The computer does not see the second ssd drive. The computer does not see the SSD drive after connecting: identifying the problem and solution

A new SSD was installed in the computer, but Windows 7 does not see it. Let us immediately clarify that it is detected correctly in the BIOS, i.e. The problem is related only to the operating system.

Just a few words about the SSD - this is the Kingston UV400 SUV400S37 480 GB. It is supposed to be used to install programs.

If you go to the “My Computer” folder, the list displays four drives - system drive “C” (128 GB Kingmax solid-state drive) and three local drives physically located on a Toshiba HDD with a capacity of 2 TB.

The system disk and three local disks (outlined in red) are displayed. There is no new SSD in the list

Step 1. Click on the Start button and paste into the search field diskmgmt.msc- after the program is found, click on its link.

Step 2. After launching the Disk Management program, it immediately shows that a new disk has appeared and offers to initialize it. It is possible to choose a section style from two options:

• Master Boot Record (MBR)
• Table with GUID partitions (GPT - GUID Partition Table)

Let's not get into technical details - the default is Master Boot Record (MBR) and we just click OK.

We don’t change anything - just click OK

Step 3. The utility shows that all free disk space is not allocated. Right-click on the disk name and select the command from the context menu Create a simple volume.

Select the command “Create a simple volume”

After this, the Create Simple Volumes Wizard will start.

Step 4. The wizard allows you to specify the size of the volume to be created. In this particular case, the SSD will only have one logical drive, so the volume will use all available space.

Since the SSD was not intended to be divided into logical disks, the size of a simple volume is equal to the maximum size

Step 5. Assign a drive letter. You can use any option available in the drop-down list.

To immediately set a certain semantic load, you can select the letters S - the first letter of the SSD

Step 6. Before formatting a disk using NTFS, you can specify the volume label. In a specific case, we register an SSD so that it is immediately clear what kind of drive it is.

Step 7 That's all, actually. You can view information about the created disks and click Finish.

All you have to do is click “Finish”

Now all that remains is to go to My Computer and make sure that Windows sees the installed SSD.

Still have questions? Ask them in the comments.

Solid-state drives appeared not so long ago and are sensitive devices to BIOS settings and versions, firmware and connections. Often the systematic problem of BSOD can be corrected on your own.

Common problems and their solutions

While the computer is running, idle, or running an application, the computer crashes into BSOD (Blue Screen of Death);

When starting the computer, the message appears: “NTDL is missing press Control + Alt + del and restart,” although yesterday everything worked fine;

When the computer starts, the SSD is not displayed in the list of visible drives (including in the BIOS).

So, let's start in order.

Step one

This is trivial, but quite often the problem can arise due to the fact that the interface cable/motherboard connector has been damaged, or the device has come into conflict with others. Therefore, try to make a list of simple actions:

Check the connection of the interface cable to the motherboard and SSD connector. Reconnect the device (newfangled cables with metal latches do not guarantee 100% connection, even if you heard a click, and ordinary ones even more so);

Use another SATA cable, (“tested” change to new, new to “tested”), especially if it was somehow twisted, wrapped, and so on;

Try connecting the device to nearby SATA ports;

Remove the solid-state drive from the 2.5″\3.5” bay;

Make sure that the motherboard BIOS is set to AHCI mode for the controller to which the drive is connected;

Try disabling third-party SATA\eSATA\IDE controllers in the motherboard BIOS menu, and subsequently other drives (hard drives, optical drives), leaving the SSD as the only connected drive;

If the system was transferred to an SSD using special software, which can often be found included with some drives, move the system again, from scratch;

Update controller drivers for Windows (Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver or AMD AHCI Driver, or for a third-party controller);

Install Windows 7 (if you had Windows XP).

Step two

You need to make sure that the motherboard BIOS is up to date. Usually the version is indicated when the computer starts, in shells like UEFI - often written directly into them. In the Windows operating system, you can download, for example, a small and free CPU-Z utility, open the “Motherboard” section and see the BIOS version there.

