"D" Drive Not Showing in Windows 10/11 | 4 Ways to Fix It

Updated by

Tracy King 

Last updated on April 19, 2024

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Introduction

"After upgrading to Windows 10, my D drive is not showing in Windows 10. I tried searching for it in File Explorer with no success. Is there any way to identify the issue and fix it?"

Many Windows users sometimes encounter the issue of D drive not showing up in Windows 10/11. They try to scour every section of Device Manager, but to no avail.

If you're dealing with the same issue, this article will help you fix the missing D drive problem easily. Let's move on and get your D drive back with the step-by-step guide below.

Why isn't Drive D displayed?

Usually, people use Disk D as a secondary hard drive to store personal files. However, it can be frustrating when your D drive disappears either on its own or after you update the operating system to Windows 11/10. When this happens, you won't be able to run any local programs or access your files.

Let's figure out what's causing the problem and how to fix it quickly?

There are three common reasons why Drive D might disappear.

1) This usually happens when you update your Windows. After installing the updates, the system uses the CD or DVD drive to install the updates. Upon restarting, its drive letter remains unchanged. Hence, you might notice the D drive missing from your system. A quick fix for this is to go to Windows Disk Management and rename the DVD drive. 2) You might observe that during an update installation, certain settings and configurations can change. The next time you attempt to boot up, you might encounter a message stating "D drive missing." This could be due to incorrect handling or other unknown factors. 3) Under incorrect operations, partitions or hard drives might vanish when we perform certain actions on them, such as resizing partitions or reformatting the hard drive. You can also correctly reformat Windows 10 using our software. Learn how to do it here.

How to fix the missing D drive?

Now that you know why the disk is not showing up in Windows 10, it's time to fix the issue with these quick and effective solutions.

Solution 1: Run Computer Management to rescan the disk

Step 1: Enter the Disk Management and open it.

Note: You can search for "Disk Management" in the search box.

Step 2: Now, click on “Actions” from the menu bar and select “Rescan Disk.”

This scan will make the system re-identify all connected drives. Now, check if Drive D: appears in File Explorer.

Solution 2: Recover partitions with Partition Master Tool

There are many tools available online that can help you recover lost partitions or drives in Windows. However, we need a powerful tool that can quickly restore data and create a new partition on the lost space. For this purpose, you can opt for the tools Partition Master. It's the best choice to assist you in any situation. Additionally, it's also the best disk wiping software. This tool not only helps you recover lost drives but also automatically repairs damaged files.

Step 1: Launch Partition Master and click “Partition Recovery”. Select the target disk which contains the lost partition and then click “Start New Scan”.

Step 2: Wait patiently while the software performs a "Quick Scan" and then a "Full Scan." In the "Status" column, it will mark your deleted partition as "Lost." Select the lost partition and click "Recover."

You can also double-click on the partition you want to search and preview its content, then click “OK” to confirm.

Step 3: Wait patiently. When the partition recovery is finished, click “Finish”.

Solution 3: Restore the system

Creating restore points on your system regularly is a very useful habit. This will help you revert your computer's functionality to a normal state. By restoring the system, you can easily reinstall your computer and in turn, locate your missing D drive.

To create a System Restore point, follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to “Start,” type in “System Restore,” and click on “System Properties.”

Step 2: Next, choose System Protection from the menu, and then select System Restore to begin the process.

Step 3: After selecting the correct restore point, click Next > Finish to undo the changes that were made.

Select the restore point you want, and click “Finish.”

Important: You cannot interrupt this process once it has started. It can take 10 to 30 minutes, and your device will restart when it's done. Make sure to save and close all your work before restarting.

You can check the missing D drive. If you still can't find it, you need to use a third-party partition recovery tool - AOMEI Partition Assistant.

Solution 4: Update your device drivers

Updating the drivers is an effective way to resolve the issue of D drive not showing up on Windows 10/11. Let's start with the process of updating device drivers:

Step 1: In the Windows search bar, type "Device Manager" and open it.

Step 2: Look for “Disk Drives,” and right-click to expand the list. Now, choose the “Update Driver” option.

Step 3: In the next window, select the option to "Search automatically for updated driver software." Your computer will now search automatically for any available driver updates.

If the tool doesn't find the driver software automatically, don't worry – you can download the driver manually from the manufacturer's website.

Step 1: You can uninstall it by right-clicking on the driver name in the Device Manager window. Now, select the Uninstall option.

Step 2: Restart your device before you reinstall the driver.

Conclusions

If you encounter the issue where Drive D is not showing up in Windows 10/11, don't worry. You can effectively and quickly resolve this problem using the solutions provided above.

Therefore, in this article, we have provided the most effective and straightforward solutions to fix this issue. With any of these four most reliable methods, you can easily restore your lost D drive without any hassle.

In complicated cases, if you still cannot get your D drive back, your only option for data recovery is to recover the lost partition. For this purpose, Partition Master tool is the most reliable method to recover the lost partition along with its data.