Yes i have the same problem Driver Version 10.0.22621.4391 was not recognized and Kit Fox from western digital is absolute garbage compared to the dashboard we should get our money back.
My Western Digital external hard drive is no longer recognised by my Windows 11 pc.
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Anonymous
I have a Western Digital external hard drive and it stopped working with Windows 11 this summer. When I connect it to the PC there is a sound and the letter G shows up on the PC but no longer the name. And the drive won't open.. The driver version is 10.0.22621.4391.
Windows for home | Windows 11 | Devices and drivers
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Anonymous
2025-02-05T11:44:34+00:00 -
Anonymous
2024-12-08T11:25:33+00:00 Dear garethbarnes!
Welcome to the Microsoft Community!
When Windows 11 no longer recognizes an external hard drive, it could be due to a number of reasons, including driver issues, hardware failure, connection issues, or file system corruption. Here are some steps you can try to diagnose and resolve the issue:
- Check connections and cables
Make sure the external hard drive's connection cable is not damaged and is securely connected.
Try connecting the drive using a different USB port or cable.
- Check if the drive works on another device
Connect the external hard drive to another PC or laptop and check if it is recognized. If the drive works on another device, then the problem may be with your Windows 11 PC.
- Check Device Manager
Open Device Manager (you can do this by right-clicking the Start button or pressing Win + X and selecting Device Manager).
Expand the Disk drives or Storage controllers section and check for any warning signs or errors.
If so, try uninstalling the driver and restarting your PC to let Windows reinstall the driver.
- Run the hardware and devices troubleshooter
Open Settings (Win + I) and select System > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooting.
Run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter.
- Update Drivers
The driver version you mentioned may already be the latest version, but if not, you can try updating the driver.
Right-click the Start button, select Device Manager, find the external hard drive, right-click and select Update Driver.
- Check the file system
If the external hard drive was previously formatted with another operating system (for example, using APFS for macOS), Windows may not recognize it.
If possible, try to check and change the file system format to NTFS or FAT32 on another computer.
- Use Disk Management Tools
Open Computer Management (right-click the Start button, select Computer Management), and then select Disk Management.
Check to see if the external hard drive is visible, and if so, check if it has partitions and drive letters assigned to it.
- Check the data cable and power supply
If the external hard drive is USB-powered, make sure it has enough power.
If the hard drive has a separate power adapter, try changing the adapter.
- Use data recovery software
If none of the above steps work and you need to recover data, you can consider using data recovery software.
- Contact Technical Support
If the problem persists and the drive is under warranty, consider contacting Western Digital technical support.
When doing this, make sure you back up important data to avoid data loss. If the drive contains important data, it is recommended not to format or repartition it before attempting to recover the data.
Best regards,
Yang.Z - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist