External drive icon not appearing on desktop

Hi - I have also posted this in the Time Machine forum as this is where my problem started. New iMac yesterday - replacement for faulty iMac which I had backed up using Time Machine. Reinstall from Time Machine effortless - no problem. Downloaded available software updates and 10.5.7 onto new iMac. No problem until I go to do another backup. Time Machine does not recognise external drive and I get "volume could not be found" message. At this point in time the external drive icon is showing on the desktop. Give up and go to bed thinking I will reformat external drive in the morning and start again
This morning, I boot up the machine but the external drive icon has disappeared from the desktop. Unplug external HD from usb and plug in again. No icon on desktop although it shows in Finder and Time Machine.
Anyway - I turned Time Machine off and then pointed it at the Ext. HD - went to back up now and magic - did complete backup and has done a second subsequently. Seems to have created a second backup folder separate from the one created by previous machine from which I reinstalled. Still no desktop icon! Switch iMac off and on again - still no desktop icon. So why - the Ext. drive is recognised and works so why isn't an icon for it appearing on the desktop?
Please help - I need answers to these weird happenings
Thanks
Ann
.

Problem solved and it was so simple - just had to go to Finder, Preferences, General and tick the box that says external devices. Desktop icon has returned:-) Don't know why it became unticked but everything now is working absolutely fine (as far as I know lol) Hope this is the start of a good relationship between me and my new Mac!
Ann

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