Thanks to the ultra-fast read-write speed, light weight, and high reliability, SSD, also known as the solid-state drive, is widely used by users for increasing the external storage capacity. However, some users encounter the SSD not showing up issue after connecting it to your Windows 10 PC. It seems that Windows not recognizing SSD and users are unable to find it in the Disk Management. 

What’s worse, this could lead to data loss when your PC tries to read the SSD. To help you out, this post will walk you through all possible reasons that contribute to SSD not showing up and feasible solutions to solve this issue. Moreover, even if the SSD is still not detected by Windows after trying out all ways or unexpected data loss occurs in the process, this article shares the method to help you recover data from SSD not showing up fast and effectively with ease.

There are mainly 5 common reasons that result in SSD not showing up in Disk Management or the File Explorer, and each of them can be fixed with solid solutions. 

Reason 1: Interrupted data cable connection.

Faulty hardware such as an interrupted data cable connection might be the reason that your Windows not recognizing SSD. You can make sure the connection by plugging it again in the port or testing the drive in another PC. If the SSD not showing up still, run the SMART command prompt for further diagnose of the SSD. 

Solution:

Step 1. Press the Windows key and X together to open the user task menu.

Step 2. Select Command Prompt window and open it. Don’t forget to select to run as the administrator.

Step 3. Input the following command lines and press enter.

Move on to the next step if you see the result below.

Step 4. Launch the command prompt again and type in the following lines. 

CHKDSK [volume [[path] filename]] [/F] [/V] [/R] [/X] [/C] [: size]] 

Remember to fit in the actual info of your SSD. Hit enter.

It’s possible that nothing pops up after running the CHKDSK, don’t worry, you have one more chance to check the hardware stats of your SSD in Properties.  

Also Read: How to Recover Permanently Deleted Photos from Your Computer >>

Reason 2：SSD not initialized. 

An SSD has to be initialized before the computer can access it. If a brand-new solid-state drive you get or an old SSD is not initiated, then it’s possible to cause SSD not showing up in File Explorer. You can initialize an SSD following the guides below. 

Solution:

Step 1. Right-click on the Start button and choose Disk Management to open it. 

Step 2. Locate the uninitialized SSD and right-click on it. Select Initialize Disk. 

Step 3. In the Initialize Disk window, you can select which disks to initialize and appoint a partition style for it, be it an MBR or GUID.

Try the SSD now and is it showing up in File Explorer?

Reason 3：Drive is not enabled in BIOS.

Sometimes your system has some problems with your SSD and causes SSD not showing up in BIOS. You can verify this issue by checking if it’s enabled in BIOS. 

Solution:

Step 1. Reboot your PC. 

Step 2. Enter BIOS by pressing the BIOS key, which could be F12, F10, F2, F1, or the DEL button, depending on the default set by your manufacturer.

Step 3. If you can spot the SSD in BIOS, lucky you, the Windows 10 recognizes this drive. unfortunately, if the drive doesn’t show up there, you may have to reinstall the OS.  

Hopefully, this can fix SSD not showing up in BIOS issue.

Also Read: [Why & Fixed 2022] Screen Won’t Turn on Laptop Windows 7/8/10/11 >>

Reason 4：Driver not updated.

An outdated, damaged, or incompatible driver can also result in the SSD not showing up. To update the driver, follow the given steps below.

Solution:

Step 1. Press Windows and X button together and open the option Device Manager.

Step 2. Go for Disk Drives and find your problematic SSD.

Step 3. Right-click on the drive and you should see the option to update driver.

Step 4. Restart your Windows PC to see if the SSD not showing up issue is fixed. 

Also Read: How to Recover Deleted Files from Pen Drive/a USB Flash >>

Reason 5：Drive letter missing.

SSD not showing up Windows 10 can be caused due to the missing or conflicted drive letter. You can fix this issue by assigning a new drive letter to the drive.

Solution:

Step 1. Right-click on the Start button and choose Disk Management to open the program.

Step 2. Find your SSD and right-click on your SSD partition. 

Step 3. From the context menu, select Change Drive Letter and Paths… and click Change to confirm.

Step 4. Select a new drive letter for it and click on OK to finish.

The above part illustrates five reasons as well as different methods to troubleshot the SSD not showing up error. However, if the above ways fail to do so or the detecting process causes a data loss in the SSD, you should retrieve and backup the data from the undetected SSD immediately. Here lists one ultra-fast data recovery software to retrieve all your important files from the SSD with ease, iTop Data Recovery. 

       

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Why iTop Data Recovery - Retrieve and Recover from SSD Not Showing up in Windows Fast & Easily  

iTop Data Recovery is one effective tool to perform data recovery on SSD. Other than that, it’s capable of retrieving data from most external devices, such as HDD, USB, etc. with as high as up to a 95% success rate. 

1. Recover data from the SSD, HDD, USB, and Memory Card. iTop Data Recovery works well with most external storage media in the market, SSD, HDD, USB thumb drive, memory card, and the CD, just to list some common ones.  

2. Retrieve 1000+ Formats Files. No matter you want to recover deleted files Windows 10 in what format, iTop Data Recovery can meet your demands thanks a wide range of file formats it supports. For example, text documents, graphics, emails, and so many more.

3. 95% Success Rate. Thanks to years of data recovery experience, this data recovery software maintains a high data recovery rate that is up to 95%. You can trace back files effectively.

4. Regularly Data Back-Up. This brand-new feature definitely levels up iTop Data Recovery. With this new-added backup feature, you can regularly back up files without difficulties.

5. No Registration Required. Tired of the fussy registration process when using a new program? iTop Data Recovery can set you free from all that staff. 

How to Recover Data from an Undetected SSD with iTop Data Recovery?

iTop Data Recovery is one easy-to-use program, follow the steps below to recover data from an undetected SSD with this software. 

Step 1. Download iTop Data Recovery and install this cheap data recovery software.

Step 2. Run this program and select the undetected SSD from location options. Click on Scan and wait for the scanning results.

Step 3. Filter the results by the file type and file location and feel free to preview the selected data.

Step 4. Hit the Recover button to start SSD data recovery.

Q1. Can iTop Data Recovery recover data from SSD that were formatted or attacked by PC viruses?

A: Yes. iTop Data Recovery is able to recover a formatted hard drive and malware-attacked storage devices. 

Q2. Is the data recovery process offline?

A: Yes. iTop Data Recovery cares about data security. The data process is completed locally and every data will be recovered offline. 

Q3. How to avoid SSD data loss in the future?

A: If an SSD shows unhealthy signals, you should transfer the data to another drive as soon as possible. Also, stop using the drive immediately in case of data overwritten.

The Final Thought 

There are quite a few reasons contributing to SSD not showing up, be it an interrupted connection, uninitialized SSD, outdated driver, and others. This post gives solutions to each scenario with clear step-by-step guides. However, one serious consequence of SSD not showing up can be data loss. To recover data from an undetected SSD, iTop Data Recovery is a handy tool. This data recovery software is able to make most data recoverable and retrieve data easily and efficiently. No matter what data loss scenario you are struggling with, it can help you out. Download iTop Data Recovery to recover data with ease.

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