Is your new SSD failing to register on your Windows PC? Here’s a few troubleshooting and repair methods you can try.
Installing a new SSD should be a relatively straightforward process, but there’s a couple of nuisances you may run into. Perhaps the biggest offender is that your SSD decides to do a no-call-no-show for work that day. It’s one thing if the drive in question has some pictures and music on it, and another entirely if you’re onboarding this SSD as a boot drive for Windows 10 or 11.
Fortunately, you’re not the only person whose new SSD can’t be detected by their PC. This is a fairly common issue actually, which is what gave us the inspiration to put together this guide in the first place. Throughout, we’ll cover multiple troubleshoot and repair methods, as well as answer some frequently asked questions.Check that it’s installed properly
I know, you know what you’re doing, but just do this one for me, OK? We’ve all forgotten to plug in a SATA cable, or not quite mounted an NVMe SSD correctly. There’s no shame in it.
Step 1: If you are installing a SATA SSD, check that the SATA cable is connected properly to the drive and your motherboard, and that the drive has a SATA power connector that runs through to your power supply. If in doubt, unplug the connections and plug them in again.
If you’re installing an NVMe SSD, make sure that the slot you’re installing it in supports that size and type of drive, though older PCI Express generations should support newer ones, but at slower speeds.
Step 2: If you suspect this is the problem, you can also try mounting a drive in a different slot on the motherboard, and use a different cable in the case of SATA drives.Check your BIOS settings
It may be that your PC isn’t set up to recognize new SSDs. Checking the UEFI/BIOS can be a good way to make sure.
Step 1: Reboot or start up your PC and use your motherboard’s special key to open the UEFI/BIOS. For many, it will be F2 or Del, but it can be any range of buttons. Check your manual or the manufacturer website if you’re unsure.
Step 2: Look for a section about storage, or configuration. It will vary dramatically from BIOS to BIOS. Again, look to your manual or manufacturer website for help navigating your system’s BIOS.
