How to Fix Hard Disk Not Detected on Windows 10: Methods Explained

"Windows 10 is unable to detect the hard drive"

The hard drive is an essential piece of hardware in any computer/laptop. It stores all the data and files that make up the operating system, as well as any programs you've installed and your personal files. Without a hard drive, your computer would be blank. Unfortunately, hard drives can also run into various errors and problems.

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One common issue is that the computer fails to detect the hard drive. This can usually be attributed to one of three common problems:

• HDD not detected in BIOS
• HDD not detected in Disk Management
• HDD not detected in This PC

"Hard disk not detected in BIOS"

BIOS, short for Basic Input/Output System, is the software that resides on a chip on your computer's motherboard. It is responsible for booting up your computer and making sure all hardware components are functioning properly. When you turn on your computer, the BIOS loads the operating system from the hard drive and then hands over control to it. It provides a set of utilities that lets you configure system settings like time and date and alter the boot order of drives.

In recent years, the BIOS has been largely superseded by UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), which offers more advanced features and is easier to use. However, the BIOS remains an important part of your computer, and it's good to know about it in case you need to troubleshoot. Sometimes, though, your BIOS may not recognize your hard drive or USB drive.

If your hard drive isn't showing up in the BIOS boot options, then Windows won't be able to see it either. You'll need to employ some manual solutions to fix an issue where your hard drive is not detected in BIOS.

"Hard drive not detected in Disk Management"

In addition to the BIOS, the hard drive might not show up in Disk Management. This is a Windows tool that lets you manage storage drives and partitions on your computer. With Disk Management, you can format drives, create and delete partitions, assign drive letters, convert between different types of storage drives (like from an HDD to an SSD), and resize partitions or change the file system on a storage drive.

To access Disk Management in Windows, you can type "Disk Management" into the search box on the taskbar, then select "Create and format hard disk partitions" from the results. This will allow you to check if your hard drive is recognized within Disk Management.

"No hard drive detected in This PC"

This PC is a desktop shortcut that allows you to quickly access your computer's main folders and drives. It lets you view and manage files, as well as create new ones. You can find "This PC" in the Windows Start menu or by searching for it in the search bar. By default, "This PC" includes your personal folders (like Documents, Downloads, and Pictures) and system folders (such as Program Files and Windows).

If your hard drive is recognized in BIOS but not in Windows, it's time to fix it. In this article, you'll learn how to resolve the issue. Before you learn the solutions, though, it's best to find out the reason behind it.

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Why is my Internal/External Hard Drive not Detected/Recognized?

There are several reasons why Windows 10 might not detect or recognize your internal or external hard drive. We've gathered the most common causes for a hard drive not showing up.

Connection issue: Make sure that the power and data cables are properly connected to the hard drive.

Incompatible file system: Make sure the hard drive's file system is compatible with your computer or laptop.

Drive letter conflict: If the hard drive's drive letter conflicts with that of another drive, the system will not recognize the hard drive.

Outdated hard drive drivers: Try updating the drivers from Device Manager, or you might need to reinstall them.

Unallocated or uninitialized drive: A drive that isn't initialized or is shown as unallocated won't appear.

Damaged or corrupted hard drive: In some cases, the hard drive might be damaged or corrupted. This could be due to a virus, physical damage, or bad sectors on the disk.

By addressing each of these, you should be able to resolve the issue and gain access to the hard drive's contents.

How to Fix the Issue of Windows 10 Not Detecting Hard Drive

If you can't find your hard drive in Windows 10, there are several potential fixes you can try. First, make sure the hard drive is connected properly – if it isn't, reconnect it and try again. If the hard drive is connected but still not showing up, try formatting it to the NTFS file system. If that doesn't work, change the hard drive's letter. If the issue persists, update the disk driver. As a last resort, if none of these work, you may need to initialize the hard drive. Read on for more information.

• Change the Disk Connection
• Format the Hard Drive to NTFS
• Change the Drive Letter
• Update the Hard Drive Drivers
• Initialize the Hard Drive
• Enable the Hard Drive in BIOS

Fix 1: Change the disk connection

If your hard drive is not being recognized due to a loose connection or rodent damage, check that all of its connections are secure and that the wires are not frayed.

Solution 2: Reformat the drive to NTFS

If the disk error doesn't show due to an unsupported, RAW, or corrupted file system, you can fix the error by changing the file system to NTFS.

Step 1: In Windows 10/8, press the Windows key and X at the same time, then click on “Disk Management.”

Step 2. Right-click on your drive and select "Format."

Step 3: Choose NTFS for the file system, check the "Quick Format" box, and then click "OK" to begin formatting the drive.

Fix 3: Change the drive letter

If another drive in the system has the same letter, the hard drive won't show up. You can get it to appear by changing the drive letter in Windows 10.

Step 1: Right-click on the disk partition labeled “New Volume” or without a drive letter and select “Format.”

Step 2: Select "Change drive letter and paths." In the new window, click "Change."

Step 3. Assign a new drive letter to your external or internal hard drive, and click “OK.”

