How to Open My E Drive

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In Microsoft Windows, different drives are assigned different letters based on the type of drive they are and when they're connected to the computer, so the E drive may be different on different computers. You can access a particular drive using the Windows File Explorer in Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10. If you have trouble getting a drive to open, you can troubleshoot the problem.

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Opening the E Drive

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If all goes well, you should be able to open the E drive or any other drive on your Windows computer using the File Explorer. Click the "File Explorer" link on the Windows taskbar at the bottom of your screen or within the Start Menu.

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If you see a link called "This PC" on the left side of the screen, click it. You should see a list of all the drives on the computer, including icons indicating what type of drive they are, including internal and external hard drives, CD and DVD drives and USB memory sticks. The E drive will be labeled "E:" and may have an additional description next to it.

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If you see it, double click it to explore the files and folders that are on the disk. You can drag or drop folders or files from the E drive to other places on your computer or open files in place by double clicking them.

If There's No E Drive

If you don't see the E drive at all, make sure the drive you think should have that drive letter is properly set up.

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If it's an external drive or memory stick connected by USB or another type of port, make sure the connection is secure, with any cables firmly inserted into the drive and the computer's port. If the drive requires power separate from the computer, make sure it's properly plugged in to a working outlet or to a power strip that's turned on. Unplug it and plug it back in if you're unsure if it's connected. You can also try restarting your computer to see if the drive is detected.

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If the E drive is a removable disk drive, like one that takes CDs or DVDs, make sure there's a disk in the drive.

If you still can't get Windows to detect the drive, consider connecting the drive or inserting the disk into another computer to narrow down the problem. If the disk or drive works elsewhere, you may need to have your computer repaired.

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If The Drive Doesn't Work

If Windows detects the drive but you receive an error message or the drive doesn't open when you try to browse its content in File Explorer, there may be a problem with the drive.

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If it's a CD or DVD drive, try removing the disk and making sure it's clean and unscratched. If it's an external drive, make sure it's properly connected to the computer and any external power supply.

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