How To Fix The SSD Not Recognized Error In Windows

It’s never fun when a storage device decides to play hide and seek, especially when it contains important files that you need. When Windows 11 can’t recognize or detect your SSD, fret not. Whether your new SSD is fresh out of the box or falling apart at the seams, there are multiple ways to recover your lost data and return your SSD’s functionality, even if Windows’ built-in troubleshooter fails to do its job.

Your approach to fixing issues when your SSD can’t be detected will depend on what you have on the drive. If the SSD is new or doesn’t have any important files on it, then you have much more leeway when troubleshooting the drive. If your SSD does have important documents on it, then you may want to attempt to recover the files before trying fixes like changing the drive’s settings or formatting the SSD, as this may lead to corrupted files or data loss.

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Testing your SSD on a different PC

A Western Digital Blue SN550 M.2 SSD with no physical DRAM chip.

To start, we should identify if the problem appears on all PCs or if your PC is the problem. If you have a second/old PC lying around or know a friend who has a computer, plug your SSD into the secondary machine and see if it is detected.

If your SSD is detected on the second PC, then there is probably an issue with your computer’s BIOS/Windows settings or the computer’s connections itself. If the SSD isn’t detected, then the problem probably lies with the SSD. This could be because of the SSD’s settings, software, or hardware.

Another method to verify the source of the problem is to use a secondary (and working) SSD on your PC and see if it is detected. If this SSD is detected by your PC, then that means your connections are working fine. If the second SSD is not detected, then your PC is most likely the issue.

Check the connections on your SSD

Source: Crucial

If your SSD has stopped working or is no longer detected, you should first look for loose connections or damaged cables attached to the SSD or motherboard. Most SSDs need two cables to function correctly: a SATA data cable that plugs into the motherboard and a SATA power cable for the power supply. If you’re using an M.2 SSD on your computer, it will be plugged directly into your motherboard.

To start, turn off and unplug your PC, remove all SATA cables, wipe the cable connections with a dry paper towel to remove any dust, and look for any damage to the connectors, like burn marks or scratches. If the cables are undamaged, plug them back in and start the computer. If it still doesn’t detect the SSD, try using a different SATA data cable and plug it into a different SATA port on the motherboard. You can also try using a different SATA power cable on the SSD (your power supply should have 3-5 of these cables).

If you have an M.2 SSD, you can remove it and wipe the connections, look for any damage to the connections or motherboard. If it seems fine, try to remove any dust or particulates in the M.2 slot.

If everything has checked out so far, then it’s time to see if your BIOS can identify the drive. Entering the BIOS is different for every motherboard, and each interface looks different, so there is no one-size-fits-all guide.

However, to enter BIOS on any PC, you must boot it up and continually press a key before the start screen appears. The key you need to press will depend on your computer manufacturer, and will sometimes display on the screen before startup. The most commonly used keys to enter BIOS are: Tab, Of the, Esc, F2, F10and F12.

Once you have successfully entered BIOS, navigate to the Startup tab and look for a setting that says Boot (the actual name and location of this option will vary). In your boot settings, you will have a list of all HDDs and SSDs connected to your computer. If the drive is listed there, then you have a software issue that is easier to resolve. If the drive doesn’t appear, then it is a hardware issue. This will be much harder to fix.

Initializing your SSD in Disk Management

If you just bought your SSD and you are using it for the first time, then you will need to initialize your SSD before your PC can recognize it.

1. Press Windows + Xthen select Disk Management.
2. You should see a pop-up window prompting you to initalize the SSD. If not, select the correct SSD from the list.
3. Rick-click on the drive and select Initialize Disk.
4. Pick the initialization type right for your SSD. If the drive is under 2TB, choose MBR (Master Boot Record). If your SSD is larger than 2TB, then you will need to select GPT (GUID Partition Table).
5. Click OK, and your SSD will start initialization.

After the process is complete, your SSD should be ready for use.

How to allocate space to a new SSD

If your SSD is not being detected, but the SSD you’re using has already been initialized, then you may need to create a partition on your SSD for your computer to register it. You also need to perform this task after initialization.