Fix 4: Update your hard drive driver

This method is for hard drives that show up in Disk Management but not in File Explorer.

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

Step 2: Click on “Device Manager,” and then expand “Disk Drives.”

Step 3. Right-click the problematic drive, and select “Update Driver.”

Step 4: Click on “Search automatically for updated driver software.”

Fix 5: Initialize the hard drive

For a new or unallocated disk, try to initialize the disk and create a volume on the new disk.

Step 1: Right-click on “This PC” in Windows 10 and select “Manage.”

Step 2: In “Disk Management,” right-click your new drive and select “Initialize Disk.”

Step 3: Select the disk, then choose MBR or GPT as the partition style, and click “OK” to begin.

Next, please follow the instructions on the screen.

Fix 6: Enable the hard drive in BIOS

If the hard drive is disabled in the BIOS, it will not show up. Therefore, enabling it in the BIOS might help.

Step 1: Restart your computer and press F2 or Del to enter BIOS.

Step 2: Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to highlight Integrated Peripherals and press Enter.

Step 3: Use the arrow keys to highlight “USB Controller.” Change the setting to “Enabled.”

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How to Fix an External Hard Drive Not Detected Issue

One day, you go to access your external hard drive, but it's not showing up. You check everywhere, but it's nowhere to be found. What gives? Your external hard drive might have just stopped working. However, there are a few other possible explanations for this issue. It could be that your external hard drive is incompatible with your computer. Another possibility is that the hard drive isn't turned on or properly connected to your PC. If you're still having issues, it's best to consult a professional to solve the problem. In the meantime, if your external hard drive isn't showing up on Windows 10/8/7, here are some suggestions you can try. If you're a Mac user, fixing external hard drive not showing up on Mac is also straightforward.

Scenario 1: External Hard Drive Not Showing Up

Symptom: External hard drive not showing up in "This PC," but appears in Disk Management.

The following methods will guide you through making an external hard drive visible and accessible on your computer. Try each one to make sure you don't miss any details.

Method 1: Connect to a Different Port

If you're having trouble connecting your external hard drive to a different port, try the following.

1. First, unplug the external hard drive from its current port and insert it into the desired interface. 2. If the external hard drive still fails to be recognized, try restarting your computer. 3. After the computer restarts, plug in the external hard drive to the new interface.

Method 2: Update the Drivers

You may also need to update the driver for your external hard drive. This can typically be done through your computer's Device Manager.

Method 3: Run the Troubleshooter

Windows has a hard drive troubleshooting tool that may be able to help.

1. First, search for "Command Prompt." Right-click the first result and select "Run as administrator." 2. Enter the command: msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic 3. Click "Advanced" and choose "Apply repairs automatically." 4. Click "View detailed information" to see an overview of the scan.

If problems persist, try contacting the external hard drive manufacturer for additional support.

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Case 2: WD External Hard Drive Not Recognized

Symptom: WD external hard drive is not recognized but the light is on.

A WD external hard drive not being recognized is a common issue that can be resolved through a few simple steps.

Step 1: Check the Connections

First, make sure the WD external hard drive is properly connected to your computer. If it is, unplug it and plug it back in.

Step 2: Check the WD drive

Next, check if there is any physical damage on the WD external hard drive. If it's physically damaged, you'll need to replace the WD external hard drive.

Step 3: Format the WD hard drive

Lastly, format the WD external hard drive to fix any logical errors that might cause the WD external hard drive not to be detected.

Formatting will erase all data from the WD external hard drive, so make sure to back up all important data before you format it.

Translating English to Chinese refers to the process of converting English text into Chinese. This can be done through manual translation, machine translation, or by using translation software. For example, the English sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." would be translated into Chinese as "那只敏捷的棕色狐狸跳过那只懒狗。"

Case 3: Seagate External Hard Drive Not Working

Symptoms: Seagate external hard drive not showing, undetected, LED light blinking but not working, not recognized in Windows 10, USB not showing, etc.

Seagate external hard drives, like Western Digital ones, are great for storing large amounts of data, but they can sometimes run into issues that keep them from working properly. A common issue is a hard drive that won't power on. It's frustrating, but you can try a few things to fix it.

Try a different USB port on your computer. Connect the drive to a different computer. If the current cable is damaged, try a new one. Try a different power outlet. (For desktop drives) Make sure that the drive's indicator light turns on. (A dark light indicates that the power adapter is not connected to power.)

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How to Fix Undetected/Not Showing SSD Issues

If you're using a solid-state drive (SSD), the situation might be different. An SSD is a storage device that uses flash memory to store data. Unlike traditional hard disk drives, an SSD has no moving parts, making it more durable and boosting its performance. SSDs come in various forms, such as 2.5-inch drives and M.2 drives. They can serve as a boot drive or a data drive. Most modern laptops and PCs come with an SSD, although they may be more expensive than traditional hard disk drives. When your SSD fails to show up in Windows 10, try these solutions.

