Doesn't Detect

How to Fix Windows 10 doesn't Recognize USB Drive/Storage. If the problem you are experiencing has to do with your Windows 10 application not recognizing the USB drive or storage you used, follow these steps to rectify the problem. Solution 1 – Turn off Fast Startup. If replacing the cable doesn't cause the problem to cease, the issue where the hard disk is not detected lies elsewhere. The hard disk is not detected as the drive is not spinning up. This can arise when the drive is not receiving enough power to function and hence doesn't spin up. You can check for this issue by performing the following steps.

One of the best ways to boost productivity and improve your multi-tasking experience is by connecting a second monitor to your PC. In general, the process involved is straightforward and simple. However, that's not always the case. It is possible for Windows 10 to fail to detect your second monitor. So, despite having a good connection between your computer and external display, you might see error messages.

So, why doesn't Windows 10 detect second monitor? Well, in this article, we will answer that and even provide you with the proper resolutions. There are many things you can do to fix this problem, including manually detecting the monitor, hardware troubleshooting, and updating your drivers.

Using Hardware Troubleshooting Techniques

In most cases, Windows 10 can't detect the second monitor because of software issues. However, it is still possible that a connection problem is preventing you from using your other monitor. So, before you try updating your drivers or before you modify your device settings, we suggest performing these hardware troubleshooting steps:

• Make sure that the physical cable connection from the display to the video port on your laptop, PC, or tablet has no issues.
• It is possible that the problem is caused by a bad pin or cable in the connector. So, it is advisable to try a different cable and see if this fixes the issue.
• If your monitor has multiple inputs, ensure that you selected the correct one.
• Are you using a high-definition display as your second monitor? Try updating its firmware to resolve compatibility issues and bugs. If this is the case, visit the manufacturer support website of your display to learn how to acquire the latest firmware update.
• The issue may have something to do with the output port on your device or the input port in the monitor. Try switching ports to check if that resolves the problem connecting to the second monitor.
• Restart your PC to check if that fixes the issue.
• Try connecting your second display to a different device. If it still doesn't work, then the problem is with the display itself.

If you've tried all the troubleshooting steps above and your external monitor still does not work on Windows 10, it is time to try the advanced solutions. We will teach you how to fix second monitor is not enabled in the display settings and other practical and easy-to-follow methods.

Method 1: Using the Settings app

If there are no problems with the physical connection, then you must get Windows to manually detect your external monitor. You can do this by using the Settings app.

How to Force your System to Detect your Second Display

1. On your keyboard, press Windows Key+S.
2. Type 'Settings' (no quotes), then press Enter.
3. Click System.
4. Go to the left-pane menu, then click Display.
5. Under the Multiple Display section, click the Detect button.

How to Connect to a Wireless Display

If you're trying to connect to an external wireless display, follow the steps below:

1. Press Windows Key+S on your keyboard.
2. Type 'Settings' (no quotes), then hit Enter.
3. Select Bluetooth & Other Devices.
4. Click the ‘Add Bluetooth & other devices' button.
5. Select the ‘Wireless display or dock' option.
6. Make sure that you have a discoverable wireless display.
7. Choose the display from the list.
8. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Method 2: Updating your Graphics Drivers

In some cases, Windows 10 cannot detect the external monitor because of corrupted, outdated, or incompatible graphics drivers. So, we recommend updating or reinstalling your drivers. You can do this manually, but it is more convenient to use a trusted tool like Auslogics Driver Updater. Keep in mind that updating your drivers is a tedious process. If you do not have the patience to manually look for the correct drivers, it is best to use Auslogics Driver Updater.

Resolve PC Issues with Driver Updater

Unstable PC performance is often caused by outdated or corrupt drivers. Auslogics Driver Updater diagnoses driver issues and lets you update old drivers all at once or one at a time to get your PC running smoother

If you want to update your graphics drivers manually, you can do so through Device Manager. Here are the steps:

1. Go to your taskbar and right-click the Windows icon.
2. Select Device Manager from the list.
3. Once Device Manager is up, look for the Display Adapters category. Expand its contents.
4. Right-click the device, then choose Update Driver.
5. Click the ‘Search automatically for updated driver software' option.

