Fixing the problem of the hard drive not being recognized when installing Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11

With all the tutorials on the web, installing Windows still has its own concerns. One of the problems that users face when installing Windows is that the hard drive needs to be recognized during Windows installation, and this article is about introducing solutions to this problem.

Installing a new Windows can give the Windows hardware and software a new life. Still, in the meantime, we may see various problems, such as the hard drive needing to be recognized. This issue depends on many factors; if you need information, you can contact us to learn why you need to identify the hard drive in Windows installation. Throughout this article, which is related to the non-recognition of the hard drive in Windows installation, reasonable solutions have been mentioned in this field; by checking them, you can eliminate this problem.

Failure to recognize the hard drive in Windows installation

If you have encountered a problem while choosing the hard drive to format and the hard drive to install Windows, and the C drive is not displayed, you should know that you may be in grave danger. The non-recognition of the hard drive in the installation of Windows may be solved by a simple restart and reinstallation of Windows from the point of view of some users and even technicians. It should be investigated.

1. Check hardware connections

One of the things that may be insignificant from the users’ point of view is hardware connections. In such a situation, it is suggested that you cancel the installation of Windows and turn off your system. Then check the cable connected to the SATA hard drive; if there is no change in its connection, disconnect it once and then connect it. Doing this will clear the stored caches, and you can install Windows. If you still see that your hard drive needs to be recognized during the installation and formatting of the hard drive, use the following methods.

2. Update the hard disk drive.

Another thing that needs to be more critical in not recognizing the hard drive when installing Windows is the old hard disk drivers. When selecting the hard drive, click the Load Driver option. After clicking, you must insert the CD or USB containing the driver update and install it. There was another excellent method, and that was to update Windows drivers before installing Windows.

In such a situation, you will not have a problem with this issue, and you can quickly get rid of it by updating the drivers. In the following, there are other suitable methods that we suggest you read, which are not without grace.

3. Setting BIOS/UEFI information

When installing Windows via USB, BIOS settings are critical, and this has caused many users around the world to face this problem every year. To better check the BIOS settings of your system, it is recommended to follow the following instructions carefully:

Turn on the computer and go to the BIOS/UEFI settings by pressing one of the F2 or Del keys when Windows starts.

Enter the “Storage” or “SATA Configuration” sections.

Ensure the SATA mode is set correctly; for this, it should be set to AHCI.

Also, check other related settings, the most important of which is the Legacy/UEFI boot options.

Save the changes in the BIOS/UEFI settings, and proceed to install Windows again.

4. Problems related to partitioning

Partitioning has been used for better management and cleaning of empty spaces and for better identification and more accurate connection of the hard drive to the software sector. Another issue that users need help with when installing Windows related to not recognizing the hard drive is partitioning problems.

The user will notice this issue when he selects the C drive and realizes the hard drive is not read correctly. To solve this problem, follow the path below.

• When installing Windows, you must format the C drive to be able to install a new Windows.
• At the bottom of this section, you can click on the add drive option.
• With the addition of a new drive, you can follow the process of installing Windows in it.

It also goes without saying that before installing Windows, you can partition or optimize your hard drives through Windows Disk Management. If you don’t have any information in this field, do a simple search on our website to access related articles.

5. Checking the status of the hard disk

Suppose you have done all the above and still see the hard drive not being recognized in the Windows installation. In that case, you should know that the problem may be related to the failure of the hard drive. To check your hard disk, you must go through a critical path, which we have described below.

Be careful to avoid doing things arbitrarily because if these settings are not done correctly, they may bring new problems. To begin with, you can use auxiliary tools such as Auslogics Disk Defrag Ultimate; by installing and cracking it, you can check the status of the hard disk. But there is another method that we will refer to below:

• First, enter the RUN section of Windows by clicking the Win + R button.
• Enter devmgmt. msc in the corresponding card and click enter.
• Now, the window related to Device Manager is displayed for you; you should look for the Disk Drives option in its subcategories.
• After finding Disk Drives, click on your hard drive and enter the Properties section.
• In the Properties window, refer to the General or Driver section.

Suppose the phrase “This device is working properly” is displayed in this section. In that case, you should know that the state of your hard disk is good and there is no problem, but if you see another phrase, you should know that there are problems with your hard disk and consult a technician. Do. In such a situation, before installing Windows, it is suggested that you back up your hard drive because you may witness data deletion and even burning of your hard drive at any moment. If this happens, data recovery will be impossible.

final word

Regarding the non-recognition of the hard drive in the installation of Windows, as you have seen, important information was mentioned that all of these things will eventually solve your problems. But you are still struggling with this problem despite the mentioned solutions. In that case, you can contact us in the comments section because this problem may have occurred for other reasons you must be aware of. What do you think about this educational article? You can express your opinions or share your experiences with other site users.