Troubleshooting Disk Management

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Applies To: Windows 10, Windows eight.1, Windows 7, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012

This topic lists a few common issues you may encounter when using Disk Management and troubleshooting steps to try.

Tip

If y'all get an error or something doesn't work when post-obit these procedures - don't panic! This topic is simply the first thing to attempt; there's also a ton of info on the Microsoft customs site in the Files, folders, and storage section virtually the broad variety of hardware and software configurations you might be dealing with. If you still need aid, post a question there, or Contact Microsoft Support or the manufacturer of your hardware.

How to open up Disk Management

Before nosotros launch into the tricky stuff, here'south an like shooting fish in a barrel way to go to Disk Management in case you're non there already:

  1. Type Estimator Management in the search box on the taskbar, select and concord (or right-click) Computer Management, and so select Run as administrator > Yes.
  2. After Computer Management opens, go to Storage > Disk Direction.

Disks that are missing or non initialized, plus general troubleshooting steps

Disk Management showing an unknown disk that must be initialized.

Cause: If you have a disk that doesn't appear in File Explorer and is listed in Disk Management equally Not Initialized, it could be because the disk doesn't take a valid disk signature. Basically this means that the disk has never been initialized and formatted, or the bulldoze formatting has become corrupted somehow.

It'due south also possible that the deejay is having hardware problems or problems plugging in, simply nosotros'll get to that in a few paragraphs.

Solution:  If the drive is brand new and just needs to be initialized, erasing any data on it, the solution is easy - see Initialize New Disks. Yet, there's a good chance yous've already tried this, and it didn't work. Or peradventure you have a disk full of important files, and y'all don't want to erase the disk by initializing information technology.

There are a bunch of reasons a disk or memory card might exist missing or fail to initialize, with a mutual reason being considering the disk is failing. There's simply so much yous tin can practice to prepare a failing disk, but here are some steps to try to see if nosotros tin go it working again. If the disk works later on one of these steps, don't carp with the next steps, just kick back, celebrate, and maybe update your backups.

  1. Look at the disk in Deejay Management. If it appears Offline as shown here, try right-clicking it and selecting Online.

    Disk shown as offline

  2. If the disk appears in Disk Management as Online, and has a primary segmentation that's listed every bit Healthy, as shown here, that'southward a good sign.

    Disk shown as online with a healthy volume

    • If a sectionalization has a file system, simply no drive letter (for example, E:), see Change a bulldoze letter to add a bulldoze letter manually.
    • If a sectionalisation doesn't have a file system (it's listed as RAW instead of NTFS, ReFS, FAT32, or exFAT) and you know that the disk is empty, select and concur (or right-click) the sectionalization and select Format. Formatting a deejay erases all data on it, so don't do this if you're trying to recover files from the disk - instead, skip ahead to the adjacent pace.
    • If the partition is listed as Unallocated and yous know that the partition is empty, select and hold (or right-click) the unallocated partition and and so select New Elementary Book and follow the instructions to create a volume in the gratis space. Don't do this if you're trying to recover files from this partition - instead, skip alee to the side by side step.

    Annotation

    Ignore any partitions that are listed every bit EFI System Partition or Recovery Partition. These partitions are full of really important files your PC needs to operate properly. It's best to just leave them alone to practise their jobs starting your PC and helping you lot recover from problems.

  3. If you take an external disk that's not showing upward, unplug the disk, plug it back in, and and then select Action > Rescan Disks.

  4. Close downward your PC, turn off your external hard disk (if it's an external disk with a ability cord), and then turn your PC and the deejay dorsum on. To turn off your PC in Windows x, select the Start button, select the Power push button, and and so select Shut down.

  5. Plug the disk into a different USB port that's straight on your PC (non on a hub). Sometimes USB disks don't get enough power from some ports, or take other issues with particular ports. This is especially common with USB hubs, just sometimes there are differences between ports on a PC, so try a few different ports if you have them.

  6. Effort a different cablevision. Information technology might sound crazy, only cables fail a lot, so endeavour using a different cable to plug the disk in. If you lot have an internal disk in a desktop PC, you'll probably need to shut your PC downward before switching cables - see your PC's manual for details.

  7. Check Device Managing director for problems. Select and hold (or correct-click) the Beginning button, and then select Device Manager from the context menu. Expect for any devices with an exclamation point next to it or other issues, double-click the device and so read its condition.

