Question External HDD can be read on laptop but not desktop

[CelticHero17]

Hi All,

I'm stumped. I have a 4TB WD MyPassport (NTFS) that can be read just fine on my laptop (an Asus running Windows 10), but not my desktop (custom built running windows 10).

Desktop Info
Operating System
Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
CPU
Intel Core i7 7700K @ 4.20GHz 35 °C
Kaby Lake 14nm Technology
RAM
32.0GB Dual-Channel Unknown @ 1066MHz (15-15-15-36)
Motherboard
ASRock Z270 Killer SLI/ac (CPUSocket)
BIOS P2.30

The HDD appears in Device Manager and Disk Management, and reads as "Healthy (Primary Partition)". However I can't assign any letter to it. Every option is grayed out except "Delete."

What I've tried:

1. Checked windows updates
2. Enabled automount in diskpart
3. Uninstalling the HDD under device manager, disconnecting it, restarting, and re-connecting the HDD
4. Uninstalling all the USB controllers under device manager and restarting. Checked for updates too.
5. Updated BIOS and all other motherboard options
6. Disabling USB selective suspend setting (didn't work so I re-enabled it)

Any help would be appreciated. I'd rather not re-format it, though that's looking like where this is headed. I have another drive this is happening with as well. Other drives work fine on both. Is there any other way I can force a letter to be assigned to it?

 

[Satan-IR]

Does it say online and healthy in Disk Management?

Do you connect it to case front USB ports?

Have you tried connecting it to back USB ports on the motherboard I/O panel?

 

[mdd1963]

No prompts about taking ownership, etc.?

Any chance the laptop in question was running Win10 Pro, with Bitlocker enabled?

 

[CelticHero17]

No prompts about taking ownership, etc.?

Any chance the laptop in question was running Win10 Pro, with Bitlocker enabled?

Just checked and bitlocker is not enabled on either computer. No ownership prompts either.

Does it say online and healthy in Disk Management?

Do you connect it to case front USB ports?

Have you tried connecting it to back USB ports on the motherboard I/O panel?

I've tried all the USB ports, front and back. It says "Healthy (Primary Partition)" in disk management.

 

[popatim]

Sounds like you, or someone, installed and Setup WD Security on the drive which can automatically unlock & lock the drie when it's inserted or removed.

I would see if this program is installed and setup on the laptop.

Assuming it's installed:

• If it isn't already setup it will want you to setup a password twice and a hint.
• If it's already setup then it will want the password before letting you into it to make changes.