Attention!: When looking for BIOS updates, download them ONLY from official sites, ONLY for your motherboard model.

Step three

It is highly desirable that the SSD be connected to the native SATA ports of the motherboard. Each motherboard has native ports, that is, supported by the existing set of logic, and also, on a number of devices there are additional SATA ports implemented by third-party controllers. Make sure that the SSD is connected to exactly the right ports; they usually differ in color and have a priority sequence number (SATA_1, SATA_2) in the case when they are implemented by additional controllers or operate at lower interface speeds; on the contrary, they are at the end of the list (SATA_5, SATA_6).

To find out exactly which connectors belong to what, look for this information in the user manual of your motherboard; if you do not have a paper version of the manual, you can always download it from the vendor’s official website in electronic format.

Step four

Many users keep an eye on new firmware releases for semiconductor drives because they often improve performance, but don't forget that the main reason for new firmware releases is to fix bugs in the SSD controller logic. So it's also worth making sure your SSD has the latest firmware.

Attention!: When looking for firmware updates for SSDs, download them ONLY from official sites, ONLY for your SSD model. Please also keep in mind that this can (and most likely) completely destroys all information stored on the SSD.

Step five and final

If you have already done all of the above, double-checked, rearranged, updated a hundred times, but the problem remains, it is worth looking for information on the SSD manufacturer’s website, after all, who better than him should be aware of all the problems associated with his products. Moreover, it would be preferable to read foreign vendor forums on this topic. The fact is that this situation indicates the following probable reasons:

The problem is that your computer is incompatible with a specific SSD;

Some problems known to the manufacturer, which he is, of course, working on fixing;

Manufacturing defects.

Despite the fact that all technologies strive for standardization and unification, SSD is still a young storage system, so there are known cases from the “should work, but doesn’t” series. The motherboard controller (especially if it is old) cannot work correctly with the solid-state drive controller and enters into conflicts, which is why failures occur. In this case, as well as in the case of a defect, all that remains is to check the device on a completely different computer or laptop. In those cases when the problem is more or less widespread, the developers try to solve it as quickly as possible and post specific tips on how to fix problems on their forums.

A solid-state drive, compared to a hard drive, has such advantages as a high level of performance and reliability, low power consumption, lack of noise, and much more. Therefore, more and more users are choosing SSD as their system one. When connecting such a drive, you may find that it is not detected by the system or is not even displayed in the BIOS. This may look like there is no disk in "Explorer", Windows settings or in the BIOS boot selection list.

Problems with displaying the SSD in the system can occur for reasons such as a missing drive letter or initialization, the presence of hidden partitions, and a file system incompatible with Windows. At the same time, this may occur due to incorrect BIOS settings and physical damage to the disk itself or one of the connection elements between the motherboard and the SSD.

Reason 1: The disk is not initialized

It often happens that a new disk is not initialized when connected to a computer and, as a result, it is not visible in the system. The solution is to perform the procedure manually according to the following algorithm.

1. Press simultaneously "Win+R" and in the window that appears, enter compmgmt.msc. Then click "OK".



2. A window will open where you need to click "Disk Management".



3. Right-click on the desired drive and select from the menu that opens "Initialize disk".



4. Next, make sure that in the field "Disc 1" check the box, and place a marker next to the item mentioning MBR or GPT. "Master Boot Record" compatible with all versions of Windows, but if you plan to use only current releases of this OS, it is better to choose "Table with GUID partitions".



5. After completing the procedure, you should create a new partition. To do this, click on the disk and select "Create Simple Volume".



6. Will open "New Volume Wizard", in which we press "Further".



7. Then you need to specify the size. You can leave the default value, which is the maximum disk size, or select a smaller value. After making the necessary changes, click "Further".



8. In the next window, agree with the proposed volume letter option and click "Further". If desired, you can assign another letter, the main thing is that it does not coincide with the existing one.



9. Next you need to perform formatting. Leave the recommended values ​​in the fields "File system", "Volume Label" and in addition we enable the option "Quick Format".



10. Click "Ready".

As a result, the disk should appear in the system.