    Here'due south a listing of Error codes in Device Manager, just one arroyo that sometimes works is to select and hold (or correct-click) the problematic device, select Uninstall device, so Activity > Scan for hardware changes.

    Device Manager showing an unknown USB device

  8. Plug the disk into a dissimilar PC.

    If the disk doesn't work on some other PC, it'south a practiced sign that in that location'due south something bad going on with the disk, and not your PC. No fun, we know. Search for and ask for assistance at the Microsoft customs site, or contact your disk manufacturer or Microsoft Support.

    If you just can't go information technology working, there are also apps that can effort to recover data from a failing deejay, or if the files are actually important, you can pay a data recovery lab to effort to recover them. If you find something that works for you, let us know in the comments section below.

Of import

Disks fail pretty often, so it's important to regularly fill-in any files yous care virtually. If you have a disk that sometimes doesn't appear or gives errors, consider this a reminder to double-cheque your backup methods. It'southward OK if yous're a little backside - we've all been at that place. The best fill-in solution is one you lot utilise, so we encourage you lot to find ane that works for yous and stick with information technology.

Tip

For info on how to utilize apps built into Windows to fill-in files to an external drive such every bit a USB bulldoze, see Back up and restore your files. You lot can also salve files in Microsoft OneDrive, which syncs files from your PC to the cloud. If your hard disk drive fails, you'll still exist able to go any files you store in OneDrive from OneDrive.com. For more info, see OneDrive on your PC.

A basic or dynamic disk's status is Unreadable

Cause: The bones or dynamic disk is not accessible and might take experienced hardware failure, abuse, or I/O errors. The disk'due south copy of the system'south deejay configuration database might be corrupted. An error icon appears on disks that display the Unreadable status.

Disks might likewise display the Unreadable status while they are spinning upwardly or when Disk Management is rescanning all of the disks on the system. In some cases, an unreadable disk has failed and is not recoverable. For dynamic disks, the Unreadable status usually results from abuse or I/O errors on role of the deejay, rather than failure of the entire deejay.

Solution: Rescan the disks or restart the reckoner to run across if the disk status changes. Likewise try the troubleshooting steps described in A disk'southward condition is Non Initialized or the disk is missing entirely.

A dynamic disk's status is Foreign

Cause: The Foreign status occurs when you motion a dynamic disk to the local computer from another calculator PC. A warning icon appears on disks that brandish the Strange status.

In some cases, a disk that was previously connected to the arrangement can display the Foreign condition. Configuration data for dynamic disks is stored on all dynamic disks, so the data about which disks are owned by the system is lost when all dynamic disks fail.

Solution: Add the disk to your computer's system configuration and so that you can access data on the disk. To add a disk to your computer's arrangement configuration, import the strange disk (select and agree (or right-click) the disk and so click Import Foreign Disks). Any existing volumes on the foreign disk become visible and accessible when you import the deejay.

A dynamic deejay'south status is Online (Errors)

Crusade: The dynamic disk has I/O errors on a region of the disk. A alarm icon appears on the dynamic disk with errors.

Solution:  If the I/O errors are temporary, reactivate the disk to return it to Online status.

A dynamic deejay's status is Offline or Missing

Crusade: An Offline dynamic disk might be corrupted or intermittently unavailable. An error icon appears on the offline dynamic disk.

If the disk condition is Offline and the disk'southward name changes to Missing, the disk was recently available on the system merely can no longer be located or identified. The missing disk may be corrupted, powered down, or disconnected.

Solution: To bring a deejay that is Offline and Missing back online:

  1. Repair any disk, controller, or cablevision issues.
  2. Make sure that the concrete deejay is turned on, plugged in, and attached to the estimator.
  3. Adjacent, use the Reactivate Disk command to bring the disk back online.
  4. Try the troubleshooting steps described in A disk's condition is Non Initialized or the disk is missing entirely.
  5. If the deejay condition remains Offline and the disk name remains Missing, and you lot make up one's mind that the deejay has a problem that cannot be repaired, you can remove the disk from the organisation by selecting and holding (or right-clicking) the disk so clicking Remove Disk). However, before you can remove the disk, you must delete all volumes (or mirrors) on the disk. Y'all can salve any mirrored volumes on the disk by removing the mirror instead of the entire volume. Deleting a book destroys the data in the volume, then you should remove a disk only if you are absolutely certain that the disk is permanently damaged and unusable.

