate external drive driver in Windows. A driver is software that allows your computer to recognize and communicate with connected hardware. If your Seagate external drive driver is not installed, out of date, or damaged, your computer will not be able to detect your Seagate external drive.
To check and repair your Seagate external drive driver, you can use Device Manager, a built-in Windows tool that lets you manage the hardware associated with your computer. Here are the steps you can follow:
- Press the Windows + R key on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
- Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter to open Device Manager.
- Under the Disk drives category, find your Seagate external drive. If you don’t see it, click the arrow next to the Universal Serial Bus controllers category and look for a device named Unknown Device or Mass Storage Device.
- Right-click on your Seagate external drive and select Update driver. Select the Search automatically for updated driver software option and wait for the driver search and installation process to complete. If no driver is available, select the Browse my computer for driver software option and navigate to the location of your Seagate external drive driver which you can download from Seagate’s official website.
- If the driver update process is successful, try connecting your Seagate external drive again and see if it has been detected by Windows. If still not detected, right-click on your Seagate external drive again and select Uninstall device. Check the Delete the driver software for this device option and click Uninstall. Then unplug and reattach your Seagate external drive and let Windows install the driver automatically.