Reason 2: Missing drive letter

Sometimes the SSD does not have a letter and therefore does not appear in "Explorer". In this case, you need to assign a letter to it.

After this, the specified information storage device is recognized by the OS, and standard operations can be performed with it.

Reason 3: Missing partitions

If the purchased disc is not new and has already been used for a long time, it may also not appear in "My computer". The reason for this may be damage to the system file or MBR table due to a crash, infection by a virus file, improper operation, etc. In this case, the SSD is displayed in "Disk Management", but his status is "Not initialized". In this case, it is usually recommended to perform initialization, but due to the risk of data loss, it is still not worth doing this.

In addition, a situation is also possible in which the drive is displayed as one unallocated area. Creating a new volume as usual may also result in data loss. The solution here may be to restore the partition. To do this, you need certain knowledge and software, for example, which has the appropriate option.

This should help solve the problem, but in a situation where there is no necessary knowledge and the necessary data is on the disk, it is better to turn to professionals.

Reason 4: Hidden section

Sometimes an SSD is not visible in Windows due to the presence of a hidden partition. This is possible if the user has hidden the volume using third-party software to prevent access to the data. The solution is to restore the partition using disk software. The same MiniTool Partition Wizard copes well with this task.

After this, hidden sections will appear in "Explorer".

Reason 5: Unsupported file system

If after performing the above steps the SSD still does not appear in "Explorer" It's possible that the disk's file system is different from FAT32 or NTFS, which Windows works with. Typically, such a drive appears in the disk manager as an area "RAW". To fix the problem, you need to follow the following algorithm.

Reason 6: Problems with BIOS and hardware

There are four main reasons why the BIOS does not detect the presence of an internal SSD.

SATA is disabled or has the wrong mode

Incorrect BIOS settings

The BIOS will also not recognize the drive if the settings are incorrect. This can be easily checked by the system date - if it does not correspond to the true one, this indicates a failure. To eliminate it, you need to reset and return to standard settings according to the sequence of actions below.

Alternatively, you can remove the battery, which in our case is located next to the PCIe connectors.

Data cable is faulty

The BIOS will also not detect the SSD if the CATA cable is damaged. In this case, you need to check all connections between the motherboard and the SSD. It is advisable not to allow any bends or pinching of the cable when laying. All this can lead to damage to the wires inside the insulation, although externally the material may look normal. If there is any doubt about the condition of the cable, it is better to replace it. When connecting SATA devices, Seagate recommends using cables less than 1 meter in length. Longer ones can sometimes fall out of the connectors, so be sure to check that they are firmly connected to the SATA ports.

Failed SSD

If after carrying out the above procedures the disk is still not shown in the BIOS, most likely there is a manufacturing defect or physical damage to the device. Here you need to contact a computer repair shop or SSD supplier, first making sure that there is a warranty.

Conclusion

In this article, we looked at the reasons for the absence of a solid-state drive in the system or in the BIOS when it is connected. The source of such a problem can be either the condition of the disk or cable, or various software glitches and incorrect settings. Before proceeding with the fix using one of the listed methods, it is recommended to check all connections between the SSD and the motherboard and try replacing the SATA cable.

The development of technology in the field of computer hardware has made it possible to achieve maximum performance and durability from any parts necessary for the operation of the device. Another issue is compatibility. It often happens that a completely new part, tested by many users, simply refuses to work properly. Or it is not located by the system at all. One of these situations is that the computer does not see the new SSD drive.

It is worth noting that this type of parts is often purchased due to the increased level of performance, reliability, low energy consumption and some other parameters. Most often it is installed as a system disk. However, even this can fail.

This material will talk about why this can happen and what to do about it.

Why might this happen?

A computer is a complex system. Therefore, in order to determine what exactly led to the appearance of this or that problem, you need to dig deep inside the system unit or laptop. And then, the answer will not always be received. In the case when the computer does not see the SSD disk, the causes of the error may be the following:

• the device is missing a letter;
• it has not been initialized;
• there are hidden partitions on the disk;
• the file system of the part is incompatible with the Windows operating system;
• Often the cause may be incorrectly configured BIOS settings;
• You should also not exclude the fact that if the computer does not see the M2 SSD, the media itself may be physically damaged;
• The connection parts to the motherboard and the device itself may also be damaged.

