How to fix the issue of unable to connect to Virtual Disk Service on Windows 10/11?

Do you often encounter the "Unable to connect to Virtual Disk Service" error on Windows 10 or 11? Additionally, when attempting to access Disk Management in Windows 7, it might get stuck at "Connecting to Virtual Disk Service" or "Loading disk configuration information."

Here, we will outline the steps you can take to resolve this, as it is a Windows service that controls and provides information about virtual disks.

Why can't I connect to the Virtual Disk Service?

You might be wondering why Disk Management can't connect to the Virtual Disk Service. Here are some reasons why.

The remote computer does not support VDS.

If the computer does not support virtual disk services, it will not be able to connect. Make sure to check if your laptop supports this service before attempting to connect.

•The connection is blocked by Windows Firewall.

Windows Firewall monitors the incoming and outgoing network traffic on your computer and allows or blocks it based on security rules. Therefore, Windows Firewall could be the culprit behind this error.

• Other causes, such as equipment failure.

You might want to check external storage devices like external hard drives, card readers, or USB drives, as they could be faulty and causing the error. These devices might also be incompatible with Disk Management.

Unable to connect to the Virtual Disk Service.

To fix this  Virtual Disk Service error, proceed to the next part of this article. The troubleshooting solutions presented will help resolve the error on your Windows PC or Windows Server.

How do I fix the "Unable to connect to the Virtual Disk Service" error?

Below are outlined potential solutions to the 'Unable to connect to the Virtual Disk Service' message. We provide you with six methods to fix the error, as follows:

Solution 1: Use an alternative software for disk management

Solution 2. Disable Windows Defender

Solution 3: Enable the Virtual Disk Service

Solution 4: Repair the error with SFC or DISM

Solution 5: Allow TeamViewer through the Windows Firewall

Solution 6: Check all external storage devices

So let's go into detail about these solutions, starting with the first one.

Solution 1: Utilize Alternative Disk Management Software If you encounter issues with the "Disk Management" tool, you can try using alternative reliable disk management software instead. These substitute programs may offer more stable functionality and user-friendly interfaces. Some popular alternatives include: 1. **tools Partition Master** - This is a free and powerful partition management tool that helps you easily create, adjust, move, delete, and format partitions. 2. **AOMEI Partition Assistant** - Another well-reviewed disk management utility, it offers similar features and supports multiple versions of the Windows operating system. 3. **MiniTool Partition Wizard** - This software provides various disk management and optimization functions, including partition creation, resizing, merging, and migration. Before using any alternative software, ensure it comes from a reputable source and follow the installation and usage instructions. While these tools are generally safe, always exercise caution when manipulating your hard drive to avoid data loss. Remember to back up your data before making significant changes.

How would you feel if I told you that you could use an alternative disk management software that does the same thing and has no issues at all? Interesting, right? Well, tools Partition Master Free does the job perfectly and can replace Disk Management in every way.

It's more efficient and secure than disk management, and it comes with other exciting features. Here are some reasons it could be the ideal alternative.

• Create/Delete Partitions: You can delete/create partitions on a USB drive, SD card, and other drives.
• Resize/Move Partition: This tool allows you to resize an encrypted partition or move unallocated space to the C drive.
• Extend System Partition: You can make full use of available or unallocated space. Use the "Extend" feature to speed up your computer.
• Merge Partitions: With this tool, you can easily merge partitions on an SSD or on a USB drive.
• Format/Wipe Partition: You can format a disk or delete partitions using the free partition manager.

You can't wait to try them out. Download below.

Solution 2: Disable Windows Defender

Disabling the built-in Windows Defender antivirus program can sometimes prevent errors from occurring.

To disable them, follow these steps.

Step 1: Press "Windows + R" keys together and type "gpedit.msc" in the Run dialog box to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

Step 2: Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Defender Antivirus.

Step 3: Highlight Windows Defender Antivirus, and then double-click Turn off Windows Defender Antivirus.

Step 4: Check the “Enabled” box and click “Apply” and then “OK” to save your changes.

Step 5: Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Fix 3: Enable the Virtual Disk Service If the Virtual Disk Service is not running or disabled, it might cause issues with disk management. Follow these steps to enable the service: 1. Press `Win + R` to open the "Run" dialog box. 2. Type `services.msc` and press Enter to open the "Services" management window. 3. In the services list, locate the "Virtual Disk" service. 4. If the service status says "Stopped," right-click it and select "Start" to start the service. 5. If the service status says "Disabled," right-click it and choose "Properties." 6. On the "General" tab, change the "Startup type" to "Automatic." 7. Click "Apply" and then "OK" to save the changes. 8. Restart your computer and check if disk management is working properly. After enabling the Virtual Disk Service, you should be able to manage virtual disks normally.

The Virtual Disk Service may not be enabled; follow this guide to enable it.

Step 1: Press "Windows + R" keys simultaneously to bring up the Run box.

Step 2: Type "services.msc" in the "Run" box and hit Enter to open the Windows Services Manager.

Step 3: Scroll down and double-click on “Virtual Disk Service.”

