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SSD Not Showing up in Windows 11: How to Get it Detected

An effective fix for this is to make some quick changes in BIOS

6 min. read

Updated onAugust 13, 2024

updated onAugust 13, 2024

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Several users have reported that SSD is not showing up in Windows 11 or it’s not recognized. If you connect the SSD for the first time, probably the disk is either not yet initialized or formatted. But for SSDs already in use, the problem lies elsewhere.

Before trying anything else, connect the SSD to another port, or try connecting it to another PC or port.

What can I do if SSD is not showing up on Windows 11?

1. Initialize the SSD

If an SSD has not been initialized or the data on it has corrupted for some reason, Windows 11 won’t recognize the drive. In this case, initializing the drive and creating a new volume would help fix the issue.

2. Assign/change the drive letter

If the volume on the SSD has not been assigned a letter yet, it wouldn’t be listed in the File Explorer. In this case, assign a drive letter using the above steps, and Windows 11 will now recognize the SSD.

Even if it has been assigned one but has some issues, changing it should help.

3. Check BIOS settings

Once done, boot Windows 11, and the SSD should now be recognized. In case it’s still not listed, head to the following method.

4. Update the SSD driver

Outdated drivers are known to cause several issues with the device, the SSD. Updating the driver enhances the device’s performance apart from introducing new features and eliminating previously known errors.

But, one of the drawbacks of using the Device Manager to install the driver manually is that it only scans the drivers stored on the system. So, the update process might not go through if you haven’t downloaded a newer version.

You can always use a reliable third-party app if the whole process sounds like too much trouble. We recommend using Outbyte Driver Updater, a dedicated tool that automatically scans the available sources for the latest version and keeps the installed drivers up-to-date.

Outbyte Driver Updater

The above methods will eliminate any issues leading to Windows 11 not recognizing the SSD. By reaching this part of the article, either the error will be destroyed, or you will have discovered that the SSD is faulty.

Why is Windows 11 not recognizing the SSD?

We went through several forums where users shared the problem and their valuable input. And based on that, we identified several issues as to why the SSD is not recognized in Windows 11. They are listed below:

Suppose you are, by any chance, able to identify the problem from the list, head to the appropriate method, and execute it. Otherwise, follow the steps in the sequence listed for quick troubleshooting.

Also, if you notice the hard drivemissing after updating Windows 11, learn how to fix the problem.

Do not hesitate to tell us which fix worked or was the SSD was faulty in the comments section below.

SSD Not Showing up in Windows 11: How to Get it Detected#

What can I do if SSD is not showing up on Windows 11?#

1. Initialize the SSD#

2. Assign/change the drive letter#

3. Check BIOS settings#

4. Update the SSD driver#

Outbyte Driver Updater#

Why is Windows 11 not recognizing the SSD?#