Are you here to know how to fix hard drive not showing up in windows 10? While it can be fixed, the hard drive not showing up in Windows 10 issue is a distinct problem. Your computer needs a hard drive to store local data such as your files, software (including the Windows 10 system), and other essential data that allow your computer to operate.
If Windows 10 isn’t seeing your hard drive, it’s time to get it fixed. In this guide, you will learn how to troubleshoot the issue in simple-to-follow steps. Learn the resolution whether you’re installing a new system or if you’ve already been running Windows 10 and it suddenly doesn’t recognize your hard disk.
How to fix Windows 10 that doesn’t recognize my hard drive?
Whether they are new or old, internal or external, hard drives can quickly begin not showing up in the File Explorer or Disk Management. Don’t panic – this is one of the most usual issues Windows 10 users encounter.
First, you require to ask yourself why Windows 10 doesn’t recognize hard drivers. The problem can range from being a minor inconvenience to a severe matter or even malware infection. If you can boot up your device, you don’t have much to worry about as your disk is yet operational. On the other hand, you might lose entrance to your files if Windows 10 cannot boot from the hard drives.
The good news is, we can show you some methods to help you solve the problem and potentially save your files. Let’s first determine where the problem comes from.
Here’s one instance where you might encounter the Windows 10 hard drive not showing right-clicking This PC and choosing Manage. Go to Disk Management and find the hard drive missing or showing up as not initialized and unallocated system space. If you see your hard drive here, then the issue may not show up in File Explorer for one or more reasons, such as the device status is unknown or not initialized or the system disk space is unallocated. Let’s try these steps to initialize the disk:
- Right-hit This PC (in Windows 10 File Explorer) and choose Manage.
- Enter to Disk Management and right-click your new hard disk. Choose the Initialize Disk.
- Select the disk you wish to initialize and choose the MBR or GPT partition in the dialog box.
Also, try to create partitions:
- Right-hit This PC and choose Manage > Disk Management.
- Right-click the unallocated space and select “New Simple Volume.”
- In New Simple Volume Wizard, hit next to continue.
- Follow the wizard to define the volume size, assign a drive letter to the volume, and then format the partition.
How to fix hard drive not detected on Windows 10
If you’re new hard disk is not detected by or Disk Manager, it could be because of a driver issue, connection issue, or incorrect BIOS settings. These can be fixed. Connection issues can be from a faulty USB port or a damaged cable. Wrong BIOS settings may cause the new hard drive to be disabled. Let’s explore ways to fix these issues and see if we can get you on the road again.
- Check your connection. This is usually the quickest fix. Connect your hard drive with a SATA cable instead of a USB cable to start with. Also, change the cable port to view if this makes a difference. You can connect your hard drive to another system to see if it operates or if the issue is local to your device. This will let you know if the problem is with the hard drive, computer, or cables.
- Update your drivers. Since your hard drive isn’t detected, you can’t update drivers as you usually would by right-clicking the device and choosing “Update driver.” Instead, visit the official support site of the hardware manufacturer and download the latest driver that matches the product you purchased.
- Enable the hard drive in BIOS. Restart your system and press the BIOS key per your computer’s instructions. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard and keep Integrated Peripherals, then hit Enter. Use the arrow keys to choose the USB Controller. Check if it’s disabled, and modify the option to Enabled. Save the settings and restart your system to see if the issue is fixed.
How to fix Windows 10 hard drive not showing up
What if your disk doesn’t show up in Windows 10 without a failure warning? You get this issue a lot, especially with used drives. Right-click “This PC” and choose “Manage.” Select “Disk Management.” Can you see the disk? Is it not showing in File Explorer? This could be because there is a conflict, unallocated space, or a driver error.
Change the assigned letter
All drives are assigned an identifying letter when they’re created. For example, the default letter of Windows drives is usually “C:” In some cases, simply changing this letter could solve the visibility issues, as long as your computer boots up.
- In Disk Management, right-hit the volume and select Change Drive Letter and Paths.
- In the new window, hit Change. Here you can assign a new drive letter to your USB and click “OK.” This should fix the problem.
A used device can suddenly produce unallocated space. Unallocated space cannot be utilized to store data. To use the space, you need to create a partition or split it into multiple sections. Accidentally deleting a partition, virus attacks, or other reasons can cause this type of partition loss on your disk. You need to make data recovery from the unallocated space, then create a new volume on the disk to use it again.
Recover data from the unallocated space
- Right-hit on your C: drive in Disk management and click Extend Volume.
- You should be able to click next through the screens. If Disk Management doesn’t let you do it because it is your system OS partition, you can download and install one of many programs designed to do this. MiniTool Partition Wizard is our recommendation.
- After you have retrieved your files, you require to create a new partition. In “Disk Management,” right-click the unallocated space and choose “New Simple Volume.” Follow the wizard to complete the process. If this doesn’t work, update your drivers. Drivers can cause significant issues on your computer if they are not kept up to date.
Formatting
Your disk may be just not formatted. If you’re using an external drive, it may need to be formatted to operate correctly with Windows 10. You can do this by right-clicking on the external in “Disk Management” and find the “Format” option.
If your hard disk is not detected in the Disk Management app, their issue could be problematic connections, outdated drivers, or physical damage. If your situation doesn’t improve after checking connections, updating drivers, and completing the steps in this article, you may have a bad hard drive.