Step 4: Choose to start the service either "Automatic" or "Manual". Then, click "OK" to save the changes.

Fix 4: Use SFC or DISM to fix the error

Step 1: Open the Command Prompt. Search for "Command Prompt," right-click the app icon, and select "Run as administrator."

Step 2: Type "sfc /scannow" and press Enter. Wait for the process to finish.

You can try launching Disk Management and see if it loads properly. If the SFC command doesn't fix the issue, you can try using the DISM command.

The steps to run the DISM command are as follows:

• Similarly, run Command Prompt as an administrator.
• Type in the following:

This is a command in the Windows Command Prompt used to verify the integrity of system files. In American English, it would be written as: sfc /scannow The command connects to the Windows Update server to check for any damages in your system files and offers repair options. "Online" indicates that it's an operation done while the system is running, "Cleanup-image" refers to cleaning or repairing the system image, and "Scanhealth" is the scan for system health.

This is a command-line argument used to fix the Windows system, and in Chinese, it says: **Run the program /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth** This command repairs the Windows system image online and restores it to a healthy state.

5. Close the Command Prompt window, and test if the issue has been resolved.

Step 5: Unblock Windows Firewall

Windows Firewall can often get in the way under its default settings. To unblock it, do the following:

Step 1: Click on the "Start" button > "Settings" > "Update & Security" > "Windows Security," and then click on "Firewall & network protection."

Step 2: Select “Windows Defender,” and then click “Open Windows Defender Security Center.”

Step 3: Click on “Firewall & network protection” and then choose “Allow an app through the firewall.”

Step 4: In the new window, click on "Change settings".

Step 5: Under "Remote Volume Control," check both boxes and click "OK" to save your changes.

Fix 6: Check all external storage devices In this step, you need to ensure that all external storage devices connected to your device, such as USB drives, SD cards, or external hard drives, are functioning properly and have no issues. Follow these steps to perform the check: 1. Disconnect all external storage devices from your device. 2. Restart your device. 3. Reconnect each external storage device one at a time. 4. After connecting each device, check if the same error occurs. If a particular device is causing the issue, try formatting it or testing it on another device to confirm the problem. 5. If you identify an external device as the culprit, consider repairing or replacing it. By going through this process, you can pinpoint any problematic external storage devices and take appropriate action to resolve the issue.

Resolving issues with external devices can sometimes fix this problem. You need to unplug all external devices one by one to check if any of them are faulty. An external device could include a card reader, USB drive, or hard disk drive. Additionally, update your Universal Serial Bus (USB) drivers.

Conclusions

Administering disks, file systems, volumes, and storage arrays through the virtual disk service tends to be error-prone.

The cause of this issue has been touched upon in the article; now, we need to establish whether the remote computer can use it, if there is any damage to external storage devices, or if the Windows Firewall is blocking the connection. Six methods to resolve these issues exist, regardless of whether you're dealing with a Windows PC or a Windows Server.

While using Disk Management, you might encounter some other disk partition issues. Click the links to get help:

Common issues related to inability to connect to the Virtual Disk Service

Here are some common issues related to being unable to connect to the Virtual Disk Service, along with their solutions.

What is Virtual Disk Service?

This Microsoft Windows service performs queries, configuration tasks, and volume and disk management operations at the request of end users, scripts, and programs.

**2. How do I enable the Virtual Disk Service?**

Instructions on how to enable the Virtual Disk Service are provided in this article.

**3. Can I restart the virtual disk service?**

Yeah, you can do that. Here's how: 1. **Open the Terminal or Command Prompt**: On Windows, press `Win + R`, type `cmd`, and hit Enter; on a Mac or Linux, open Finder or the Applications list, then launch "Terminal". 2. **Navigate to the directory where the file is located**: In the command line, use the `cd` command to change directories. For instance, if the file is on your desktop, you might enter `cd ~/Desktop` (Mac/Linux) or `cd C:\Users\YourUsername\Desktop` (Windows). 3. **View the file content**: To view the content of an UTF-8 encoded text file, use the `cat` command (Mac/Linux) or `type` command (Windows). So, if your file is named `example.txt`, you'd input `cat example.txt` on a Mac/Linux or `type example.txt` on Windows. 4. **Convert the encoding**: To convert a file from another encoding to UTF-8, you can use the `iconv` command (on most Unix-like systems, including Mac), or find an online conversion tool for Windows. On a Mac/Linux, you'd run: ``` iconv -f OldEncoding -t utf-8 OriginalFileName > NewFileName ``` Replace `OldEncoding` with the current encoding of your file, like `GBK`, and `OriginalFileName` and `NewFileName` with the respective file paths and names. On Windows, you might need to install `iconv` or use a text editor like `Notepad++`, which has built-in encoding conversion capabilities. Just make sure you know the original encoding of the file accurately, as incorrect identification could result in garbled text.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard.

Step 2: Type services.msc and press Enter.

Step 3. Locate the Virtual Disk Service and stop it.

Step 4. Restart the computer, start the Virtual Disk Service, and set it to Automatic.