Frequently Asked Questions

For help setting up and using your Seagate hard drive, review the frequently asked questions below. For additional support resources, go to Seagate customer support.

All users

Problem: My file transfers are too slow

Q: Are both ends of the USB cable firmly attached?

A: Review troubleshooting tips for cable connections below:

• Check both ends of the USB cable and make sure that they are fully seated in their respective ports.
• Try disconnecting the cable, waiting 10 seconds, and then reconnecting it.
• Try a different USB cable.

Q: Is the hard drive connected to a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port on your computer?

A: If your hard drive is connected to a Hi-Speed 2.0 port, the inferior performance is normal. Seagate Mobile Drive performance will improve when it is connected to a USB 3.1 port or a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 port. Otherwise, the device operates at slower USB transfer rates.

Windows

Problem: The hard drive icon doesn’t appear in Computer

Q: Is the hard drive listed in Device Manager?

A: All drives appear in at least one place in Device Manager.

Type Device Manager in Search to launch it. Look in the Disk Drives section and, if necessary, click the Plus (+) icon to view the full list of devices. If you’re uncertain that your drive is listed, safely unplug it and then reconnect it. The entry that changes is your Seagate hard drive.

Q: Is your hard drive listed next to an unusual icon?

A: Windows Device Manager usually provides information about failures with peripherals. While the Device Manager can assist with troubleshooting most problems, it may not display the exact cause or provide a precise solution.

An unusual icon next to the hard drive can reveal a problem. For example, instead of the normal icon based on the type of device, it has an exclamation point, question mark or an X. Right click this icon and then choose Properties. The General tab provides a potential reason why the device is not working as expected.

Mac

Problem: The hard drive icon does not appear on my desktop

Q: Is your Finder configured to hide hard drives on the desktop?

A: Go to Finder and then check Finder | Preferences | General tab | Show these items on the desktop. Confirm that External disks is selected.

Q: Is your hard drive mounting in the operating system?

A: Open Disk Utility at Go | Utilities | Disk Utility. If the hard drive is listed in the left-hand column, check your Finder preferences to see why it is not displayed on the desktop (review the question above).

Q: Does your computer’s configuration meet the minimum system requirements for use with this hard drive?

A: Refer to the product packaging for the list of supported operating systems.