Fix PS5 Not Recognizing External Hard Drive [Error CE1000067]

The 667GB usable storage on the PS5, more often than not, is inadequate for most console players out there. To expand it, however, you need to spend quite a heavy bucks. On that accord, an external hard drive is a great option to back up your favorite PS5 games.

Though, a sudden encounter with the CE-100006-7: The external storage drive cannot be recognized, can ruin the excitement quickly, as the PS5 fails to identify the external hard disk.

That said, as a long-term PS5 user, I’m about to walk you through all the methods to fix external hard drives not recognized by the PS5.

So, let’s have a look!

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Why is PS5 Not Recognizing the External Hard Drive

PS5 not recognizing your HDD because the console cannot detect the device. Also, if the connection between the PS5 and the external hard disk is lost, it might not work. Besides, PS5 does not recognize an external hard drive with an incorrect disk format.

Glitches and bugs sometimes prevent the PS5 from embracing a new component, such as an external hard drive, via USB ports. In the worst-case scenario, the PS5 USB port might stop working entirely. This mainly occurs due to outdated PS5 system software.

A peripheral failure, such as the cable connecting the console and the hard drive, might be the culprit behind the PS5 external hard drive not working issue.

Last but not least, the drive you are trying to use as a PS5 game library is physically flawed due to bad sectors on the disk and poor health. As a result, the external hard drive does not show up on PS5.

How to Fix PS5 Not Recognizing External Hard Drive

When your external hard drive stops working suddenly or is not recognized by the PS5 console at all, disconnect the USB cable from both ends — PS5 and the external HDD, then re-plug it. In case a USB hub is in use, get rid of it and directly connect the external hard disk to the PS5.

I mean, it is pretty easy to install an external hard drive on the PlayStation 5. How hard can it be? Just plug it in, boom! More storage. Um, No. Though, the basic process is that you have to go through some steps if your hard disk is not detected by PlayStation 5.

Before moving on to any troubleshooting steps, make sure your external hard disk is USB 3.0 compatible and has more than 250 GB of Space. If it doesn’t support USB 3.0, then it will not work on PS5. As a result, the PS5 might have issues with the external hard drive.

Also, check the cables first to make sure everything is connected properly.

Here are the steps to fix PS5 not recognizing external hard drive:

1. Install the hard drive properly

You have to be fast when you’re trying to install a hard drive. While inserting the USB, ensure you are not hitting the corners. Connect the USB right away.

Here are the steps to external install an external hard drive on your PS5:

Insert the USB cable into your PS5.
Wait for the notification to pop up.
Navigate to Settings > Storage > USB Extended Storage.
Click on Format as USB Extended Storage.

Note: Make sure you connect the external hard disk to the USB type A port of the PS5.

If your PlayStation 5 still cannot recognize the external hard disk, follow the next method.

2. Restart PlayStation 5

If your external hard drive meets all the requirements, and you still cannot find it on your PS5, then you should restart the PS5 and connect it again.

Here are the steps to restart PS5:

Hold the PS button.
Go to the power icon.
Tap to restart PS5.

After the restart, try to insert the external hard disk again. Hopefully, it will work.

3. Re-Build Database & Clear System Software Cache

Database rebuilding is a bulletproof method for fixing corrupted data on the PS5’s internal drive. What it does, basically, is, scan the internal storage of the console and create a new database for all the saved contents.

Having a great result for myself and my friends, rebuilding the PS5 database is a proven solution to fix external hard drive detection issues.

To rebuild the PS5’s database:

Turn the console completely off.
Hold down the power button of the PS5 for 5-10 seconds until you hear the second beep. This boots the PS5 into Safe Mode.
Connect the DualSense controller to the PS5 with a USB cable.
Press the PS button on the controller next.
Now scroll down with the D-pad and select Clear Cache & Rebuild Database.
Select the second option, Rebuild Database.
Click OK from the next screen to confirm. This may take time to complete the process. So be patient.

Once rebuilding is done, check whether the PS5 now recognizes the hard drive. If you still have no luck, select Clear System Software Cache from the Clear Cache & Rebuild Database screen.

The PS5 should detect the external hard drive this time.

4. Update PS5 System Software

It’s pretty common that temporary bugs and glitches plague the system software, thus producing issues like the PS5 not recognizing an external hard drive. But the good news is Sony consistently rolls out new software updates for the PS5 to sort out these issues and enrich the user experience.

Below are the steps to update your PS5 system software:

Go to the PS5 system software download page.
Scroll down and click on the PS5 console update file to start downloading.
Take a USB thumb drive and create two folders, PS5 and UPDATE. The UPDATE folder must be inside the PS5 folder.

