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Internal Hard Drive Not Showing Up in Windows 11 [Fix]
Uninstalling the recent Windows updates should fix this issue
6 min. read
Updated onAugust 22, 2024
updated onAugust 22, 2024
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To fix various driver issues on your PC, you will need a dedicated tool to find the freshest and the original drivers. You can use PC HelpSoft Driver Updater to do it in 3 easy steps:
Several users whoupgraded to Windows 11reported that the hard drive went missing. Most common reasons why a HDD won’t show up in Windows include corrupt system files, corrupt or outdated drivers, and problems with the updates.
Here’s how to fix it:
What can I do if my hard drive is not showing up on Windows 11?
1. Uninstall recent Windows updates
If you encounter the hard drive not showing up in Windows 11 issue after upgrading to a newer version, the simplest solution is to uninstall that particular update.
It’s likely an issue with the update, and Microsoft should release a patch for it in the subsequent versions. Once a newer version is out, install it to keep your system up-to-date.
2. Reinstall the driver
In many cases, a corrupt hard drive driver is causing the device not to show up. Here, you can uninstall the device, restart the computer, and Windows will automatically install a fresh set of drivers.
3. Update the driver
Alternatively, you can use a reliable third-party tool if the above method sounds too intricate. We recommendPC HelpSoft Driver Updater, a reliable tool that will scan the web for the latest driver updates and keep the installed ones up-to-date.
4. Run a quick SFC scan
After running the scan, check if the hard drive appears in Windows 11.
5. Change Power Management settings (for external drives)
An external drive connected to the computer via the USB port could be the power management settings behind the issue. After making the earlier changes, the hard drive should appear in Windows 11.
6. Initialize the drive
Creating a new volume on the disk should fix the hard drive missing in Windows 11 issue if that’s the underlying cause. If that doesn’t resolve the error, likely, the drive has not been assigned a drive letter. So head to the next fix for that.
7. Assign a drive letter
If a letter weren’t assigned to the hard drive, it would be missing from Windows Explorer. Although it’s not directly related to updates, the problem may be encountered after installing a newer version of Windows.
After changing the drive letter, the missing hard drive error in Windows 11 after the update should be fixed.
These are all the ways you can solve the hard drive not showing up issue in Windows 11. The fixes are pretty much the same for the previous OS as well.
Check out our dedicated guide to find out how to fix thehard drive missing on Windows 10issue as well.
Also, check ourcomparison of Windows 10 and 11to understand the differences and how the latter performs.
Let us know which fix worked to solve the Windows 11 not detecting hard drive issue in the comments section below and the type of drive you had problems with.
More about the topics:hard drive,Windows 11
Kazim Ali Alvi
Windows Hardware Expert
Kazim has always been fond of technology, be it scrolling through the settings on his iPhone, Android device, or Windows PC. He’s specialized in hardware devices, always ready to remove a screw or two to find out the real cause of a problem.
Long-time Windows user, Kazim is ready to provide a solution for your every software & hardware error on Windows 11, Windows 10 and any previous iteration. He’s also one of our experts in Networking & Security.
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Kazim Ali Alvi
Windows Hardware Expert
Kazim is specialized in hardware devices, always ready to remove a screw or two to find out the real cause of a problem.
