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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.
Q: Is the LED flashing red?
A: The device is unavailable because the host computer is not providing a minimum 15 W of power. Connect the drive to a USB-C port that delivers 15 W of power or more.
Q: Is the LED blinking white?
A: The device is unavailable because the drive has entered power-saving mode. See Power-saving mode.
Q: Is the LED off?
A: The device is unavailable because:
See Power-saving mode.
Q: Are both ends of the USB cable firmly attached?
A: Review troubleshooting tips for cable connections below:
Q: Are there other USB devices connected to the same port or hub?
A: Disconnect other USB devices and see if the hard drive’s performance improves.
Q: Can I use my hard drive with a USB hub?
A: Yes, the hard drive can be connected to a hub USB-C port that provides a minimum 15 W of power. If you use a hub and encounter detection problems, slower than normal transfer rates, random disconnection from your computer or other unusual issues, try connecting the hard drive directly to the computer’s USB port.
Some USB hubs are less than efficient with power management, which can be problematic for connected devices. In such a case, consider trying a powered USB hub that includes a power cable.
Q: Can I use my hard drive with a longer cable?
A: Yes, provided it is a cable that meets USB standards. However, Seagate recommends using the cable shipped with your hard drive for the best results. If you use a longer cable and experience problems with detection, transfer rates or disconnection, use the original cable included with your hard drive.
Q: Did you get an “Error -50” message while copying to a FAT32 volume?
A: When copying files or folders from a computer to a FAT32 volume, certain characters in the names cannot be copied. These characters include, but are not limited to: ? < > / \ :
Check your files and folders to ensure that these characters are not in the names.
If this is a recurring problem or you cannot find files with incompatible characters, consider reformatting the drive to NTFS (Windows users) or HFS+ or APFS (Mac users). See Optional Formatting.
Q: Did you get an error message telling you that the drive has been disconnected when coming out of sleep mode?
A: Ignore this message since the drive remounts on the desktop despite the pop-up. Seagate drives conserve power by spinning down when you set your computer to sleep mode. When the computer awakes from sleep mode, the drive may not have enough time to spin up, causing the pop-up to appear.
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.
Q: Is your Finder configured to hide hard drives on the desktop?
A: Open a Finder window. In the menu bar, click Finder next to the Apple icon and select Preferences/Settings. Click on the General tab and select Show these items on the desktop. Confirm that Hard Disks is selected.
Q: Is your hard drive mounting in the operating system?
A: Open a Finder window. In the sidebar, click Applications. Open the Utilities folder and double-click Disk Utility. If it is greyed out, it is not mounted. Click on the Mount button in Disk Utility. If your drive is not displayed on your desktop after mounting it in Disk Utility, check your Finder preferences/settings 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: For a list of supported operating systems, go to www.seagate.com/os.
Q: Did you follow the correct installation steps for your operating system?
A: Review the installation steps in Getting Started.