Warning: The USB stick must be formatted to FAT32 or exFAT.

Copy and paste the downloaded PS5UPDATE.PUP file to the USB drive using a PC or a Mac.
Insert the USB drive into the PS5.
Boot into the PS5’s Safe Mode by pressing the power button for 5-10 seconds until you hear the second beep.
Connect the DualSense controller with a USB cable to the console.
Press the PS button on the controller next to access the Safe Mode.
Navigate to Update System Software > Update from USB Drive > OK > Update.

The update process will commence immediately. Stay tuned until the operation completes. The console will restart once the update is finished.

Now, take your external hard drive and connect it to the PS5 via a USB cable, and it should be identified by the console this time.

5. Reset PS5 to Factory Settings

See, problems in the system file may still remain after the update and prevent the external hard drive from showing up on PS5. So what now?

Well, you can start from the beginning. Like the first time you turned on the PS5. I bet you can sense where I’m going with this. Yes, I’m referring to a factory reset of the PS5 console. This procedure restores the PS5 to its default settings and fixes problems in reading an external hard drive by the PS5.

One caveat is that it will erase all of your saved game and application data. So before you move on to the actual fix, first back up your data.

Backup PS5 Data

To back up your PS5 data, take a FAT32 or exFAT USB stick. Connect it to the PS5 and go to Settings > System.

Now navigate to System Software > Back Up and Restore > Back Up Your PS5. Select the drive where you want to save your data. Choose your preferred data type which you want to have a backup. Finally, select Back Up.

Once your PS5 data is secured, now let’s move on to the actual factory reset process. To do that, access System > System Software > Reset Options > Select Reset Your Console > Choose Reset > Yes.

The reset process will start right away, and the PS5 console will restart once the data is erased. FYI, you can factory reset the PS5 even without the controller as well.

Now, insert your external hard drive into the PS5 via a USB cable and verify whether the console recognizes it.

6. Diagnose the external hard drive

If all the hard work you’ve done so far is a wild goose chase, it’s time to inspect the hard drive itself. It could be that the external drive is faulty or physically damaged. So the very first thing to do is to examine the drive physically. If everything’s flush, check hard drive health using a PC.

Also, connect the external HDD to a PC and scan it to see if there is any problem, such as bad sectors or critical health. If your pc cannot recognize the hard disk, you need to get a new drive to use it with the PS5.

Can You Use Any Other Brand of External Hard Drive With PS5?

Any hard disk will work as long as it meets some of the criteria given by Sony. Yes, there is no specific brand cap or official Sony external drive made for the PS5 thing, you can just use any external hard drive or SSD, and it will work on a PlayStation 5 and even on a PS4.

Though, there are certain requirements that you need to follow if you are trying to buy external storage. And these are:

USB 3.0 is required for the external hard drive.
It’s essential to have fast external storage. A maximum of 5mbps is needed.
Anywhere from 250GB to 8TB of capacity is acceptable for external storage.
Only one external storage device may be used at a time when connected to your console.
A USB hub cannot be used to connect external storage.

However, there is a catch; you cannot play the PS5 games directly from the extended storage. You can, of course, keep all of your PS5 games on external storage. It’s as simple as copying the data from external storage to your PS5 when you wish to reinstall these games. Because it takes less time, this is a better option than re-downloading the game entirely.

You can play PS4 games straight from your PS4’s external storage, as well as store games on it. Your PS5 system will be able to hold a lot more new PS5 games if this is implemented.

However, you can store the PS5 games in an external SSD from the last big software update and play directly from there. But you have to meet some requirements to have full compatibility.

Here are the requirements for external SSD in PS5:

It has to be a PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD.
Storage capacity needs to be from 250GB to 4TB.
Minimum read speed 5,500MB/s or higher.
The heat sink is mandatory.

SSDs worth every penny, though they are expensive. It would be wise to wait for any big sale and pick up the SSD then.

FAQs

How to Force PS5 to Read External Hard Drive?

After connecting the external hard drive to the PS5, format the drive as USB Extended Storage. Once you do that, you should be able to read data.

Will Seagate Hard Drive Work With PS5?

Yes, Seagate hard drive will work with PS5 as long as it is formatted as a FAT32 or exFAT drive. PS5 does not support the NTFS file system.

Can You Connect an External HDD to the PS5 With a USB 2.0 Cable?

No, you cannot connect an external hard disk to the PS5 using a USB 2.0 cable. Sony limited the USB 2.0 functionality to selected components, and hard drives are not included. You must connect external hard drives via USB 3.0 to the PS5.