1. Press Windows + Xthen select Disk Management.
2. Right-click on the SSD with unallocated space and select New Simple Volume.
3. An installation wizard will pop up. Click on Next.
4. If you’d like to partition your drive into more than one volume, then lower your volume size. Otherwise, click on Next.

5. Choose your drive letter and Click Next.
6. Select your file system (NTFS for internal drives). Rename the Volume labeland click on Next.
7. Confirm the information on the screen and click Finish.
8. Your SSD should now be partitioned and usable.

If all goes according to plan, your computer should recognize your SSD, and you can install programs into it.

Change the drive letter on your SSD

If your SSD is new and the cables are all working fine, then simply changing your SSD’s drive letter might fix the problem. If your SSD has a duplicate drive letter or a label that the PC does not recognize, it could cause the Windows PC not to detect it.

1. Press Windows + Xthen select Disk Management.
2. Right-click on the SSD drive and select Change Drive Letter And Paths.
3. If the drive already has a letter, click on Change. Otherwise, select Add.
4. Pick a new letter for the drive from the drop-down menu.
5. Once you’ve chosen your letter, click OK.
6. Click Yesand your drive will be re-labeled.

After you’re finished, reboot your PC. After your computer starts up again, the drive should be relabeled and recognized.

Update your SSD’s storage controller driver

Your storage controller driver controls how your storage devices are managed and identified on your computer. If your SSD is not detected, updating your Microsoft Storage Space Controller could rectify the issue.

1. Use Windows’ Search function to find and open Device Manager.
2. Click on the arrow next to Storage controllers to open a drop-down menu.
3. Right-click on the Microsoft Storage Spaces Controller.
4. Click on Update driver.
5. Select the Search automatically for drivers option.
6. If the pop-up says that you have the latest driver, then click on Search for updated drivers on Windows updateand look to see if any new Windows updates could be causing the problem.

After you have updated the driver, restart your computer. With any luck, the new software should let Windows recognize your SSD.

Update your SSD driver

If the SSD you’re using is old or from another computer, its drivers might be outdated. An outdated SSD driver might prevent your system from being able to recognize the device, so it is recommended to update your SSD driver and restart your computer.

1. Use Windows’ Search function to find and open Device Manager.
2. Click on the arrow next to Disk drives to open up a drop-down menu.
3. Right-click on the SSD drive
4. Click on Update driver.
5. Select the Search automatically for drivers option.
6. If you have the latest driver installed and the SSD is still not detected, then you can click on Search for updated drivers on Windows update.

Like with the storage control driver, you should restart your PC after the update has downloaded.

Format your SSD

We generally refrain from using the “F-word” when talking about storage devices, but if you have tried everything else and don’t have important data to lose on the drive, then there might be no other choice but to format your drive. Warning! This will delete all your data from the drive.

1. Press Windows + Xthen select either Disk Management or Computer Management.
2. Right-click on the Drive, and click Format.
3. Name the SSD Drive label.
4. Choose the appropriate File system format. The most common ones are NTFSfor Windows internal drives, and exFATfor external drives compatible with Windows and MAC.
5. Click on OK and your drive will be formatted and ready to use.

After the SSD is finished formatting, reboot your PC. Your computer should recognize the drive, but as formatting SSDs is the nuclear option of last-ditch efforts, you will lose all files that were previously on it. If possible, try backing up your data before using this option.

Do you have to replace your SSD?

The answer to this question depends on how old your SSD is. If the SSD you’re using is old, and the steps above didn’t solve the problem, then you will probably need to buy a new drive to replace the old SSD. If the drive is new or was recently purchased, then it is most likely faulty, and you will most likely be able to return the SSD and either get a new one or receive a refund. Refer to your product’s warranty as well to see if you can send it in for a r eplacement.

Of course, some things are more valuable than money. If the SSD you are trying to fix has important documents or family photo albums on it, you should hold on to the drive as long as possible and not format it. While many “computer experts” may say that your data can’t be saved, the truth is that with enough effort, the right software, and a lot of dedication, it is possible to retrieve all your information on the drive.