Turn USB Root Hub On to Make WD External Hard Drive Recognizable In this case, use anti-virus software or CMD to remove the virus or malware on your PC or WD external hard drive 3. When the computer or the WD external hard drive gets infected by a virus or malware, you cannot access the saved data or even open the drive on the PC. Remove and Clean Up the Virus that Blocks/Stops WD External Hard Drive From Working If the WD external hard drive cannot be detected or fails to show up on your PC, change the USB port (you may try to connect the external hard drive to the motherboard), or connect it using a different USB cable to check if it shows up on the PC. Change the USB Port/Cable to Detect WD External Hard Drive Here, you have three options to quickly fix and repair WD external hard drive with the 'light on but not recognized' error: 1. Quick Fixes for WD External Hard Drive Light On But Not Recognized