Many Windows users found their hard drives missing soon after a Windows update.
If you have also encountered such a problem and need help with what to do, here is how to find the missing hard drive on Windows 11.
This guide addresses the causes behind the hard drive disappearance and offers some effective steps to tackle the issue and regain access to your hard drive.
Also, read: Quick Fix: Generic Audio Driver Detected [SOLVED]
Why Is My Hard Drive Missing After Windows 11 Updates?
Due to multiple reasons, you can get a missing hard drive on Windows 11.
Those are as follows:
- Corrupted system files
- Problematic Windows updates
- Hardware issues
- Outdated or corrupt drivers
- Partition problems
- Faulty Windows update
- Malware or virus attack
- Misconfigured power management settings
How To Fix The Missing Hard Drive In Windows 11?
Now, we will provide the solutions to resolve the hard drive missing after Windows 11 updates.
1) Restart Your PC
Restarting the computer helps in resetting the various essential system components and also helps in refreshing the system.
It allows the system to re-configure itself, potentially resolving any configuration-related problem.
So, restarting the PC can be useful in case of a missing hard drive on Windows 11. If it does not help, then check the hard drive connection.
2) Check The Hard Drive Connection
A faulty or poor connection sometimes leads to a missing hard drive or the absence of a hard drive in Windows 11.
The first thing that you should do is to check for a loose connection to the hard disk.
Due to a loose connection, the external drive can get missing, or if you’re attaching a USB drive to your computer during a system update operation.
The hard drive is crucial in detecting and accessing the Windows 11 Operating System. If you’re updating your Windows 11, the USB drive can disappear after you have finished the update.
In this case, disconnect the hard drive or USB drive and then connect it to another USB port.
Uninstall the Windows update if the issue persists.
3) Uninstall The Windows Update
If you encounter the missing hard drive on Windows 11, specifically after any update, uninstalling a recent Windows update can help resolve the issue.
This is how you can uninstall the Windows update:
- Open Windows 11 Settings by pressing the Win+ X menu.
- Then, click “Windows Update” > Update History > Uninstall Updates.
- Now, right-click on the recently installed update in the pop-up window and choose “Uninstall.”
- Now, confirm the changes and check for the missing hard drive issue.
- If you can’t resolve it, then update the driver.
4) Update The Disk Driver
Updating the disk driver could help resolve the missing hard drive issue in Windows 11.
If there is any compatibility issue with the existing driver and your Windows 11 OS, it will prevent your system from properly recognizing or utilizing your hard disk.
Follow the steps to update the driver:
- Right-click on the Start button to choose the “Device Manager” option.
- Double-click on the Disk drive entry.
- Right-click on the hard drive from the list and choose “Update Driver” from the menu.
- Select “Search automatically for drivers” from the drivers update window, let your system scan the PC, and install the best available driver.
- If you’re still struggling with this hard drive missing error, go for a SFC scan.
5) Run A SFC Scan
Sometimes, you can get missing hard drives on your Windows 11 PC due to corrupted system files.
To fix it, run a System File Checker and see if this can fix the issue. An SFC scan will find and repair the corrupted Windows system files.
For doing a SFC scan, perform the following steps:
- Type CMD in the Windows search menu & choose to run Command Prompt as an administrator.
- Type “sfc /scannow” in the elevated Command Prompt window and press “Enter.”
- Wait till the scan is over, and then restart the computer. If the SFC scan fails to help you, assign the drive letter to fix the issue.
6) Assign The Drive Letter
Changing the drive letter in Windows will help resolve issues where the hard drive is not showing up in Windows.
Doing this will help you modify the drive letter associated with a specific drive like an SSD, hard drive, or any other external storage device.
This is how it can be done:
- Right-click on the Windows Start menu & select “Disk Management”.
- Then, right-click on the target drive and choose “Change Drive Letter and Paths.”
- Click on “Add” and then assign a drive.
- Finally, click on “OK.”
- If assigning the drive letter wasn’t useful, then formatting the hard drive can help solve the issue.
7) Format The Problematic Hard Drive
The last resort is formatting the problematic hard drive. By doing this, you can eliminate all kinds of conflicting bugs from the hard drive.
Remember, it will erase all your data on the hard drive, so it is highly recommended to recover the files from the disk to avoid mistakes or data loss.
There are numerous data recovery software available on the internet. For getting the best results, it is recommended to use Tenorshare 4DDiG Data Recovery.
8) Contact The Hard Drive Manufacturer
The last thing that you will have to do is to contact the hard drive manufacturer.
He will assist you with proper guidance that will be helpful for you in solving the missing hard drive Windows 11 issues.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- How Can I Find The Missing Hard Drive In Windows 11?
To find the missing hard drive in Windows 11, go through the following steps:
- Open File Explorer from the taskbar.
- Select “View” and click on “Options”.
- Click on Change folder>Search options>View tab
- Now, in the “Advanced Settings,” select “Show hidden files, folders, and drives” & click on “OK.”
- Can A Missing Hard Drive Be Due To Physical Damage?
Yes, physical damage to the hard drive, like a malfunctioning motor or read/write head, can also be responsible for the hard drive not getting detected.
- How Will I Recover A Drive In Windows 11?
To recover a drive in Windows 11, follow these steps:
- Open the Control Panel using Windows Search.
- Select “Recovery”.
- Click on “Open System Restore”.
- In the restore system files & settings box, select “Next.”
- Finally, select the restore point you want to use in the results list.
- Finally, select “Scan for affected programs.”
- Does Windows 11 Need A Recovery Drive?
You must create a recovery drive before your Windows 11 computer can boot up and fix itself.
Therefore, creating a recovery drive will help you store a copy of your Windows environment on other sources like DVDs or USB drives. If Windows fails, you can quickly restore it from that drive.
Closure
Now, that’s how you can resolve the missing hard drive on Windows 11 issue.
Please write to us about the methods that helped you resolve the issue. If you have any questions, leave them in the comment section below, and we will revert to you.