How to Fix 'Disk 1 Unknown, Not Initialized' Issue with Western Digital Hard Drive in Windows 10/8/7

Disk 1 Unknown, Not Initialized - Western Digital

Have you ever encountered the "Disk 1 Unknown, Not Initialized" error when plugging in your Western Digital (WD) external hard drive? If yes, then you've come to the right place. You can resolve the unknown or uninitialized disk error with the solutions outlined below:

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"Situation where a WD hard drive is not initialized"

Most people get troubled by “uninitialized disk” or “I/O device error.” Here are two cases from forums:

Case 1: My 1TB WD External Hard Drive is Uninitialized on PC, Help!

Hello, do you know how to resolve the issue where my computer fails to detect my WD hard drive? In Disk Management, the WD external hard drive is displayed as "Unknown" and "Uninitialized." What should I do? If you have any recommended methods or solutions to fix the ' uninitialized error' on the WD external hard drive, please let me know. Thank you.

Case 2: WD Hard Drive Shows Unknown and I/O Error in Windows 10

"Do you know how to fix an unrecognized WD hard drive and eliminate I/O device errors on it? Suddenly, my computer stopped detecting my WD hard drive and keeps showing me error messages about I/O device errors. It even appears as unknown in Disk Management. I'm using Windows 10. If you have any solutions for this issue, please let me know. Thanks."

The solution to the "disk not initialized" issue on your computer might vary depending on your specific situation.

Solution 1: Initialize WD HDD or External Hard Drive

Applies to: Uninitialized disk shown as unallocated space

First of all, you need to initialize the hard drive or external device. This is the fastest and easiest way to fix the "Disk 1 Unknown, Not Initialized" error. You can initialize the disk with Disk Management or use tools. I recommend using the user-friendly partition management software – tools Partition Master. This software is fully compatible with all Windows systems. You can directly follow the steps below to fix the WD HDD/external hard drive not initialized issue.

Step 1: Launch Partition Master and enter the main interface.

Step 2. Right-click on the target disk (HDD or SSD) and choose "Initialize as MBR" or "Initialize as GPT." Click "Perform Task" and "Apply" to save the changes.

0:00-0:18 Initialize as MBR; 0:19-0:44 Initialize as GPT;

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For detailed instructions on how to initialize your hard drive, click the following link.

Complete Guide: Initialize a Hard Drive on Windows 11/10/8/7

In this article, we provide three effective and secure methods (with step-by-step guides) to help you initialize a hard drive or new hard drive in Windows 11/10/8/7. Let's learn how to do it.

Solution 2: Repair Unknown Disk by Creating New Partition

Applies to: Uninitialized disk shown as Unallocated space

Another solution to the WD hard drive unknown or uninitialized error is to create a new partition. You can use the Partition Master tool or Disk Management to create a new partition. Here are the steps to create a new partition using Disk Management:

Step 1: Right-click "This PC" and select "Manage" > "Disk Management."

Step 2. Right-click on the "Unallocated" space and select "New Simple Volume…"

Step 3: In the New Simple Volume Wizard, click Next to proceed.

Step 4. Follow the wizard to specify the volume size, assign a drive letter, and format the partition with the file system you need.

Solution 3: Repair uninitialized WD hard drive via Partition Recovery

Applies to: Disks that are unitialized and shown as Unallocated space

If in Disk Management, you see unallocated space on your hard drive, you may attempt partition recovery. For this, you will need a valid partition recovery software such as Partition Master. As mentioned in Method 1 above, this software can not only initialize a disk but also recover lost partitions.

< strong > Steps to recover lost partitions:

Step 1. Connect the external storage device to the computer for lost partition recovery. First, click "Partition Recovery" from the left panel. Select the target disk and hit "Quick Scan".

Step 2: Partition Master will run in "Quick Scan" and "Full Scan" modes to search for and display all existing and lost partitions on the selected disk.

Double-click on a partition to preview its content.

Step 3: Select the partition with the "Lost" status and click "Recover".

Step 4: Wait for the software to finish the recovery and then click "Finish".

Step 5: In the "Partition Management" section, your lost partition should now reappear in the list of drives.

If Disk Management fails to display the hard drive or any information about its disk space, the external hard drive might be blocked by an “uninitialized external hard drive I/O error.” Then you should work on the solutions below.

Solution 4: Check the Western Digital Hard Drive Connection

Applies to: Unknown disk, uninitialized, no disk space

If you see this error, you should check your connection immediately. Connection problems can cause serious issues. To check your connection:

Step 1: Connect the WD external hard drive to another USB port on your computer.

Step 2: Connect the hard drive to the

Step 3. Connect the WD drive to another computer using a different cable.

Step 4: Connect the WD hard drive to another computer

Solution 5: Update WD Drivers to Fix Uninitialized Error

Applies to: Unknown disk, uninitialized, no disk space

An outdated device driver can also lead to the WD uninitialized error. You can update your device drivers by following these steps:

Step 1. Right-click on "This PC" and select "Properties".

Step 2. Click on “Device Manager,” and then expand “Disk Drives.” Find the problematic WD hard drive, right-click on it, and select “Update Driver.”

Step 3: Click on "Search for drivers automatically online"

Step 4: Wait for the driver to update, and then restart your computer.

Solution 6: Seek Help for Manual Repair

The last option would be to resort to manual repair. You can contact WD Support or have it checked by an expert. Alternatively, you may try the One-to-One Remote Assistance. This service lets you schedule a remote desktop session with a dedicated support engineer. Give it a shot.

Conclusions

When you come across the "Hard Disk 1 Unknown, Not Initialized" error on Western Digital, don't hesitate to read this article. You can get a comprehensive guide and fix your issue promptly.