If you see the drive there but not in File Explorer/Finder – right-click and assign a letter (Windows) or mount it (Mac).
Never open the sealed silver metal casing of the hard drive itself unless you are in a professional cleanroom; exposing the internal platters to dust will lead to permanent data loss. Tools Needed how to open an external hard drive
Physically opening the enclosure. That’s for data recovery professionals only and will almost certainly void your warranty. If you see the drive there but not
Here’s the correct workflow, whether you’re on Windows or macOS. whether you’re on Windows or macOS.