Buffalo External Hard Drive Not Working? Fix It Now!

My Buffalo External Hard Drive Not Working! Help!

"My Buffalo external hard drive was not recognized after I connected it. The drive shows up in Device Manager but doesn’t appear in File Explorer. I’ve tried changing USB ports, restarting the computer, and using different cables, but nothing seems to work. How can I fix this issue and access my files?"

A Buffalo external hard drive is a type of storage device manufactured by Buffalo Technology used for backing up data, expanding storage capacity, and transferring files between different devices. However, many users encounter the issue of a Buffalo external hard drive not being recognized during regular tasks. Why does it happen? Here are several possible reasons:

► No Partition on the Drive: If your external hard drive is brand new and hasn't been set up with a partition yet, the system can't recognize the size of the drive. This can cause the drive to be detected but not accessible. ► Outdated Disk Driver: If your drivers are outdated, the drive may appear in Device Manager but not in Disk Management. ► Drive Errors: When the drive’s file system becomes corrupted, the operating system might still detect the drive, but it may be unable to read or write data, making it inaccessible. ► Incorrect Drive Letter Assignments: Another common issue that can prevent your external hard drive from being accessible is if it doesn't have a correct drive letter assigned.

5 Ways to Fix Buffalo External Hard Drive Not Working

Are you struggling with your Buffalo external hard drive not working after being connected to your computer? Don’t worry! In this section, we'll walk you through practical methods to get your Buffalo external hard drive working again.

Solution 1: Create a Valid Partition

When you encounter the issue of the Buffalo external hard drive not working, first check if it is a new hard drive without any partition. If so, the system may not recognize the size of the drive, causing the drive to be detected but not accessible. Follow these steps to create a valid partition:

Step 1: Press Win + X and select Disk Management.

Step 2: Check if your Buffalo external hard drive is listed as an unallocated space. If so, execute the following steps.

Step 3: Right-click the unallocated space on your external hard drive and select New Simple Volume.

Step 4: Follow the on-screen prompts to create a new partition, including setting the size, assigning a drive letter, choosing a drive letter, and formatting the partition.

Step 5: Once the process is complete, you can access your Buffalo external hard drive via File Explorer.

Solution 2: Update Disk Driver 

Sometimes, your Buffalo external hard drive may not be recognized due to outdated or incompatible drivers. If your external hard drive appears in Device Manager but not in Disk Management, and you’re unable to access it, try updating the disk driver by following these steps:

Step 1: Press Win + S, type device manager, and press Enter.

Step 2: Expand Disk driver and locate your non-recognized Buffalo external hard drive.

Step 3: Right-click on the disk and select Update Driver Software… from the context menu.

Step 4: Wait for the update progress and let the driver be installed.

Step 5: Restart your computer and reconnect your drive to check if the issue is resolved.

Solution 3: Check and Repair Drive Errors

Additionally, the issue of your Buffalo hard drive not working could be caused by errors on the drive. You can use CHKDSK to check for and fix these errors. Here are the detailed steps:

Step 1: Press Win + S, type cmd, and select Run as administrator.

Step 2: Type the command chkdsk [Drive Letter]: /f /r /x and hit the Enter key.

• /f: Fixes errors on the disk.
• /r: Locates bad sectors and recovers readable data.
• /x: Forces the volume to dismount before checking.

Step 3: Exit this CMD window and check if your drive can be accessed.

Solution 4: Change Drive Letter

Occasionally, your Buffalo hard drive may be assigned the same drive letter as another device, which prevents your drive from being accessed properly. Follow these steps to change its drive letter:

Step 1: Press Win + X and click Disk Management.

Step 2: Select the volume and choose the Change Drive Letter and Paths option.

Step 3: Choose a new drive letter and click OK.

Solution 5: Format your Buffalo External Hard Drive

If the methods above don't resolve the issue of your Buffalo external hard drive not being recognized, consider reformatting it. This process can fix problems such as corrupted file systems or partition issues. However, all data on the drive will be removed after reformatting. So make sure to back up any important files to another storage device beforehand.

Step 1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialogue.

Step 2. Type diskmgmt.msc and press the Enter key to launch Disk Management.

Step 3. Right-click your Buffalo external hard drive and select Format.

Step 4. In the dialogue, set the file system as needed.

Step 5. Click OK to save your changes. Then your drive will be formatted, and all data will be cleared.

Pro Tip: Recover Data from Your Buffalo External Hard Drives

What if your data is lost during the repair process? Is it possible to recover it? Absolutely! If your data is lost—whether due to accidental file deletion, unexpected formatting, drive corruption, or other issues—professional data recovery software can often help restore it.

One of the most reliable solutions for recovering deleted or lost files is AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery. This powerful software is designed to retrieve data from a wide variety of storage devices, including external hard drives, internal drives, USB drives, SD cards, and more. AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery stands out by simplifying the recovery process, allowing users to recover lost data quickly and easily with just a few clicks. Whether you’re facing a minor error or a more severe data loss scenario, this tool makes the recovery process hassle-free and efficient.

Recover data from complex loss scenarios, such as drive formatting, OS reinstallation, virus attacks, system crashes, and more.

Restore a wide range of file types, including documents, audio, video, images, and other media formats.

Support for various external hard drive brands, including Buffalo, Seagate, Toshiba, Samsung, and others.

Fully compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, as well as Windows Server editions.

Let’s use AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery to recover lost data from a Buffalo external hard drive: 

Step 1: Connect your Buffalo external hard drive to your PC first. 

Step 2: Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery, and select the drive you wish to recover data from.

Step 3: Scan the drive for deleted or lost data. You can choose between Quick Scan and Deep Scan for a thorough search of your storage devices.

Step 4: Once the scan is complete, the missing files will be displayed. Select the files you wish to recover and click Recover.

Step 5: Choose a destination path for the recovered files and wait for the process to finish.

Conclusion

Buffalo external hard drive not working? Don't panic—there are several practical solutions to help you resolve the issue. Whether the problem lies with an unallocated partition, outdated drivers, file system errors, or incorrect drive letter assignments, you can take steps to restore functionality and regain access to your files. In cases where your data has been lost during the troubleshooting process, data recovery software like AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery can help you retrieve lost files with ease.