Let's take a closer look at all the possible causes and ways to solve them.

The drive letter is missing

In the “My Computer” section, where all drives connected to the computer are displayed, you can always see what letter or name each of them has. However, there are times when the letter is missing and the SSD is not visible in My Computer. To solve the problem, you need to make sure that the device has a name. More on how to do this.

How to assign a drive letter?

In order to perform this operation, you must use the "Run" function.

• On your keyboard, press the key combination “Win” and “R”. In the window that appears, enter the phrase "compmgmt.msc".
• This will take you to Disk Management.

• Right-click on the line of the required SSD. In the context menu, select the option to change the drive letter or path to it.
• As soon as a new window appears, click on the “change” button.
• Select a letter from the list that will not match any other letter already on the computer.
• Click the "OK" button.

As a result of these actions, the problem that the computer does not see the SSD will be solved.

Device not initialized

Sometimes the following problem can occur: a completely new disk, without any damage, is not visible by the system when connected to a computer. In this case, it may appear uninitialized. So, to fix this error, you need to follow all the steps given below.

How to initialize a disk?

The solution to this problem must again begin by activating the "Run" function.

• On your keyboard, press the "Win" and "R" keys. In the window that appears, enter "compmgmt.msc".
• In the Disk Management program menu, find the required drive in the list on the right and right-click on it. In the pop-up menu, activate the line
• Make sure the box named "Disk 1" is checked.
• Place a marker near the item where MBR or GPT is mentioned. But before that you need to decide. If you have Windows 7 or earlier releases of Windows 10, you should select the Master Boot Record. If you always update the operating system to the latest version, then put a marker on the table with GUID partitions.
• Once this procedure is completed, you can create a new partition on the SSD. To do this, click on the disk and activate the function to create a simple volume. After this, a specialized wizard will open.
• Here you need to click on the next button.
• The volume size is now specified. The options may be as follows: the volume will be equal to the size of the entire disk or it will occupy a small part of it.
• Once the required volume is selected, click the "Next" button.
• The next step is to assign a drive letter. This is almost the very end of the solution to the problem when the computer does not see the new SSD. It is necessary to choose so that the new letter does not coincide with the one already assigned.
• Now you need to do formatting. Leave all recommended values ​​unchanged.
• Enable quick formatting option.
• Click "Done".

After completing this algorithm, the problem that the computer does not see the SSD will be solved.

A hidden partition has appeared on the disk

Having a hidden SSD partition is another reason for this problem to occur. It can occur when the volume was opened using third-party programs in order to deny access to the data. To solve this problem, you will need to use the MiniToolPartition Wizard.

How to remove a hidden partition from a disk?

First you need to download this application to your computer. You can do this on the official website or torrent tracker.

• as soon as the program has been downloaded and installed, it is launched;
• Right-click on the drive you are looking for;
• select the Unhide partition function in the pop-up menu;
• after that, assign a letter to the hidden section and agree to apply the changes;
• The last step is to check the Explorer window to see if hidden sections are displayed.

There are no partitions on the disk

Another reason why the computer does not see the SSD after connecting may be the lack of partitions. This can happen with a new drive or one that has not been used for a long time. The cause may be damage to a system file, infection with a virus, or violation of the rules for using the device.

Often, when such a situation arises, it is recommended to initialize the disk. However, there is a high chance that you will lose all the data stored on it.

How to fix missing partition error?