After following the steps above, restart your PC and check if your system now detects the external monitor. On the other hand, you can opt to reinstall your graphics drivers. Just follow these instructions:

1. On your keyboard, press Windows Key+X.
2. From the list, select Device Manager.
3. Go to the Device Manager category and expand its contents.
4. Right-click the device, then select Uninstall Device.
5. Click Uninstall again, but make sure that the ‘Delete the driver software from this device' is not selected.
6. Restart your PC.
7. Repeat the first two steps to open Device Manager.
8. Right-click your device's name, then select Scan for Hardware Changes.

Restarting your computer should prompt your system to reinstall the drivers automatically. However, it is ideal to go through the additional steps to ensure that the video card has been detected properly. Otherwise, you would need to go to the manufacturer's website and look for the correct and compatible drivers. Keep in mind that if you install the incorrect drivers, your computer might suffer from system instability issues. So, why risk it when you can automate the process, using Auslogics Driver Updater?

Method 3: Using Previous Versions of your Graphics Drivers

It is possible that the problem has something to do with the newer driver you recently installed. If you see a yellow exclamation mark in the adapter, we recommend rolling the driver back to its previous version. Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Press Windows Key+X on your keyboard.
2. Select Device Manager from the options.
3. Look for Display Adapters and expand its contents.
4. Right-click the device, then choose Properties.
5. Go to the Driver tab.
6. Click Roll Back Driver.

Note: You cannot use the Roll Back Driver button if it is grayed out. On the other hand, you can go to your device manufacturer's support website and download the earlier versions of your drivers.

1. Provide the reason why you want to return to an older version of the driver.
2. Click Yes.

Do you think there are easier ways to resolve this problem?

Share your ideas in the comments below!

Don't worry if the second hard drive doesn't show up or appear in Windows 10 File Explorer, Disk Management or even BIOS. Reliable solutions with EaseUS hard drive data recovery software will help you resolve the Windows 10 doesn't recognize or detect the second hard drive error without losing any data.

Quick Fix for Second Hard Drive Not Detected In Windows 10:

1. 1. Go to Search, type device manager, and press Enter.
2. 2. Expand Disk drives, find the second disk drive, right-click on it, and go to Update driver software.
3. 3. Follow further updates instructions and your hard disk drive will be updated.
4. 4. You can also go to Settings > Update and check if overall updates offer something for your hard drive.

To fix the Windows 10 doesn't recognize or detecting the second hard drive problem, click the four quick accesses below to start.

Note that those fixes also work to fix hard drive not recognized issue in Windows 8.1/8/7, and even older Windows OS.

My Second Hard Drive Doesn't Show up in Windows 10

'Hi guys, does anyone of you know how to make the second hard drive to show up in Windows? I added a second hard drive to my computer about a month ago, and my computer became much faster. Everything went so well until this morning.

I started my computer, but the second hard drive didn't show up in File Explorer. Then I checked the Disk Management. Still, nothing was there. I saved a lot of important data on the second hard drive. How can I make it to show up? If you happen to have a solution, please let me know.'

To resolve this issue, you'll need to diagnose the exact reason that causes your second hard drive undetectable. Follow this page, you'll find reliable methods and tools to effectively fix a hard drive or second hard drive that's not showing up in Windows error on your own.

Diagnose and Fix Unrecognized Second Hard Drive in Windows 10

This part is intended to help you diagnose the causes of undetectable second hard drive and offer you solutions to make it show up again.

Quick Fix: Reconnect and Re-install the 2nd Hard Drive

When your hard drive is disappeared from File Explorer or Disk Management, check on the hard drive power cable and SATA cable first.

Step 1: Take out the hard drive from your computer with a screwdriver.

Step 2: Check if the hard drive connection is loosened.

If yes, unplug and re-plug the hard drive from the computer case. If the cables are damaged, change the SATA/ATA cable and the power wire, reconnect the drive to the PC.

Step 3: Put the computer case back on and restart the PC, check if your hard drive shows up.

If Windows detects the second drive, you can stop here. You may also interested in How to Partition a Hard Drive.

But if the disk still not shows up in Windows File Explorer nor Disk Management, continue with the following phrases.

Phase 1. Check and Make Second Hard Drive Detectable in BIOS

Applies to: Fix Windows not recognizing hard drive in BIOS error.

