Things get a lot more frustrating when you buy the top-tier SSD to boot up Windows, but you catch up with a nuisance. One such example is SSD not showing up in Windows. If you are encountering this issue, then buckle up and get ready to learn how to fix this annoying situation.

Why is SSD Not Showing Up on Windows – 7 Reasons

It’s quite frustrating when SSD does a no-call-no-show. This issue happens for a variety of reasons, including;

1. If the SSD is not properly connected to the PC’s motherboard or power supply, then your solid-state drive is not showing up.
2. Your system fails to detect the SSD if it is outdated or corrupted.
3. SSD will not be visible if it is not assigned a drive letter in File Explorer or My Computer.
4. The SSD not showing up when it is not turned on in your PC’s BIOS or UEFI settings.
5. If an SSD is incompatible with the operating system, it will not show up in Windows.
6. SSD may not be detected by Windows if it is physically damaged.
7. If the SSD is new and not formatted, it may not show up in the disk management.

7 Easy Fixes for SSD Not Showing Up in Windows

Now that we have gone through why this issue occurs, it’s time to explore some solutions. Here we have shared methods you can try to fix SSD not highlighting in Windows disk management to start detecting and restoring access to your files.

Fix 1: Check if the SSD is Connected Properly

Must check whether your SSD is properly connected, the USB cable is plugged into the right port, and the SSD cable is not damaged. If you get that the cable connection is not the issue and SSD not showing up on your system, then probably the issue is with the hardware. In this situation, you have to fix the faulty hardware that stops the SSD from being detected.

Fix 2: Update SSD

When you connect the SSD to your PC, the OS operating system communicates with it using the specific drivers. If the SSD is outdated, it stops the system from identifying and communicating with it. Consequently, it causes the SSD not showing up on the Windows disk management. That is why you must make sure the SSD drive is updated.

• Press the Windows and X keys at the same time and click on Device Manage from the pop-up menu.
• Click on the Disk Drives to expand the options, right-click on the SSD, and choose the update driver from the pop-up menu.
• Now choose the Search automatically for updated driver software and follow the on-screen instructions to update the SSD drivers.

Fix 3: Initialize the SSD

If you get a new SSD and it does not show up in Windows Explorer or Disk Management, it happens because it is uninitialized. Initializing a new SSD is vital for Windows to identify it as a usable storage device. However, if you have an old SSD and it shows a disk unknown not initialized error, the reason is the same. To fix both of the issues, connect the SSD to another system to check if it shows the same error. If not, then you have to initialize the SSD to fix the SSD not showing up and disk unknown not initialized errors.

• Press the Windows and X keys at the same time and click on Disk Management from the pop-up menu.
• Now look for the drive and right-click on it if the SSD showing is not initialized.
• Then choose Initialize Disk and choose your preference for partition style, MBR, or GPT, then click on the OK.
• Wait till the drive finishes the initializing process; after that, click on the Unallocated Space and choose New Simple Volume.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to make a new partition and set it up.

Fix 4: Run Hardware and Device Troubleshooter

The built-in Hardware and Device Troubleshooter feature in Windows can detect and fix the issues, including the SSD not being detected problem.

• Open the settings app on your Windows and navigate to the Update & Security.
• Here, choose Troubleshoot from the left side pane and click on Hardware and Devices.
• Now click on Run the troubleshooter and wait for a while for Windows to spot and fix the issue.
• Once it is complete, then restart your PC and check whether the SSD not showing up issue is fixed or not.

Fix 5: Incorrect BIOS Settings

When the BIOS is configured incorrectly, Windows will not recognize the SSD, and an SSD not showing up issue will occur. You can change the BIOS settings to make the SSD show up in the Windows disk management.

• Restart your PC, then press the F2, F10, or DEL key to enter in BIOS setup: Key depending on your PC’s manufacturer.
• Navigate to the Storage Configuration section in the BIOS settings.
• Now look for the SATA controller mode and change it to the ACHCI.
• Hit the F10 key to save the changes and exit from the BIOS setup.

Fix 6: Change SSD Drive Letter

Windows uses drive letters to identify and access drives. If there is a conflict with the allocated drive letter, it causes the SSD not to show up because it does not have its own drive letter. Changing the SSD drive letter can be helpful to fix the SSD not showing up issue.

• Press the Windows and X keys at the same time and click on Disk Management from the pop-up menu.
• Right-click on the SSD and click on the change drive letter and paths… from the pop-up menu.
• Choose the change option if you have a drive letter, however, choose to add if you don’t.
• Now choose a new drive letter from the drop-down menu and click the Ok option.
• Restart your PC and check if the SSD shows up or not.

Fix 7: Format the SSD Drive

If you have tried all the above fixes but still the SSD not showing up in Windows, then formatting the SSD is your last option. But keep in mind that formatting will remove all data on the drive, so you have to back up and recover all your files and data from SSD before moving forward.

• Press the Windows and X keys at the same time and click on Disk Management from the pop-up menu.
• Right-click on the SSD and choose the Format option from the pop-up menu.
• Now choose the file system, like NTFS, and then choose the default allocation size (usually 4096).
• After that, checkmark the Quick Format option and then click on OK to format the SSD.
• Wait till the format finishes, then restart your PC and check if the drive is showing up or not.

4 Tips to Avoid SSD Not Showing Up Issue Occur Again

1. Place your PC with an SSD where it would not face extreme temperatures.
2. Power interruption is an invader for hardware, so you must plug your PC into a reliable power source.
3. Always leave some storage in the SSD and do not fill up above 75 percent in your SDD.
4. Formatting the SSD reduces the life span; the less you format the SSD, the longer it will last.

FAQs

Q: What is SSD?
Ans: SSD: A solid-state drive is a storage device used in computer systems. It is smaller, lightweight, noiseless, and faster than an HDD (hard disk drive). SSD lets your operating system boost up more rapidly, and programs will load quicker and files will save faster.

Q: How to fix if my SSD not showing up in the Disk Management but shows up in the BIOS Setup?
Ans: If your SSD is showing up in BIOS but not in the disk management, then try these fixes;

• Check the connection of the driver.
• Update the storage controller drivers.
• Change the SATA port.
• Use the Rescan Disks option in Disk Management.

Q: Is it safe to use a third-party tool to detect my SSD in disk management?
Ans: Third-party disk management tools are useful, but you must choose a trustworthy one to dodge possible damage to your PC.

Q: Is SSD dead if it is not showing up?
Ans: Yes, probably your SSD is dead or damaged if it is not showing up. The SSD will not appear in the list of connected drives in the BIOS or system.

Sum Up

SSD might be prone to mechanical failure and physical damage that causes SSD not to show up issues in Disk Management or File Explorer. The fixes mentioned in this guide can help resolve the SSD not showing up issue. However, if you are in a situation where you have to format the SSD, then you must recover lost data. Here you must opt for the best data recovery software for saving data quickly and without any other damage.