7 Ways to Fix SSD Not Detected in Windows 10

If you’ve recently purchased an SSD for your Windows 10 machine, and it isn’t working, don’t panic; it isn’t the SSD’s fault. I’ve been in your shoes before, and there could be a variety of reasons why your Windows 10 system is unable to identify the SSD. It could be a problem with the file format, storage drivers, or other factors. So, with that said, let’s have a look at the ways to fix SSD not detected in Windows 10 error step by step.

Fix SSD Not Detected in Windows 10

1. Disk Management Menu

The trouble with a brand-new SSD is that it won’t appear in the File Explorer right away. You must first format it. Similarly, if you use the SSD with several operating systems, it’s possible that the SSD has been formatted incorrectly. It could be an ext4 or exFAT file system that Windows 10 doesn’t recognize.

We’ll have to format the SSD in order to make it visible in File Explorer and hence compatible with Windows 10. To minimize confusion and data loss, disconnect all-flash devices or SD cards connected to your Windows PC.

After that, press Win+R to open the Run menu, then type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.

The storage devices linked to your laptop should be visible at the bottom of the Disk Management menu. The first device is your computer’s internal hard disc drive (HDD) or storage. Your SSD should be the next gadget on your list. Disk 1 would be the name, and it would be unallocated.

After you’ve found the disc, right-click on the Unallocated section and select New Simple Volume from the menu.

To begin establishing a new volume, click Next on the New Simple Volume Wizard.

Following that, you have the choice of selecting storage from the available volume. We’ll leave it at default, which is maximum storage, and move on to the next step.

You will be given the option of selecting a drive letter. Simply press the Next button.

This is the most crucial phase, in which you must choose a file system type. The file system is NTFS by default. If you’re only going to utilize the SSD with Windows, set it to NTFS. If you’re going to use it with another operating system, such as macOS, decide to exFAT from the selection.

Click Next after leaving all other options alone.

The summary page is the final page. You can go over the options once more before clicking Finish to begin formatting the SSD.

You’ll be able to find the SSD in File Explorer once it’s been formatted. You can now use it and copy your files.

2. Force Scan for New SSD

If the SSD does not appear in the Disk Management window, the issue is likely due to outdated or corrupt drivers. As a result, to fix SSD not detected in Windows 10, we must look into our system’s device manager.

To do so, go to the Start menu and put Device Manager into the search box.

There are numerous parts on the Device Manager page. All internal and external SSDs show up under Disk drives. Expand the Disk drives section by clicking the arrow beside it.

I have a Toshiba HDD and a Samsung SSD in my case. They both appear under Disk drives, as shown in the screenshot below.

If your SSD appears in Device Manager, there isn’t a problem with it. It’s merely a problem with the file format or the driver. Simply unplug the SSD and reconnect it to restore the drivers. It will also appear in Disk Management. You can also try it on a different system and prepare it for use.

If your SSD is still not visible under Disk drives, expand the Storage Controllers section. Your internal storage controller should be visible here. Select “Scan for hardware changes” from the context menu by right-clicking on it.

Return to the Disk drives section now. You should be able to find your SSD underneath it.

3. Update Drivers to Fix SSD not Detected

If the SSD is not identified on Windows 10, even after forcing a scan, the Storage controller driver must be updated. Right-click the Storage controller and select Update driver from the context menu.

On the following page, select Automatically search for updated driver software.

Now, Windows will search the internet for the necessary drivers and notify you once they have been found.

After that, repeat the procedure for IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers and reboot your Windows 10 machine. After that, see if the SSD is now visible in Disk Management or Device Manager.

If you are unable to do so, proceed to the next step.

4. Windows BIOS System

If the SSD isn’t visible elsewhere in the operating system, we can verify it in the BIOS. It’s the very last place you should look.

Click on the Start menu and then on the Power symbol in the bottom-left corner to access BIOS. Then, while holding down the Shift key, select Restart.

Click Troubleshoot from the advanced restart menu.

To boot into BIOS, click on UEFI Firmware Settings.

Now, the BIOS screen may alter slightly depending on the laptop you’re using. For example, I have an Acer laptop and discovered the Hard Disk information under the Information page. The storage information may be in a different tab if you’re running a Lenovo or Asus system.

If you’ve discovered the SSD, you’re in luck; it’s functional. We now know that the disc is powered up and detected on your Windows 10 computer. Furthermore, we only have to format the SSD to make it usable. For that, move on to the next step.

5. Windows Installation Method

The final option is to try formatting the SSD during the Windows installation process. Don’t worry, we’re not going to reinstall Windows 10. We’re just waiting for the SSD to be recognized and formatted throughout the installation procedure.

We’ll need a bootable Windows 10 USB to install Windows 10. You can use Microsoft’s media creation tool or third-party bootable USB software to create it.

Restart your PC to boot from the USB after we have the Windows bootable USB. Click the Installation button on the Windows Setup page.

You can skip to the next step and then return to the Windows Setup screen. Choose Custom: Install Windows only (advanced) from the two options.

The drives linked to your Windows 10 system will appear on the next screen. Drive 0 is the drive where Windows is installed. Your SSD should be anything that starts with Drive 1. External SSDs or flash devices will not be seen in this step in Windows 10.

Once you’ve found your SSD, click the Format button to format the drive in the NTFS file system.

6. Try a Different System to Fix SSD not Detected, Windows 10

You can try connecting the SSD to a different machine if none of the other ways work. If it works on another computer, your laptop had a bad USB port or SATA/M.2 slot.

If it doesn’t, try another operating system, such as Linux or macOS, to make sure the SSD doesn’t have a faulty file system. You may also try replacing the USB cable if it’s an external SSD.

7. Return the SSD

If none of the previous ways work, the SSD is likely defective. You should consider returning it to the seller if it is still under warranty.

If it’s no longer under warranty, you can have it fixed at a nearby store. A faulty SSD, on the other hand, has a small probability of being fixed.

You can purchase New Branded SSD from Amazon.

Closing Words: Fix SSD Not Detected on Windows 10

So, those were the solutions to the SSD not detecting an error in Windows 10. A poor format or an improper file system are the most common causes of an SSD not being detected.