Windows is a complex and complex operating system. However, this does not prevent errors and problems. The data is still available but not published yet, which is a big problem. This could be a device- or data-related issue. After reading this article, you will understand the reason behind the “why is my hard drive not showing any data” problem.
We also provide useful and simple solutions to help you solve problems with internal and external hard drives that are not transferring data to your computer. All solutions are explained in detail. Just scroll down to learn how to view files on your hard drive.
User Query
I just connected an external hard drive to my computer and I can’t see any data. I used it recently and I’m sure I didn’t delete a single file or folder. What should I do?
Before considering the above question, let us first understand why this is so…
Why is My Hard Drive Not Showing Any Data? Reason
Problems can arise with data on internal or external hard drives, solid-state drives, flash drives, SD cards, and virtually any storage device. There are different reasons, and below you can find out why your data is not showing up on your hard drive.
- Virus or Malware: A virus or malware is software designed to damage your operating system. It can be saved on your hard drive and prevent files from appearing even if they are there. Sometimes isolating the virus is not enough, so you have to format your hard drive.
- Your Information is Hidden: Sometimes users can hide their data. Enabling this tool may make files and folders invisible even if they exist, so if you encounter this, you need to follow a simple procedure to show the files.
- File System Error: This type of error occurs on the disk and can come from many sources. Windows sends free support depending on the error that occurs, and if this is not enough, you should restore the system, try using CHDSK to fix the problem, or, at worst, format the hard drive.
- Corruption Cases: Your data may be affected for many reasons, such as the activation of viruses or malware, conflicts, electricity or complex problems. If your file is corrupted, you should try downloading the latest version or restoring your system so that the file can be returned to its original state without any consequences.
- Bad Sectors: Hard drives create small groups called sectors in which data is stored. If reading and writing are difficult and assignments are unsatisfactory, many problems will arise. A disk sector failure can occur for many reasons.
- Hardware Problems: Hardware problems cannot be changed. The lifespan of hard drives is always short, so it is not uncommon for hard drives to fail after many years of use. Also, an interruption in the socket or a power outage is enough for the drive to stop working correctly.
Likewise, connecting cables can affect external hard drives. If the external hard drive cable is damaged, the data cannot be transferred and therefore cannot be viewed. Now let’s move on to the next part: how to repair an external hard drive and get your files back to looking good.
Quick Solution to Solve the Problem of Data Not Visible on a Hard Drive
The first is the best professional software that can help you recover your lost hard drive easily. The program is called SysTools Hard Drive Recovery Tool and you can download it from the official website. Hard drives for data recovery are the most widely used electronic devices by both private and professional users.
Keep all important files and folders safe. But what if you lose your computer data? The best solution is to try this software. It provides safe and reliable recovery of files lost from a laptop. with this utility, you can also remove protection from external hard drive in Windows 11, 10, 8, etc.
Why is My Hard Drive Not Showing Any Data? Software Steps
Below, we will show you how to easily recover data using this powerful software:
- Download and install hard drive recovery software.
- Select the partition and click “Scan” or “Scan Format” according to your needs.
- Preview completed data recovery items in the hard drive recovery pane.
- Select Keep all data or Keep deleted if you want to keep data from your hard drive anywhere on the host machine.
Manual Techniques Fix Hard Drive Not Showing Data Error
This method is recommended as a last resort, as it requires backing up all your files and takes some time. To format your hard drive, you need to do the following:
Format or Reformat your External or Internal Hard Disk
- Open administrative tools.
- After this, right-click the Windows button and choose Disk Management from the list.
- Click Format.
- After opening the management tool, you need to click on the “Disk Management” section in the list on the left. Next, select the drive you want to convert to NTFS, right-click it to open a list of options, and click Format.
- Set Properties.
- You can name the drive by entering the desired name in the Volume Label section and then selecting NTFS as the format in the File System drop–down list. After setting up the features, click “OK” to start the conversion process.
- Confirm the process.
Important Note: The formatting process will delete all data stored on the drive, so only confirm the process if you have made a backup. If you haven’t already done so and formatted your hard drive, the recovery process can be difficult if you don’t have the right tools.
Run CHKDSK to Fix Files Not Showing on Your Hard Drive
You can use the CHKDSK command from the command line to fix hard drive errors that are preventing you from viewing files. To finish this process, you have to follow these steps:
- Open the Command Prompt in Administrator mode
- Right-click the Windows icon in the left corner of the taskbar and select the Command Prompt (Admin) option. Once this is done, a pop-up window will appear, asking you to confirm the process.
- Start the recovery process
- Now all you need to do is enter the following command: chkdsk c: /f (replace c with the letter assigned to your device) and press Enter.
- It will automatically start the assessment process and Windows will be able to detect any corruption in the device’s file system and fix it.
Final Conclusion
If your hard drive isn’t displaying files, there could be several reasons. If the show hidden files task is not enough to resolve the situation, the problem may be with your hard drive. Luckily, there are several other ways to fix this, and an automatic solution is the best. This amazing software can restore your files safely and quickly, even if your drive is damaged, and you can view your files again with just a few clicks
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