How to fix hard drive not showing in Windows 10 File Explorer
If the secondary hard drive isn’t showing up in File Explorer, you can use these steps to resolve the issue on Windows 10.
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When connecting a mechanical hard drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD), or anexternal USB hard driveto a computer, Windows 10 can automatically detect and set it up. However, a newly added drive may sometimes not appear in File Explorer, which could be for a number of reasons.
For example, it could mean a physical problem with the data or power connection. If the hard drive does not appear in File Explorer, this could indicate that the device is disabled, offline, or does not have a drive letter. You may try to connect a drive previously installed on another computer, the partition on the USB drive may be corrupted, or you could be dealing with a raw drive that was never configured. Therefore it was never initialized orformatted.
Regardless of the reason,Windows 10includes multiple ways to fix the issue and regain access to the drive using Device Manager, Disk Management, and command-line tools like diskpart.
Thisguidewill walk you through several ways to troubleshoot a hard drive that refuses to appear in File Explorer.
How to fix missing hard drive in File Explorer using physical troubleshooting
On Windows 10, if a traditional mechanical hard drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD) does not appear in File Explorer, there are many reasons to why this is happening, but before checking and modifying the system settings, try these troubleshooting steps:
Once you determine that it is not a physical problem, you can use the following recommendations to fix the most common problem preventing File Explorer from showing a hard drive.
How to fix missing hard drive in File Explorer using Device Manager
In the rare case that the storage does not appear in Disk Management and File Explorer, it could mean that the hard drive seems to be disabled. If this is the case, you can enable it quickly using Device Manager.
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To enable a hard drive using Device Manager on Windows 10, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, the hard drive and data should be accessible on the computer.
How to fix missing hard drive in File Explorer using Disk Management
There are a few requirements for a hard drive to be available in File Explorer. The device must be online and initialized. It needs to have a partition properly configured. And it has to have a drive letter assigned, or it should be mounted as a folder.
If you are dealing with any of these problems, the steps below will help you to troubleshoot and fix the most common issues with Disk Management.
Set drive online
To bring a hard drive online, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, if the hard drive was offline and previously configured, it should appear in File Explorer. If the storage was offline but never configured, continue with the steps below.
Initialize drive
To initialize a hard drive on Windows 10, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, this action will erase everything on the drive and prepare it to be formatted if the storage was never initialized.
Import foreign drive
If the drive was configured as a dynamic disk on another computer, it will appear as a foreign drive on a different device, and you will need to import it using the Disk Management tool. This process should grant you access to the data without destroying it, but creating a backup of the data is still recommended before proceeding.
To import a hard drive with a dynamic configuration to make it accessible through File Explorer, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the hard drive will be imported, and the data will be accessible from File Explorer or any other application.
Configure drive letter
On Windows 10, when the hard drive is online and initialized and does not appear in the system, usually, it’s for one or two reasons. The drive does not have a drive letter. Or if it was connected to another computer, the new system is now trying to assign the same drive letter already assigned to another drive on the machine.
To assign a drive letter to the storage on Windows 10, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, the hard drive data should now be accessible using File Explorer.
Configure new partition
If the drive is online and initialized, the drive may not have a formatted partition. In this case, you can use the Disk Management wizard to configure and assign a letter to the partition.
To set up and format a hard drive to allow it to appear in File Explorer, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the hard drive will be listed on the “This PC” page of File Explorer, and you can start saving files in it.
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How to fix missing hard drive in File Explorer updating driver
If the problem is related to the storage driver, you can reinstall or update the driver to the latest version to resolve the issue.
To reinstall the hard drive driver, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, Windows 10 should reinstall the driver automatically, and the hard drive should now appear in File Explorer.
Update hard drive driver
If the problem persists, it is recommended to download the latest available driver from the drive manufacturer support website and use their instructions to update the driver.
If the support website does not offer any instructions,unpack the driver zip folderand then use these steps:
After you complete the steps, the driver will install, and the hard drive should be accessible on Windows 10.
How to fix missing hard drive in File Explorer using DiskPart
Alternatively, if the hard drive appears in Disk Management, but the storage is not usable, meaning that you cannot access the data, and you cannot use the format option or assign a drive letter, then it could be a logical problem. If this is the case, you can use DiskPart to clean the drive and start from scratch. Here’s how:
In the command, make sure to select the correct drive. Otherwise, you may end up erasing the data in the wrong storage, which cannot be undone.
In the command, change “Z” for another drive letter not already in use.
Once you complete the steps, the hard drive will be formatted with a new drive letter, and it should now appear in File Explorer.
More resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:
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Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.
