I have a Toshiba portable external hard drive that I am trying to hook up to the USB port on my tv but the tv says "devise is not connected". The light is flashing on the hard drive. Why doesn't it recognize it as connected?

can u gus do it automaically

Check the ff:
1. sometimes it needs two sources of power (2 usb ports)
2. wait for some minutes, maybe it takes time to load

Connect the cable directly to USB port, don't use a USB port hub because the energy isn't enough.

u might have to format it in safe mode or buy a new one, if you try it on some one elses comp. and it works it ur comp. but it is most of the time a software issue

It is very possible the voltage on your computer's USB port is not handling the load. I would buy a "powered" USB 2.0 hub, plug it into your computer's usb port and plug the harddrive into the powered hub.

first of all you should try it on deferent pc , if its ok then thatleads us to insufficient power provided through usb ports , try usingback usb ports not the ON-front, and if the problem still try usingdual-usb cable like thishttp://www.cooldrives.com/usb-power-cable-mini-b.htmland if the external hdd doesn't work at all it might be the usb controller board inside the hdd cage needs to be changedif you cant find a similar one you may buy a new empty cage

I devised these simple steps that tend to remedy quite a few issues with most USB portable / external hard drives and devices (though not always)

A few things to check but assumes USB and Windows for other interfaces / operating systems similar steps may be adapted to suit.

1. Ensure it is connected directly to the computer to a USB 2.0 port not a USB 1.0 port as this can have effects on performance and reliability

2. Use only the cables that came with it NOT one that fits that may have been lying around or is longer. Not all USB cables are equal even though they should be)

3. Do not connect through an external USB HUB unless that hub is USB 2.0 AND has its own power supply.

4. Use ONLY the power supply that came with it if it has an external power supply Don’t use any other unless you know it has both the same voltage and current rating e.g. 12V 500mA anything rated below that would not work properly.

5. Always use the same port for connecting your devices. Some devices do not like being switched about. If switched they may want to install software / drivers again. This can be especialy true if you move a HUB to another port

If you checked and fixed anything there and still have issues then check your hardware from CONTROL PANEL / SYSTEM / HARDWARE.
Any exclamation marks by hardware need fixing before you investigate any further

I have had a similar problems with external drives that only plug into a USB port (no ext power adapter). It is very common that the power supply fed through the USB port is inadequate to power an external hard drive. Some enclosures have a external A/C input to resolve this. Also, some computers (motherboards) only have a select number of USB ports that are powered. Since this device is detected by your other computer and not on the new one, my next attempt would be to locate a USB hub with external A/C power. There is a good chance that this will resolve the problem. By the way, when you plug in the drive does it spin up?

how many wattage had your computer? you need to upgrade your power supply.you need also to check your bios setup on usb port