If the computer does not see the M2 SSD due to missing volumes, then you should again use the previously mentioned MiniToolPartition Wizard program:

• After launching it, select the disk you are looking for and go to the “Check Disk” menu, activate the “Partition Recovery” line.
• Here you need to select the disk scanning range. Among the options "Full Disk", "Unallocated space" and "Specified Range", select the first option and proceed further through the program.
• Now you need to select a quick or full disk scan. In the first case, partitions that were hidden or deleted will be restored. The second option will scan all sectors of the previously selected range.
• As soon as the scan is completed, a list of results will open in the form of found sections.
• Select the ones you need and complete the operation. Afterwards you need to confirm the start of the recovery process.
• As a result of these actions, the disk should appear in the Explorer menu.

BIOS program error

Another reason why the computer does not see the SSD (No. 1, 3/4) may be incorrect Bios settings. In this case, solving the problem involves analyzing several directions at once, since there are many options for why the BIOS leads to such an error.

Incorrect SATA mode or completely disabled

To fix this error, you must follow the steps below:

• Enter the BIOS program. This is done when the computer starts, using a specific key.
• Activate the advanced settings mode using the F7 button or the “advanced” parameter. Confirm the transition to a specific mode.
• In the same tab, find the configuration of the built-in devices. Click on the Serial Port Configuration line.
• In the Serial Port line, check the value of the switch. It should be "on". Otherwise, go to the parameter and install this option.

Incorrectly configured BIOS settings

This may also be the reason why the computer does not see the SSD. You can check by the system date value. If it does not correspond to the real data, then a failure has occurred. To correct the situation, you need to reset all settings:

• First, the computer is disconnected from the network.
• If we are talking about a stationary device, remove the wall of the system unit. If the problem occurs on a laptop, unscrew the bottom cover.
• There is a small battery on the motherboard, near which there is a CLRTC toggle switch.
• Switch it to position 2-3 and wait half a minute. Then return it back to 1-2.
• You can also simply remove the battery itself and return it to its place after the same period of time.

Cable damage

Another possible problem could be a damaged SATA cable. To make sure your guesses are correct or unreliable, you need to check all connections between the drive and the motherboard. All wires should lie flat and without strong bends. They can cause internal damage to the cable. And if this happens, then it should be replaced.

To connect SATA devices without problems, it is recommended to use cords that are longer than one meter.

Damage to the drive itself

If all the above methods did not have any effect and the computer does not see the SSD drive after connecting, you should carefully inspect it for any external damage. If there are none, you should return the device under warranty (if it is new). Many stores check returned items, so you can find out if the problem is with the disk or part of your computer.

If the SSD is old enough, you should take care of replacing it as soon as possible.

Solid-state drives (SSD) or so-called are becoming increasingly common among personal computer users. external HDs. These devices have greater mobility than conventional hard drives installed inside a computer case. Many external drives can connect to standard PC USB ports, which is very convenient when you need to transport large amounts of data. SSDs like these are essentially just regular USB devices, and they can have the same problems as any other similar hardware.

Basic SSD faults

An external drive may not be recognized by your computer for a variety of reasons. The most common faults are:

• Problems with the operating system, including driver failures, malware, incorrectly set system parameters, etc.
• Errors in the file system of the SSD drive.
• Software malfunctions of the control controller (failures in the firmware).
• Hardware failures of the disk, ranging from the inoperability of the USB port to the failure of one of the functional electronic components.

Many of the listed problems can be removed without the help of specialists. Let's start with the simple ones.

Incorrect Windows settings

When you connect any storage device to a computer, the operating system automatically assigns it a path, represented as a Latin letter. We are talking about "Local Disk". If for some reason a letter has not been assigned to the SSD disk, then it will not be possible to access it using conventional means (Windows Explorer or any third-party file manager).

This is easy to fix, but you need to keep in mind that all information stored on the drive may be lost. You can still try to save it or restore it after changing the letter when using a special program (for example, R-Disk), but we will not consider this in this article.

The steps are as follows:

• Open Control Panel, then go to System and Security or System and Maintenance (depending on your version of Windows).
• Next, open the "Administration" section, then run the system utility - "Computer Management".
• On the right side of the Computer Management utility window, open the Storage Devices subsection, then select Disk Management.
• In the central part of the window all existing “Local Disks” will be displayed, a little lower - the system names of the storage devices in which they were created.