Step 1: Restart PC and press F2 to enter BIOS.

Step 2: Enter Boot Menu to check if the second hard drive is detected.

Step 3: Try the below tips if the second hard drive doesn't show up:

First, enter the Setup section, under System Setup, check the state of the second hard drive.

Next, if the System Setup option is Off, turn it ON. Save the changes.

Remember to restart the PC each time to check if the second disk shows in BIOS. If the hard drive still doesn't show up, it's probably having a physical issue. The best way is to take to a local after-sales service center of the hard drive manufacturer or a device repair center to ask for device repair assistance.

If the second hard drive shows up in BIOS as the following image, move on to the next guide check the state of the problematic hard drive in Disk Management.

Phase 2. Check the State of Second Hard Drive and Update Driver in Device Manager

Works to: Fix Windows 10 doesn't recognize the second hard drive issue due to outdated drive driver.

Step 1: Go to Search, type device manager, and press Enter.

Step 2: Click Device Manager and expand 'Disk drives'.

Step 3: Locate and check the state of the second hard drive.

If it's covered by a yellow exclamation mark as shown below, update the disk driver.

Step 3: Right-click the second hard drive that is not detectable and select 'Update driver'.

Step 4: Click 'Automatically search for driver software online' and wait for the process to complete.

When the process finishes, restart your PC and check the disk again in the Device Manager. It will display as a normal disk by then and now you can move to Phase 3 continue fixing this issue.

If Windows doesn't find a new driver for your hard drive, you can try to find one on the device manufacturer's website and let them help you complete the driver update process.

Phase 3. Scan and Restore Saved Data from the Second Hard Drive

Mainly for: Data protection on a problematic hard drive that is not correctly recognized by Windows.

If your second hard drive is a new device, you can skip this phase and move to Phase 4 to make it detectable again.

However, if you saved important data in the second hard drive, you're highly recommended to extract saved data in advance. Professional hard drive recovery software like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard will fully scan the second hard drive and find all saved data for you.

You can follow the guidelines below to restore all saved data from the hard drive with ease now:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS hard drive recovery software.

Run EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard on your PC and select the drive on your hard disk where you lost or deleted files. Click 'Scan' and let this program scan all lost data and files on the selected hard drive.

Step 2. Check and preview all lost hard drive data.

Find lost hard drive data from 'Deleted Files', 'Lost Files' or use 'Filter' to quickly navigate the lost data. Check and double-click to preview these found files.

Step 3. Restore lost hard drive data to a safe location.

Select wanted files that you lost on the drive and click 'Recover' to save them. Choose a safe location on your PC or other external storage devices to save these restored hard drive data.

Remember to save the data to another secure device, an external hard drive is preferable. Now, you can move to the last phrase and get rid of this issue from your device, making the hard drive detectable and working again.

Phase 4. Check the State of Second Hard Drive in Disk Management and Make It Detectable

Applies to: Fix Windows 10 not detecting second hard drive due to logical errors, such as RAW, unallocated, no media, etc.

If your disk shows up properly in BIOS and Device Manager, but Windows cannot detect or recognize it properly, it's highly possible with the following four errors:

• RAW error
• Device not initialized or shows unallocated
• The second hard drive shows No Media

Open the Windows Disk Management and check the display state of the second hard drive. Then you can follow the right fix below to make the second hard drive show up.

# 1. Hard Drive Shows RAW - Format RAW Drive to NTFS

If the hard drive shows as Online, but the partition display as RAW, you can format the partition to NTFS.

Step 1: Right-click on This PC/My Computer, select 'Manage'.

Step 2: Click 'Disk Management', locate and right-click the RAW partition of the not recognizing hard drive, then choose 'Format'.

Step 3: Select NTFS as the file system for the partition and click 'OK' to confirm.

# 2. Hard Drive Shows Not Initialized + Unallocated

If the hard drive shows as a not initialized or unknown drive, don't worry.

You can directly apply Windows partition manager software - EaseUS Partition Master with its Initialize to MBR or Initialize to GPT feature to make the hard drive show up now:

Step 1: Launch EaseUS Partition Master on your PC.

Step 2: Right-click the target hard drive and select 'Initialize to MBR' or 'Initialize to GPT' accordingly.

