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11 June 2024  Jennifer Thatcher  Technology Manager of Test Dept.
 

Summary
Learn how to troubleshoot the "Windows 10 not detecting second hard drive" issue. Discover common causes and effective solutions in this article.



Table of contents

table iconI. What are the reasons why the Windows 10 computer cannot recognize the new hard disk?
table iconII. What are the methods to solve the problem that the Windows 10 computer cannot recognize the new hard disk?
table iconIII. Use Renee Undeleter to recover hard disk data
windows 10 not detecting second hard drive

I. What are the reasons why the Windows 10 computer cannot recognize the new hard disk?

The reasons that may cause the Windows 10 computer to fail to recognize the second new hard drive installed generally include the following aspects:
● Connection problem: A new hard disk may not be recognized by a Windows 10 computer if not properly connected.
● The hard disk is not initialized: if the new hard disk is not initialized, the hard disk cannot be recognized normally.
● Unpartitioned hard disk: An unpartitioned hard disk won’t appear in Windows Explorer because its space is unallocated.
● No drive letter: If the hard disk partition does not have a drive letter, it cannot be found in Windows Explorer.
● Outdated disk driver: When the driver of the new hard disk is not updated in time, your computer cannot detect and recognize the device.
The above are the main reasons why Windows 10 cannot recognize the new hard disk. After understanding, let’s learn how to solve this problem.

II. What are the methods to solve the problem that the Windows 10 computer cannot recognize the new hard disk?

1. Check whether the hard disk connection is normal

When your new hard disk isn’t recognized by Windows 10, check the data and power cables. Unplug and reconnect them while the computer is off. Try connecting the data cable to a different SATA interface on the motherboard or replace the data cable to resolve the issue.
HDD data cable and power cable

2. Initialize the hard disk and create a new partition

When a hard disk lacks a partition, it may not be recognized. To resolve this, initialize the disk and then create a partition. The steps are as follows:
Step 1: Connect the hard disk to the computer, then press Windows+X and select Disk Management from the pop-up list.
open windows disk management
Step 2: Right-click on the hard drive that is marked “Unallocated” and select the (Initialize Disk) option.
how to initialize a disk step 2
Step 3: Select the partition style MBR or GPT and click OK. Choose GPT if your hard drive is 2TB or larger. Select MBR if it is less than 2TB. You may also click here for a detailed introduction to MBR and GPT.
Step 4: Once the hard disk is initialized and the status changes to Online, right-click the unallocated space, select New Simple Volume, and proceed.
create simple volume for SD card
Step 5: In the New Simple Volume Wizard, set the volume size and click (Next).
set the volume size in new simple volume wizard
Step 6: Select the drive letter for the partition and click (Next).
Step 7: Choose NTFS as the file system, keep Allocation Unit Size at default, and set the partition name in Volume Label. Select Perform a quick format, click Next, and then Finish. Click here to learn about the NTFS file system.
select file system

3. Check for driver updates

Outdated drivers may prevent your Windows 10 PC from recognizing your device. To ensure smooth operation, upgrade the hard disk driver to the latest version. Here are the steps to update the driver on Windows 10.
Step 1: Start the Windows 10 computer, connect the hard disk, and press Windows+R to open the Run window. Enter devmgmt.msc and click OK to access the Device Manager.
open device manager
Step 2: In “Disk Drives”, right-click on the new hard drive and select the (Update Driver) option.
update driver disk
Step 3: Select Search automatically for updated driver software and follow the instructions to update the hard disk driver. After the update, restart the computer to check if the problem is resolved.
update Driver Confirm
Here are solutions for the computer not recognizing the new hard disk. If important data on your hard disk is lost, use the following methods to scan and restore it.

III. Use Renee Undeleter to recover hard disk data

1. What is Renee Undeleter?

Renee Undeleter is specialized software for restoring various data files. It helps retrieve lost data when you accidentally delete important files, empty the recycle bin, or format the disk/storage. The software includes four functional modules: Fast Partition Scan, Whole Partition Scan, Whole Disk Scan, and Image Creation, providing comprehensive solutions for all possible data loss problems during system use.
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Multiple scan modes Fast partition scan, whole partition scan and whole disk scan;

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Image creation Create a partition image to read and back up data;

Supported devices SD card, SDHC, SDXC, USB flash drive, hard disk and computer.

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Multiple scan modes Fast partition/whole partition/whole disk scan;

Supported devices SD card/USB/hard disk.

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2. How to use Renee Undeleter to recover hard disk data?

Step 1: Download, install, and run Renee Undeleter. Select the (Whole Disk Scan) option on the main interface.
Note: Do not install on the disk that needs to restore data, so as not to cause data overwriting.
select whole disk scan in renee undeleter
Data Recovery Function:

  • Fast Partition Scan – Quickly retrieve files lost due to accidental deletion or emptying the recycle bin.
  • Whole Partition Scan – Recover files from inaccessible or formatted partitions.
  • Whole Disk Scan – Analyze partition information and fully scan the entire disk.
  • Image Creation – Create an image of a partition to back up its current state.
Step 2: Select the new hard disk and click (Next).
select a disk to recover in renee undeleter
Step 3: The software will analyze the new hard disk device. A prompt window may pop up asking you to select the partition you need to scan. You can select the appropriate partition or choose to scan all partitions, which will take longer. After scanning, preview the files in the preview window on the right, select the files you need to restore, and click the “Recover” button in the lower right corner to restore the selected files.
select taget files to recover with renee undeleter
Step 4: Select the target folder, click Browse to choose a different disk for saving the recovered files, and then click Recover to initiate the file recovery. Wait patiently.
recover files from whole disk scan with renee undeleter
Table of contents