Xbox One refuses to launch games or apps if an external HDD is plugged into it (takes too...

1TB drive xbox one (without kinect) = $500.00 ? 100.00 for 0.5 TB?

2TB external drive (plus, get to keep internal 500GB HDD) = $95.00

I prefer having most games on external (keeping apps and smaller games on internal), allowing me to take them to friends/family and plug in for playing there.

The only way around it would be too take your external hard drive too a friends house who has xbox one. Plug in the drive too there console sign in with your gamertag and update the game you can do that from your games and apps.

Were they on an external HDD or were they on the internal HDD of the console?

If external are all of the games that were on the external missing? If so try unplugging the external HDD from the console and then plugging it back in. If that does not work try plugging it into another USB port on the console.

If internal HDD then someone would have had to go on the console and request to uninstall the game from the console and you would need to just go into my games and apps and redownload and install. Or if it is a disc game you would need to put the disc back
in and reinstall.

I prefer the external option myself. Its easier to plug and play compared to swapping HDD. Also can take the games anywhere with you with external.

could you try them with the charger and hdd removed, some external hdd's take more power than required on the usb but and the old xbox is problematic for this too. let us know the outcome.

fully shut down the console first then remove them, then start the console to the dash then plug in the dongle.