What Happened in This External USB Hard Drive Not Detected Case?
One of our clients from Brisbane plugged in their WD My Passport Ultra, but the computer didn’t respond. No lights, no sounds. Disk Management didn’t show the device at all. This is a classic case of a USB bridge chip failure.
The customer had over 1.2TB of personal photos and videos stored. After trying multiple ports and computers, they wisely stopped further attempts and contacted our team for a professional diagnosis.
Can External USB Hard Drive Not Detected Issues Be Fixed?
Yes, and in many cases, the data is fully recoverable. DIY efforts like third-party repair tools or repeated reconnection attempts can worsen the issue, especially if the problem is hardware-related.
We advise against opening the drive, freezing it, or using risky repair software. These actions can damage the internal components or overwrite critical metadata.
Instead, bring the drive to experts who can diagnose the real issue using specialist tools like PC-3000 and DeepSpar.
How Payam Handled the External USB Hard Drive Not Detected Retrieval
Step 1: Free Assessment
We tested the drive’s USB interface, confirmed it wasn’t delivering power correctly, and detected no SATA handshake internally.
Step 2: Quote and Client Approval
We explained the cause, outlined the steps needed, and provided a written quote for approval.
Step 3: Recovery and File Extraction
Using our tools, we removed the internal SATA drive from its casing and connected it directly to our forensic lab setup. The drive worked perfectly without the faulty USB bridge. We imaged the disk and retrieved all 1.2TB of data.
Step 4: Data Return
We copied the recovered data to a new 2TB external hard drive and returned it to the client. All files were verified before dispatch.
Why Trust Payam for USB Hard Drive Recovery Australia?
- Australia’s oldest data recovery company since 1998
- Over 150,000 successful recoveries
- Australia’s largest data recovery company with 6 labs and 15 expert engineers
- Trusted by government agencies and 2000+ IT companies
- Real labs in locations across 5 states, not virtual offices
- ISO-certified Class-100 cleanroom environment for safe data handling
- No outsourcing or offshoring, all work done in-house by engineers
- More successful recoveries each year than any other provider in Australia
Costs and Timeline for External USB Hard Drive Not Detected
File retrieval costs range from AUD 375 to 2000 for non-urgent jobs. Priority options speed things up. Costs depend on the issue: file system fixes are simpler, while hardware faults take more work. After a free 1–2 day assessment, we provide an exact quote for your approval.
Common Questions on External USB Hard Drive Not Detected
- How long does recovery take? 1–2 business days for assessment, 1–3 weeks for recovery (faster for priority).
- What causes detection failure? Often the USB-SATA bridge chip fails or the drive gets insufficient power.
- Can I recover files myself? Basic checks like new cables or ports are okay, but physical or firmware faults need expert help.
Similar Devices We Handle
We retrieve files from:
- WD My Passport Ultra, Elements, and My Book
- Seagate Backup Plus, One Touch, and Expansion drives
- Toshiba Canvio Basics, Flex, and Advance
- LaCie Rugged and Porsche Design drives
- Samsung T5 and T7 SSDs
- Buffalo MiniStation and DriveStation
See more models at our hard drive recovery page.
Ready to Retrieve Your Files?
Book a free assessment today. Call 1300 444 800.
Abroad? Post your device to us. All assessments are done in-house by our engineers.
Our Labs Across Australia
- Sydney: Level 11, 65 York Street, Sydney, NSW 2000
- Rhodes: Ground Floor, 5 Rider Boulevard, Rhodes, NSW 2138
- Melbourne: Level 11, 456 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000
- Brisbane: Level 10, 95 North Quay, Brisbane, QLD 4000
- Adelaide: Level 24, 91 King William Street, Adelaide, SA 5000
- Perth: Level 28, AMP Tower, 140 St Georges Terrace, Perth, WA 6000
Real labs with engineers on-site, not drop-off points.
Learn more about hard drive technology at Wikipedia: Hard Disk Drive and Hard Disk Sentinel.