Fig 1. Initialize to MBR:

Fig 2. Initialize to GPT:

Step 3: Apply the operation

A pending operation of initializing disk to MBR or GPT disk will be added. Execute the operation and click 'Apply'.

Step 4: Right-click on the unallocated space on your hard drive and select 'Create'.

Step 5: Adjust the new partition size, file system, label, etc.

Set the size, partition label, drive letter, file system to NTFS, etc. for the new partition and click 'OK' to continue.

1. On your keyboard, press Windows Key+S.
2. Type 'Settings' (no quotes), then press Enter.
3. Click System.
4. Go to the left-pane menu, then click Display.
5. Under the Multiple Display section, click the Detect button.

How to Connect to a Wireless Display

If you're trying to connect to an external wireless display, follow the steps below:

1. Press Windows Key+S on your keyboard.
2. Type 'Settings' (no quotes), then hit Enter.
3. Select Bluetooth & Other Devices.
4. Click the ‘Add Bluetooth & other devices' button.
5. Select the ‘Wireless display or dock' option.
6. Make sure that you have a discoverable wireless display.
7. Choose the display from the list.
8. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Method 2: Updating your Graphics Drivers

In some cases, Windows 10 cannot detect the external monitor because of corrupted, outdated, or incompatible graphics drivers. So, we recommend updating or reinstalling your drivers. You can do this manually, but it is more convenient to use a trusted tool like Auslogics Driver Updater. Keep in mind that updating your drivers is a tedious process. If you do not have the patience to manually look for the correct drivers, it is best to use Auslogics Driver Updater.

Resolve PC Issues with Driver Updater

Unstable PC performance is often caused by outdated or corrupt drivers. Auslogics Driver Updater diagnoses driver issues and lets you update old drivers all at once or one at a time to get your PC running smoother

If you want to update your graphics drivers manually, you can do so through Device Manager. Here are the steps:

1. Go to your taskbar and right-click the Windows icon.
2. Select Device Manager from the list.
3. Once Device Manager is up, look for the Display Adapters category. Expand its contents.
4. Right-click the device, then choose Update Driver.
5. Click the ‘Search automatically for updated driver software' option.

After following the steps above, restart your PC and check if your system now detects the external monitor. On the other hand, you can opt to reinstall your graphics drivers. Just follow these instructions:

1. On your keyboard, press Windows Key+X.
2. From the list, select Device Manager.
3. Go to the Device Manager category and expand its contents.
4. Right-click the device, then select Uninstall Device.
5. Click Uninstall again, but make sure that the ‘Delete the driver software from this device' is not selected.
6. Restart your PC.
7. Repeat the first two steps to open Device Manager.
8. Right-click your device's name, then select Scan for Hardware Changes.

Restarting your computer should prompt your system to reinstall the drivers automatically. However, it is ideal to go through the additional steps to ensure that the video card has been detected properly. Otherwise, you would need to go to the manufacturer's website and look for the correct and compatible drivers. Keep in mind that if you install the incorrect drivers, your computer might suffer from system instability issues. So, why risk it when you can automate the process, using Auslogics Driver Updater?

Method 3: Using Previous Versions of your Graphics Drivers

It is possible that the problem has something to do with the newer driver you recently installed. If you see a yellow exclamation mark in the adapter, we recommend rolling the driver back to its previous version. Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Press Windows Key+X on your keyboard.
2. Select Device Manager from the options.
3. Look for Display Adapters and expand its contents.
4. Right-click the device, then choose Properties.
5. Go to the Driver tab.
6. Click Roll Back Driver.

Note: You cannot use the Roll Back Driver button if it is grayed out. On the other hand, you can go to your device manufacturer's support website and download the earlier versions of your drivers.

1. Provide the reason why you want to return to an older version of the driver.
2. Click Yes.

Do you think there are easier ways to resolve this problem?

Share your ideas in the comments below!

Don't worry if the second hard drive doesn't show up or appear in Windows 10 File Explorer, Disk Management or even BIOS. Reliable solutions with EaseUS hard drive data recovery software will help you resolve the Windows 10 doesn't recognize or detect the second hard drive error without losing any data.

