Xbox not detecting external storage [Fixed]

Just like any other gaming console, Xbox comes with limited storage. As a result, if you want to keep all your games intact, you need to use external storage. However, sometimes you may face issues like Xbox not detecting external storage. And it is a serious issue, especially if you have your games and other media files. This post will guide you on what you can do when Xbox does not recognize the external hard drive.

Why is Xbox not detecting external storage?

It must meet a few requirements if it is your first time connecting external storage to your gaming console. Such as it should be pre-formatted, use a USB 3.0 port, and more.

However, if your Xbox is not detecting your old external storage, then these can be some of the key reasons:

Your Xbox might have encountered a bug. Make sure to install any pending updates.
Your external drive might have been corrupted (Replacing it is the only solution).

Fix: Xbox is not detecting external storage or hard drive

There can be many reasons why your Xbox is not detecting external hard drive or storage. However, here are some of the tried and tested fixes:

Use a Different Port
Make sure you’ve installed any recent updates to Xbox
Adjust the power management for storage if you’re in instant-on mode
Power cycle your console

Now let’s talk about these methods briefly below:

1] Use a Different Port

Let’s start with the very basics. Try inserting your external storage to some other USB port than the one you are inserting into. You can also try restarting your gaming console and then try this.

Also, to ensure that your external device is not damaged, consider connecting it to your computer and see if it’s getting detected. You can use the disk management tool to check if it appears in the list.

2] Make sure you’ve installed any recent updates to Xbox

Xbox might not detect your external storage because of any bug, and Xbox has already released a patch. So make sure that there is no pending update left. If there is, update your Xbox and try to connect your external device to see if it is being recognized.

To update your Xbox, follow the below steps:

Press the Xbox button from the controller.
Navigate to Profile & System > Settings > System > Updates.
Over here, if you see any pending updates available, then do install it.
After installing the updates, go to Settings > System > Storage devices and see if you see your external device.

3] Adjust the power management for storage if you’re in instant-on mode

Xbox’s instant-on mode allows you to make your gaming console startup faster. However, this drawback is that sometimes it might not be able to start up all the services simultaneously, resulting in Xbox not detecting external storage errors. It is almost like a website loaded on the browser from the cache.

However, you can try adjusting your power management settings for your external drive and see if it works. For this, follow the below steps:

Press the Xbox button from the controller.
Go to Profile & system > Settings > General > Power mode & start-up.
Over here, ensure that your Power mode is set to Instant-on.
Next, unselect the option that says—When Xbox is off, turn off storage.
Then restart your Xbox.
Finally, go to System > Storage and check if your storage device is being shown here.

4] Power cycle your console

Lastly, you can try power cycling your console. Power cycle can fix commonly faced issues instantly. To get started with this, follow the below steps:

First, press the Xbox button on the front of the console for about 10 seconds.
Unplug the power cord from the socket. Wait for at least 30 seconds.
Next, turn on the console again and see if it detects the external drive.

Conclusion

So those were a few quick fixes for the Xbox external storage. Also, to ensure that the problem is not with your external drive, you can try connecting some other storage device to your Xbox and see if it works. For instance, you can try connecting a flash drive and see if it is getting recognized.

If you have any other questions or need further help, feel free to comment below.

What is the requirement of storage for saving games?

To store games in external storage, there are a few requirements that you have to meet. These requirements are:

Your external storage must have a USB 3.0 connection. If you are using a USB hub, it should support USB 3.0 or later.
The external storage should be at least 128GB in capacity.
Ensure you are not connecting more than three storage devices to your Xbox simultaneously.
Your storage must have a partition. In most cases, it should come with a pre-formatted partition.

If your storage device doesn’t meet the above requirements, your external drive will be treated as media storage, and you won’t be able to store games in it.

How check if Xbox has detected Storage?

Checking if the Xbox has detected an external drive is super easy. First, press the controller’s Xbox button and go to Profile & system > Settings > System > Storage devices. Over here, you should be able to see all your storage devices.