Why Does My SSD Not Show Up?

SSDs are considered one of the fastest memory chips that can be used in computer systems. 

But most users recently reported that their SSD is not showing up. In this situation, you might get worried and frustrated. There are two major cases in this situation. Either you bought a new SSD, or your old SSD started disappearing. 

In this article, we’ll look at the possible causes of this problem and give you troubleshooting steps that will help you fix it quickly. Whether you’re a tech pro or just starting, you need to know why your SSD isn’t being recognized to get the most out of your storage tool.

Why Does My SSD Not Show Up?

It is due to faulty hardware of the SSD, outdated drivers, an unassigned drive letter to the SSD, a virus or other form of malware, a hidden partition, and an SSD in a poor state of health. All these issues cause your SSD to disappear. Fortunately, there are fixes for all these issues.

Faulty SSD

One of the major reasons why your SSD is disappearing is the SSD itself. It means that your SSD is broken or about to fail because it is old. A faulty SSD shows many signs, and disappearing is one of them especially when you open it to save data or look for it.

• How To Fix It?

There is no fix for such a faulty or broken SSD. You have to buy a new one but don’t forget to transfer the data from the old SSD to the new one. You can connect the damaged SSD externally via an external SSD USB case.

Lose Power or Data Cable Connection

The power and data cables are an important part of making a strong link between the SSD and the motherboard or expansion card. The power line is in charge of giving the SSD electricity while the records are. 

The data wire, usually a SATA cable for older SSDs or an M.2/NVMe connector for newer SSDs, makes it easier for data to move between the SSD and the motherboard or expansion card.

Moreover, when the power cord isn’t plugged in, the SSD might also lose power or not get enough power. It can make the SSD work in a risky way or cause it to stop working altogether. The device might not find the SSD if the data cable isn’t always properly connected to the SSD or the motherboard. The data signals sent through the wire could be weak or messed up, which could cause data loss or corruption.

• How To Fix It?

To fix these problems, it’s important to ensure that the power and data cables are safely plugged in and in the right place. Carefully check the connections and firmly reattach any loose cables to strongly link the SSD and the computer. It will allow the SSD to look and work as it should.

Newly Bought SSD – Unlocated Drive

Newly bought SSDs don’t have any format to write data to. It will be the reason you can’t find SSD drives in Windows Explorer. It is due to the drives not being located properly. Whenever you connect an SSD to your computer, you must locate it and create different partitions. Your SSD will have no assigned letter; that is another reason it is now showing.

• How To Fix It?

You have to locate the drives and add letters to them. Launch the Disk Management application on your computer. To do it, right-click “Start Menu” and select “Disk Management” (for Windows). Find the recently acquired SSD in the list of drives. If the area is indexed but seems unallocated, you may need to locate it.

Right-click on the SSD and select the “New Drive” option. Now follow the instructions to make new drives for your SSD.

Virus or Malware

Virus or malware attacks can cause many problems with a computer, including problems with storage devices like SSDs (Solid State Drives). When a virus or other malicious software gets into a computer, it can mess with the device’s performance and how its physical parts normally work.

Some viruses or malware can attack the drivers or software that controls the SSD and mess them up. Because of this damage, the operating system might be unable to find or use the SSD well. 

Advanced malware can also hide or encrypt SSD partitions, rendering them inaccessible to the machine that is running. It can make it look like the SSD is no longer there, even though the data may still be on the drive.

• How To Fix It?

Use a trusted antivirus or anti-malware program to fully scan your machine. You should remove any bad software from your machine if any bad software is found.

Use built-in machine tools like CHKDSK (Windows) or fsck (macOS/Linux) to fix any record device errors on the SSD. These tools can find and fix problems that might keep the SSD from being found.

Low Health of SSD

SSDs utilize NAND flash memory devices to store data. Constant read-and-write operations can cause these cells to degrade over time. As NAND flash cells degrade, they can produce more errors or become useless. 

• How To Fix It?

First, monitor SSD health. You can do it from the disk manager or using a third-party app. Just open Disk Manager and see the health status of your SSD. It must be healthy; if it’s not, you must immediately change the SSD. Moreover, you can also use third-party apps like HD Sentinel to check battery health. 

Outdated Drivers

Drivers serve as a bridge between the working and hardware devices, enabling them to communicate effectively. When the drivers responsible for managing your SSD become obsolete, they will no longer have the necessary commands or compatibility to properly recognize and interact with the SSD. 

The device may no longer display or detect the SSD due to this. Outdated drivers may not have been optimized for modern SSD technologies, decreasing performance. 

• How To Fix It?

Determine the exact manufacturer and model of your SSD. This information is typically accessible on the SSD or in the product documentation. Now visit the manufacturer’s website and download the drivers for the exact model. 

You can also update the drivers from Device Manager. Open the device manager by right-clicking on the Windows start menu. Now expand the “Disk Drive” section. Now select your SSD and click “Update.” You have to choose “Search automatically for the drivers” from the next window so your PC can automatically download and install the SSD drivers from the internet.

Hidden Partitions

On an SSD, hidden partitions can prevent the operating system from showing it. Typically, hidden partitions are created during the initial installation or configuration of an operating system or application on an SSD.

The partition table, which contains information about disk partitions, can become corrupted for various reasons. This corruption may prevent the SSD from being recognized by the operating system. This issue can almost certainly be resolved by repairing the partition desk using specialized tools or materials.

• How To Fix It?

There are two possible ways to solve it. The simple one is to open Explorer and click on “This PC,” then click on “View,” here, the hidden option is checked, then uncheck it. It will make the SSD visible if it is hidden. 

The second method is to switch the data cable on your SSD. Open the PC case and navigate to the SSD. Here, follow the data cable going toward the motherboard. Unplug the SSD from the motherboard and plug it back into different data port. It will resolve the issue. 

How To Recover Data From SSD Not Showing Up?

Using an SSD externally is the simplest method to save and recover your data. External connections like USBs are stronger and have stronger connections than any other external means. You can use an external SSD case to connect it. In this way, your SSD will show up on your PC.

Once you have connected the SSD, copy its data to the internal storage device. Additionally, if your data is corrupted, you can use recovery software to recover it. It is best to keep checking your SSD’s health if you feel any performance degradation. 

Conclusion

When your SSD doesn’t show up, it could be because of a number of things. These include an SSD that doesn’t work because of hardware problems or because it’s old, loose power or data cable connections, old drivers, unallocated drives on newly sold SSDs, virus or malware infections, hidden partitions on the SSD, or bad SSD’s health.

To fix these problems, you can make sure the SSD is properly connected with steady power and data cables, update the SSD drivers from the manufacturer’s website or through the Device Manager, assign partition letters to newly received SSDs using the Disk Management, scan for viruses or malware and get rid of them, unhide hidden partitions through the file explorer or by replacing the data cable, and so on.

If the SSD is broken, it’s best to replace it with a new one and make sure the data is moved to the new SSD using an external SSD case. If data recovery is needed, the SSD can be connected to a computer outside the computer, and data recovery tools can be used to get the data back. It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on the SSD’s health regularly so that you can spot any drops in speed and take action immediately.