Quick Fix for Second Hard Drive Not Detected In Windows 10:

1. 1. Go to Search, type device manager, and press Enter.
2. 2. Expand Disk drives, find the second disk drive, right-click on it, and go to Update driver software.
3. 3. Follow further updates instructions and your hard disk drive will be updated.
4. 4. You can also go to Settings > Update and check if overall updates offer something for your hard drive.

To fix the Windows 10 doesn't recognize or detecting the second hard drive problem, click the four quick accesses below to start.

Note that those fixes also work to fix hard drive not recognized issue in Windows 8.1/8/7, and even older Windows OS.

My Second Hard Drive Doesn't Show up in Windows 10

'Hi guys, does anyone of you know how to make the second hard drive to show up in Windows? I added a second hard drive to my computer about a month ago, and my computer became much faster. Everything went so well until this morning.

I started my computer, but the second hard drive didn't show up in File Explorer. Then I checked the Disk Management. Still, nothing was there. I saved a lot of important data on the second hard drive. How can I make it to show up? If you happen to have a solution, please let me know.'

To resolve this issue, you'll need to diagnose the exact reason that causes your second hard drive undetectable. Follow this page, you'll find reliable methods and tools to effectively fix a hard drive or second hard drive that's not showing up in Windows error on your own.

Diagnose and Fix Unrecognized Second Hard Drive in Windows 10

This part is intended to help you diagnose the causes of undetectable second hard drive and offer you solutions to make it show up again.

Quick Fix: Reconnect and Re-install the 2nd Hard Drive

When your hard drive is disappeared from File Explorer or Disk Management, check on the hard drive power cable and SATA cable first.

Step 1: Take out the hard drive from your computer with a screwdriver.

Step 2: Check if the hard drive connection is loosened.

If yes, unplug and re-plug the hard drive from the computer case. If the cables are damaged, change the SATA/ATA cable and the power wire, reconnect the drive to the PC.

Step 3: Put the computer case back on and restart the PC, check if your hard drive shows up.

If Windows detects the second drive, you can stop here. You may also interested in How to Partition a Hard Drive.

But if the disk still not shows up in Windows File Explorer nor Disk Management, continue with the following phrases.

Phase 1. Check and Make Second Hard Drive Detectable in BIOS

Applies to: Fix Windows not recognizing hard drive in BIOS error.

Step 1: Restart PC and press F2 to enter BIOS.

Step 2: Enter Boot Menu to check if the second hard drive is detected.

Step 3: Try the below tips if the second hard drive doesn't show up:

First, enter the Setup section, under System Setup, check the state of the second hard drive.

Next, if the System Setup option is Off, turn it ON. Save the changes.

Remember to restart the PC each time to check if the second disk shows in BIOS. If the hard drive still doesn't show up, it's probably having a physical issue. The best way is to take to a local after-sales service center of the hard drive manufacturer or a device repair center to ask for device repair assistance.

If the second hard drive shows up in BIOS as the following image, move on to the next guide check the state of the problematic hard drive in Disk Management.

Phase 2. Check the State of Second Hard Drive and Update Driver in Device Manager

Works to: Fix Windows 10 doesn't recognize the second hard drive issue due to outdated drive driver.

Step 1: Go to Search, type device manager, and press Enter.

Step 2: Click Device Manager and expand 'Disk drives'.

Step 3: Locate and check the state of the second hard drive.

If it's covered by a yellow exclamation mark as shown below, update the disk driver.

Step 3: Right-click the second hard drive that is not detectable and select 'Update driver'.

Step 4: Click 'Automatically search for driver software online' and wait for the process to complete.

When the process finishes, restart your PC and check the disk again in the Device Manager. It will display as a normal disk by then and now you can move to Phase 3 continue fixing this issue.

If Windows doesn't find a new driver for your hard drive, you can try to find one on the device manufacturer's website and let them help you complete the driver update process.

Phase 3. Scan and Restore Saved Data from the Second Hard Drive

Mainly for: Data protection on a problematic hard drive that is not correctly recognized by Windows.

If your second hard drive is a new device, you can skip this phase and move to Phase 4 to make it detectable again.

However, if you saved important data in the second hard drive, you're highly recommended to extract saved data in advance. Professional hard drive recovery software like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard will fully scan the second hard drive and find all saved data for you.

