Share this article

Improve this guide

Windows 10 is Not Showing Disk Drive: 6 Fixes that Really Work

Check to see if BIOS is identifying the drive

8 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

Share this article

Improve this guide

Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial teamRead more

Whenever you encounter an issue such asWindows 10 not showingdiskdrive, or you cannot find or see it underFile Explorer, there are several telltale errors that accompany it.

The Windows 10 not showingdiskdriveissue may come up after you upgrade Windows, uninstallMicrosoft Digital Image, or install or uninstall CD or DVD recording programs.

At the same time, under Device Manager, thediskdriveis also marked with a yellow exclamation point right next to it.

You’ll also get some of the errors listed in the Device Status section including:

If Windows 10 doesn’t show yourdiskdriveor detect it, try some of the solutions in this article and see whether it helps display yourdiskdriveagain.

What to do if Windows 10 won’t display disk drive?

1. Run Hardware and Devices troubleshooter

If Windows 10 is not showingdiskdrive, then run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter to resolve the issue. This checks for commonly occurring issues and ensures any new device or hardware is correctly installed on your computer.

Here’s how to go about it:

Follow the instructions to run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter. The troubleshooter will begin detecting any issues that may be causing the Windows 10 not to show disk drive problems.

Are you able to see thedisk driveagain? If not, try the next solution.

2. Check BIOS settings and chipset drivers

Confirm that the drive is activated in theBIOSsettings. If you don’t know how to do this, check with the device’s manufacturer.

Also check with the manufacturer whether the drive came with the device, or if it was separately purchased. Ask the driver’s manufacturer if the chipset drivers are current.

3. Update or reinstall drivers

There are three ways to update the drivers:

Check Windows Updates for the latest driver updates and install them

If you check Windows Updates and find that driver updates are available, install them and check if it helps fix the problem.

Follow these steps to do this:

Windows will immediately detect your system’s configuration and download appropriate drivers for it.

Important drivers you need to download after installing or upgrading to Windows 10 include chipset, video, audio, and network (Ethernet/wireless) drivers.

For laptops specifically, download also the latest Touchpad drivers.

Install drivers from the manufacturer’s website

You can also find drivers from the manufacturer’s website’s support section for your laptop type. Go to the Software and Drivers sub-section (depending on the laptop brand this name can change), or search for drivers using Google so you can get a direct link to your device’s manufacturer website.

Once you’re on the website, find and download, then install the appropriate drivers missing from your laptop that can cause Windows 10 not to show disk drive.

Install drivers from Device Manager

In case of Windows Update didn’t detect your driver, or you couldn’t get it from the manufacturer website, you can try using Device Manager on your laptop and manually install the driver using the steps below:

To reinstall the drivers, here’s what you need to do:

Once you restart, the drivers will be automatically re-installed.

Install drivers automatically with dedicated software

Another option is to use dedicated software. It is the safest and most time-saving since it will eliminate most of the above-mentioned steps.

Driver updaters such as Outbyte Driver Updater will scan your device and identify out-of-date, damaged, or missing drivers. They will install the best version available for your specific hardware.

You can set it up to do regular scans and updates so you won’t have to worry about driver issues again. The UI is very simple and easy to use, you can get started in just a few minutes.

⇒Get Outbyte Driver Updater

4. Remove and re-install IDE/ATAPI drivers

IDE/ATAPI are software development tools used to write and test programs or software. Some users said the IDE/ATAPI interface is obsolete today because newer motherboards don’t have it anymore. The interface has been replaced with Serial ATA, found on most desktops and laptops.

However, in order to remove and reinstall the IDE/ATAPI drivers on your computer, take these steps:

If you still get the Windows 10 not showingdisk driveeven after doing this, use the next solution.

5. Fix corrupted registry entries

The reason the Windows 10 not showingdisk driveissue occurs may be that there are twoWindows registryentries that have been corrupted.

Follow these steps to use your computer’s Registry Editor to remove and delete the corrupted entries:

Note: if Lower Filters doesn’t show under registry entry, use these steps:

In order to use this method, you need to have logged into Windows as an administrator.

If you want to verify that you are logged in as administrator, do the following:

Note:The steps outlined above forRegistry Editormust be followed carefully because any incorrect modifications to the registry may cause serious damage to your computer.

Before making any changes, back up the registry for restoration in case of any problems.

Sometimes, this method may cause CD/DVD recording software to have bugs or not work correctly. In case this happens, try to uninstall and reinstall the affected app, and check with its creator for an updated version.

If this method still didn’t work to resolve the Windows 10 not showingdisk driveissue, use the next solution.

6. Create registry subkey

In order to create a registry subkey, take the following steps:

In order to use this method, you need to have logged into Windows as an administrator.

If you want to verify that you are logged in as administrator, do the following:

Use this method on Windows 7, 8/8.1, or Windows 10 (version 1507). These issues are not found in Windows 10 version 1511 or later versions.

You might also be interested in reading our guide on what to do if theD drive is missing in Windows 11.

Did any of these six solutions help resolve the Windows 10 not showingdisk driveissue? Let us know in the comments section below.

Windows 10 is Not Showing Disk Drive: 6 Fixes that Really Work#

What to do if Windows 10 won’t display disk drive?#

1. Run Hardware and Devices troubleshooter#

2. Check BIOS settings and chipset drivers#

3. Update or reinstall drivers#

4. Remove and re-install IDE/ATAPI drivers#

5. Fix corrupted registry entries#

6. Create registry subkey#