I use an MSI Laptop and I'm trying to plug in a Orico 1TB external harddrive. I have tried this harddrive on other laptops and it doesnt even show up on any laptops. I have tried to change the cord and it still doesnt work. I have tried to check if the USB ports in my laptop are the problem but my laptop recognizes all other USB devices plugged in. So i believe the issue is with the external harddrive itself. However one thing that leaves me a little confused is the blue light on the harddrive comes on when plugged into the laptop and disc will spin. Is there any way I can fix this myself or do I need to take the harddrive to an expert?
The light on the external hard drive just means it's getting power - it does not mean it is working. If there is a hard drive showing in file explorer, then you can right click on it, choose Properties > Tools tab and click the Check button. If however File Explorer does not see the unit, then in most cases it is dead.
One more thing - it could be just the USB electronics portion that is dead. The hard drive itself may still be OK. If you can, remove the HD and plug it directly into a computer and see if it works.
I just took the harddrive out of the external plastic casing and put it back in and then plugged it in and its now working... thank you for your help, I appreciate it!
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