When I start my dane-Elec external hard drive, the blue light first turns on, then goes off. I can feel that the drive is on, but the light is not. And it's not detected on any laptop I connect it to.

When a Universal Serial Bus [USB] drive doesn't show up in your computer, it can be an urgent problem, especially when you need to access files or data stored on the drive.
It is not easy to troubleshoot this issue, compared to other computer problems, because there are a few probable causes for the problem.
On a positive note, USB problems generally require one simple step to resolve.Name Conflicts

This problem generally occurs on computers with an exceptional number of attached drives, whether they are networked, or hard-wired.
Computers with multi-format card readers can have this issue.
USB drives don't always find an available drive name that is compatible with their naming conventions.
For example, if the USB drive is named "G:," and your computer has a networked drive "G:," or additional hard or optical drives named "G:," your USB drive will not show up.
This problem can be resolved by remapping a drive to a different name; this can either be a temporary name change, or permanent.
One thing to keep in mind, is that drive remapping is not something that a computer novice should attempt.
Consult a technician for help with remapping/renaming a drive.

Software Conflicts
With newer computers, it is much more unlikely, but there could be a chance that your USB drivers are not installed.
Checking your USB drivers is a simple as right-clicking "My Computer," and selecting "Properties."
From the Properties menu, select the "Hardware" tab, and click the "Device Manager" button.
A list of your computer's hardware will open, and you will find "Universal Serial Bus" on the list. If you see a red "X" or yellow exclamation point, your drivers are not installed.

Drivers vary by computer; if you cannot find the driver disk that came with your computer, you will need to go to the website of your computer's manufacturer to locate and download the driver.
If you are not comfortable downloading and installing software, contact a computer technician.

Drive Malfunction USB drives are more durable than floppy disks and their predecessors, but they are not indestructible.
If your computer does not detect your drive and it has before, test the drive in other computers.
If the drive does not show up in several computers, there's a good chance that it has gone bad. Repeated rough handling of a USB drive can damage the memory chip on the drive.
Removing the drive without "stopping" it can corrupt the drive, as well.

USB Port Malfunction

Most USB drives have a small led that will light up when the drive is inserted into the USB port.
If the LED does not light, it could indicate a problem with the drive, but there could also be a problem with the computer's USB ports.
If the drive does not light up, and is not detected, plug it into another computer.
If the drive is detected by the other computer, there is a problem with the original computer's USB ports.

Follow the steps in the Software Problems section of this article to check if your USB drivers are installed. If they are, you may need to contact a technician to check your USB port connections.
The USB ports on the computer may have been connected when the computer was manufactured or recently serviced.
If you are not comfortable working on your computer, contact a technician.
Failure to take certain precautions could result in damage to your computer's motherboard.

Expert Insight

Whether your drive is new or you've had it for a while, do not be over-reliant on its durability. Keep at least one additional copy of your data in another location to avoid catastrophic data loss.
USB drives are not indestructible, and it is not always possible to recover data from them, even under favorable circumstances.