You can follow the guidelines below to restore all saved data from the hard drive with ease now:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS hard drive recovery software.

Run EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard on your PC and select the drive on your hard disk where you lost or deleted files. Click 'Scan' and let this program scan all lost data and files on the selected hard drive.

Step 2. Check and preview all lost hard drive data.

Find lost hard drive data from 'Deleted Files', 'Lost Files' or use 'Filter' to quickly navigate the lost data. Check and double-click to preview these found files.

Step 3. Restore lost hard drive data to a safe location.

Select wanted files that you lost on the drive and click 'Recover' to save them. Choose a safe location on your PC or other external storage devices to save these restored hard drive data.

Remember to save the data to another secure device, an external hard drive is preferable. Now, you can move to the last phrase and get rid of this issue from your device, making the hard drive detectable and working again.

Phase 4. Check the State of Second Hard Drive in Disk Management and Make It Detectable

Applies to: Fix Windows 10 not detecting second hard drive due to logical errors, such as RAW, unallocated, no media, etc.

If your disk shows up properly in BIOS and Device Manager, but Windows cannot detect or recognize it properly, it's highly possible with the following four errors:

• RAW error
• Device not initialized or shows unallocated
• The second hard drive shows No Media

Open the Windows Disk Management and check the display state of the second hard drive. Then you can follow the right fix below to make the second hard drive show up.

# 1. Hard Drive Shows RAW - Format RAW Drive to NTFS

If the hard drive shows as Online, but the partition display as RAW, you can format the partition to NTFS.

Step 1: Right-click on This PC/My Computer, select 'Manage'.

Step 2: Click 'Disk Management', locate and right-click the RAW partition of the not recognizing hard drive, then choose 'Format'.

Step 3: Select NTFS as the file system for the partition and click 'OK' to confirm.

# 2. Hard Drive Shows Not Initialized + Unallocated

If the hard drive shows as a not initialized or unknown drive, don't worry.

You can directly apply Windows partition manager software - EaseUS Partition Master with its Initialize to MBR or Initialize to GPT feature to make the hard drive show up now:

Step 1: Launch EaseUS Partition Master on your PC.

Step 2: Right-click the target hard drive and select 'Initialize to MBR' or 'Initialize to GPT' accordingly.

Fig 1. Initialize to MBR:

Fig 2. Initialize to GPT:

Step 3: Apply the operation

A pending operation of initializing disk to MBR or GPT disk will be added. Execute the operation and click 'Apply'.

Step 4: Right-click on the unallocated space on your hard drive and select 'Create'.

Step 5: Adjust the new partition size, file system, label, etc.

Set the size, partition label, drive letter, file system to NTFS, etc. for the new partition and click 'OK' to continue.

Step 6: Click on the 'Execute Operation' button and confirm to create a new partition by clicking 'Apply'.

Repeat the partition creation process (from Step 4 to Step 6) if you plan to create more than one partition on the second hard drive.

After following the whole process, now you can make use of the second hard drive in Windows 10 to save data again.

# 3. Hard Drive Displays as NO Media - Update Driver, Take It to Device Repair Center

If the second hard drive shows as 'No Media' in Disk Management, you'll have two choices:

• 1st. Go back to Phrase 2 and update the device driver.
• 2nd. Take the hard drive out of your computer, and send it to a local device repair center for repair.

Wrapping UP

On this page, we presented the complete process of how to check and fix a not detecting hard drive on Windows 10. These methods can be applied to fix Windows not detecting or not recognizing hard drive or second hard drive on all Windows OS.

Generally, your hard drive is not detected in Windows 10 is probably because of a driver issue, connection issue, or faulty BIOS settings. Connection issues can be from a faulty USB port a cable, it might be outdated. And incorrect BIOS settings mean the new hard drive is disabled in BIOS.

To make the hard drive or the second hard drive detectable. Here are some tips for you to follow:

Windows Doesn't Recognize Usb Drive

1. 1. Make sure the hard drive is correctly connected to PC via its power cable and SATA cable.
2. 2. Make sure the second hard drive is Enabled or turned on in BIOS.
3. 3. Regularly update the hard drive driver, especially when you install a new hard drive on Windows PC.
4. 4. Partition or create partitions on the hard drive with a recognizable or supported file system - NTFS.