Scenario 1: SSD Not Detected/Not Showing Up in BIOS

If your SSD is not showing up in BIOS or not showing up in Windows, it could be due to one of the following reasons:

• The SSD is not connected properly to the motherboard.
• Check your SATA cables to ensure they're securely plugged in.
• The SATA mode setting in the BIOS is incorrect.
• Review your BIOS settings and make sure the SATA mode is set to AHCI (not IDE).
• The motherboard itself has an issue.

If you've tried all of the above and your SSD still isn't showing up, there might be an issue with your motherboard. Try resetting your BIOS or replacing your motherboard.

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Scenario 2: M.2 interface not displayed

An M.2 SSD is a newer, faster type of SSD (solid state drive) than a traditional SATA SSD. M.2 drives aren't compatible with every motherboard, and they can be tricky to install. If your M.2 SSD isn't showing up in your BIOS or Windows, try these fixes.

Set up your M.2 SSD

First, ensure that the M.2 drive is correctly installed on your motherboard. Restart your computer and press F2 or Delete to enter BIOS. Navigate to the "SATA Configuration" option and select "Set SATA Mode to IDE." Save the settings and exit.

Different motherboards

You can try using a different M.2 SSD or motherboard. An M.2 SSD not showing up can be a frustrating issue, but there are ways to resolve it.

If the M.2 SSD doesn't show up in Disk Management, you can update the driver, use the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter, and assign a drive letter.

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Case 3: NVMe Drive Not Showing Up

NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) is a new interface standard for connecting SSDs (Solid State Drives) to a computer. Compared to the older SATA interface, NVMe offers several advantages, including lower latency, higher data transfer rates, and more efficient use of CPU resources.

However, because NVMe drives are relatively new, not all computers are compatible with them. In some cases, an NVMe drive might not be detected by the BIOS or show up as a generic storage device. There are a few methods you can try to get your NVMe drive working properly.

First, ensure that your motherboard is compatible with NVMe and that the correct BIOS settings are enabled. Secondly, you might need to install specific drivers or firmware for your computer to properly detect and utilize the NVMe drive.

With a little effort, most modern computers can be made to boot from an NVME drive.

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How to Recover Files from an Undetected Hard Drive

Believe it or not, in many cases, lost data can be recovered. This is because when a file is deleted, a computer does not actually remove it from the hard drive. Rather, it marks the space as available for new data. The original file therefore remains on the disk, albeit in fragments.

1 - Recover files from the hard drive using data recovery software

As long as the right software is used, it is usually possible to reassemble these fragments and recover the lost data. But, in some cases, the file may have been overwritten by new data, rendering it irretrievable. Still, if you act quickly after discovering a missing file, you stand a good chance of getting it back.

With the help of the Data Recovery Wizard tool, you can recover data from hard drives, external drives, SSDs, USBs, SD cards, and more. It allows you to restore data from any device with just a few simple steps. Follow these steps to recover data from an invisible hard drive:

Step 1: Select the hard drive where you lost data and click “Scan”.

Step 2: After the scan, use the "Filter" or "Search" feature to locate the lost file.

Step 3. Select all the HDD files you want to restore and click “Recover.” Browse and choose another safe location to save them.

2 - Recovering files from a hard drive using data recovery services

While data recovery software can be a useful tool in retrieving lost information, it often has its limitations. Data recovery services offer a more comprehensive solution, especially when data loss is due to physical damage to the storage device. Additionally, they provide professional assistance when data loss results from software corruption or virus infections. In short, when faced with data loss, data recovery services provide a more comprehensive service, helping to alleviate the hassle and costs associated with lost data.

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Tool Data Recovery Services

Contact our experts for a free assessment.

Consult with our Tool Data Recovery specialists for personalized manual recovery assistance. After a free diagnosis, we offer the following services:

• Repair of damaged RAID structures, unbootable Windows OS, and corrupted virtual disk files
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• Unformat hard drives and repair original drives (including BitLocker encrypted drives)
• Fix disks turned into GPT protected partitions

How to Monitor the Health of Your Hard Drive

If you don't keep an eye on your hard drive, it can fail without warning, leaving you unable to access your files. Fortunately, there are ways to monitor the health of your hard drive and prevent data loss.

Option 1: Run a standard scan

One of the most important things you can do is to regularly scan your hard drive with an antivirus program. This will help identify any potential threats that could harm your hard drive and remove them before they cause damage.

Option 2: Use the SMART tool

SMART stands for Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology, which tracks information like your hard drive's temperature and error rate. If a SMART tool detects a problem with your hard drive, it will usually warn you so that you have time to back up your data before the drive fails.

The third option is to call in the manufacturers.

Manufacturers also provide an expected lifetime based on usage. If you frequently copy large files, or have many small files being added and deleted often, your drive's cycle count will decrease faster than normal.

Conclusions

In summary, there are several reasons why a computer might not detect a hard drive. It could be due to incorrect connections, a damaged hard drive, or issues with the computer's BIOS settings. However, in most cases, simply restarting the computer can resolve the issue. If the problem persists, it's advisable to seek assistance from a professional.