My external hard drive disappeared on Windows 8

Question

it had worked fine until now.  Windows 8 updated itself today and the external HD is nowhere to be found.  I attached it to another computer and the external drive works fine... all the files were there, accessible and no loss of speed.  So
it is definitely a windows 8 issue.
The specs for the external drive are as follows:
-  2.5" SATA hard drive by Toshiba - MQ Series-
-  i.t.works HDD enclosure model 1274155
I uninstalled the device as i saw it hidden (sowed as "unconnected") and restarted.  The restart did nothing.  In fact, i can't find an uninstalled "mass storage device" in the device manager either.  
The blue light on the device is on... so it is definitely connected to the computer.  When i take attach and detach it from the USB port, the computer gives a warning sound.  So where is this thing?!?!  Very frustrating.

Answer 1

Maybe the device is not compatible with Windows 8?
You may uninstall USB controllers from Device Manager.
Use the Mouse
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1. Click "Start", type in Device Manager the Search bar and press "Enter". Click Continue if necessary.
2. In Device Manager, double click to expand "Universal Serial Bus controllers", right click on the "Host Controller", click "Uninstall" and click "OK".
3. Repeat the step 2 to uninstall all items under "Universal Serial Bus controllers".
Use the Keyboard
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1. Press "Ctrl + Esc" to open the Start Menu.
2. Type Device Manager in the Search bar and press "Enter". Click Continue if necessary.
3. In Device Manger, press Tab and use "Up" and "Down" to move the highlight to "Universal Serial Bus Controllers".
4. Press "Right" and expand it.
5. Press "Down" to move to the first item and press "Delete" to remove it.
6. Repeat the step 5 and uninstall all items under "Universal Serial Bus Controllers".
Then, restart your computer and Windows 8 will reinstall all controllers automatically. See if the issue is resolved.
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