• Notice "Disk 2" shown in the image above. Opposite is the volume, followed by the file system name "RAW". This may mean that the disk has file system problems or a minor logic error. Even though the drive is assigned a letter (in this case, "F"), it may still not be recognized by Windows Explorer. The letter may not exist at all.
• Right-click the area to the right of the drive name, then select the menu item "Change drive letter or path...".

• A small window will open, click on the “Change…” button.
• In the next window, opposite the line “Assign a drive letter,” select any of the alternative drive name options from the drop-down menu, then click “OK.” If a warning dialog box appears on the screen, click the “Yes” button in it.

If the problem was a minor software glitch in the operating system, the Computer Management application window will display the name of the SSD drive and its file system type. Additionally, Windows Explorer will automatically open the contents of the disc.

Problems with the SSD file system

Any storage device has its own file system, which, in simple terms, is a set of rules by which data is written to the disk. The absence of a file system will make reading recorded information impossible without the use of special software. The way out of this situation is to manually format the disk. As in the previous case, all information from the SSD will be deleted.

To format the disk, open the Computer Management system utility as described above. The absence of a file system can be determined by the information provided opposite the name of the SSD drive. The presence of the inscription “Not distributed” or the indication of the file system type “RAW” next to the disk capacity will mean the need to perform formatting.

If the volume is not allocated, right-click on the block labeled “Unallocated” and select “Create a simple volume”, follow the instructions on the screen. To format the disk, select "Format...". In the new window, enter the volume label, select the file system and cluster size (you can leave everything as the program suggests), then click OK.

If the problem was with the file system, after the last step the external drive should be detected by the system.

SSD Driver Problems

Standard drivers for various types of storage devices are installed with Windows. If there are no malfunctions in the system, there are no malware, the settings are set correctly, there are usually no problems with the operation of external drives. If this happens, you should definitely check the availability of drivers. You can do this from the "Device Manager" system application:

• Press the "Win + R" keys on your keyboard.
• In the window that opens, enter "devmgmt.msc", then click "OK".
• In the list that appears, find and open the “Disk devices” section, which will display the storage devices connected to the computer, including an SSD drive.
• If there is a yellow exclamation mark next to the name of the SSD drive, the device driver may be faulty or missing altogether.

• To fix this, the driver needs to be reinstalled. First, it is recommended to remove installed software from the system. Just right-click on the name of the SSD drive, then select "Remove device".
• The new driver can be downloaded from the external drive manufacturer's website.
• An easier way to install a driver is to use an automatic driver installation application, such as DriverHub. You can download the program from the developers’ website https://ru.drvhub.net/.

If the name of the SSD drive is not displayed in the "Disk Devices" section, also check the "Other Devices" and "USB Controllers" subsections.

Problems with SSD firmware

All solid-state storage drives are equipped with a microcontroller, which, in turn, is controlled by low-level microprogram or firmware. If for some reason the firmware malfunctions, the SSD will stop functioning.

Firmware malfunctions can be eliminated by completely clearing the data (including information from the protected system partition) on the SSD drive or by reinstalling it. This operation is not recommended for users who do not have the appropriate skills.

However, the process of deleting data from an external hard drive and flashing its firmware is not very complicated. For example, for Kingston SSDs, the developers created a special service utility, Kingston SSD Manager (https://www.kingston.com/ru/support/technical/ssdmanager). To delete all information from the disk, including hidden system data, just click on the “Secure Erase” button, which is located in the “Security” tab of the main program menu.

From the same program you can reinstall or update the microcontroller firmware ("Firmware" tab).

Any other proprietary utility created for servicing SSD drives has similar functionality.

PC or external drive hardware problems

You can verify the absence or presence of PC malfunctions by connecting the SSD hard drive to another computer. If the disk is not detected there, then the problem should be looked for in it itself. You should take the drive to a service center if manipulations with OS settings, reinstalling drivers, full formatting and other software operations did not help restore its functionality. Trying to repair the device yourself is highly not recommended, because... it can be disabled with one awkward movement.