To bring a disk that is Offline and is even so named Disk # (not Missing) back online, endeavour one or more of the following procedures:

  1. In Disk Management, select and hold (or right-click) the disk and then click Reactivate Deejay to bring the disk back online. If the disk status remains Offline, check the cables and deejay controller, and make sure that the physical disk is good for you. Correct any problems and try to reactivate the disk again. If the disk reactivation succeeds, whatsoever volumes on the disk should automatically return to the Salubrious condition.

  2. In Consequence Viewer, check the event logs for any disk-related errors such every bit "No good config copies". If the event logs comprise this error, contact Microsoft Product Support Services.

  3. Try moving the deejay to another computer. If y'all can get the disk to become Online on some other figurer, the problem is near likely due to the configuration of the figurer on which the disk does not go Online.

  4. Try moving the disk to another computer that has dynamic disks. Import the disk on that computer and so movement the deejay back to the calculator on which information technology would not get Online.

A basic or dynamic volume'due south condition is Failed

Cause:  The basic or dynamic book cannot be started automatically, the deejay is damaged, or the file system is corrupt. Unless the disk or file system tin can exist repaired, the Failed status indicates data loss.

Solution:

If the volume is a bones volume with Failed status:

  • Brand certain that the underlying physical disk is turned on, plugged in, and attached to the computer.
  • Endeavor the troubleshooting steps described in A disk'due south status is Non Initialized or the disk is missing entirely.

If the volume is a dynamic volume with Failed status:

  • Make certain the underlying disks are online. If non, render the disks to the Online status. If this succeeds, the volume automatically restarts and returns to the Salubrious status. If the dynamic deejay returns to the Online status, but the dynamic book does non return to the Healthy status, you can reactivate the volume manually.
  • If the dynamic book is a mirrored or RAID-5 volume with old data, bringing the underlying disk online will not automatically restart the book. If the disks that comprise current data are disconnected, bring those disks online first (to allow the information to become synchronized). Otherwise, restart the mirrored or RAID-5 volume manually, and so run the Fault-checking tool or Chkdsk.exe.
  • Try the troubleshooting steps described in A disk'southward status is Not Initialized or the deejay is missing entirely.

A basic or dynamic volume's status is Unknown

Cause:  The Unknown status occurs when the kick sector for the volume is corrupted (perhaps due to a virus) and you tin can no longer admission data on the volume. The Unknown condition also occurs when yous install a new disk simply do not successfully complete the wizard to create a disk signature.

Solution  Initialize the disk. For instructions, come across Initialize New Disks.

A dynamic volume'due south condition is Data Incomplete

Cause: You moved some, merely non all of the disks in a multi-disk volume. Data on this volume volition exist destroyed unless you move and import the remaining disks that comprise this volume.

Solution:

  1. Movement all the disks that contain the multi-disk volume to the estimator.
  2. Import the disks. For instructions describing how to move and import disks, see Motion Disks to Another Computer.

If you no longer crave the multi-disk book, you lot can import the disk and create new volumes on it. To exercise so:

  1. Select and hold (or right-click) the volume with Failed or Failed Back-up status so click Delete Book.
  2. Select and hold (or right-click) the deejay and then click New Book.

A dynamic volume's status is Healthy (At Gamble)

Cause:  Indicates that the dynamic book is currently accessible, but I/O errors take been detected on the underlying dynamic disk. If an I/O error is detected on any part of a dynamic disk, all volumes on the disk display the Salubrious (At Risk) condition and a warning icon appears on the volume.

When the volume status is Healthy (At Risk), an underlying deejay'southward status is usually Online (Errors).

Solution:

  1. Return the underlying disk to the Online status. One time the disk is returned to Online status, the book should render to the Healthy condition. If the Healthy (At Risk) condition persists, the disk might be failing.

  2. Back up the data and supplant the deejay every bit soon as possible.

Cannot manage striped volumes using Disk Management or DiskPart

Cause:  Some non-Microsoft deejay direction products supersede Microsoft Logical Disk Manager (LDM) for advanced deejay management, which can disable the LDM.

Solution:  If you are using non-Microsoft disk management software that has disabled LDM, you must contact the vendor on the non-Microsoft disk management software for back up or assistance in troubleshooting problems with the deejay configuration.

Disk Management cannot start the Virtual Disk Service

Cause:  If a remote computer does non support the Virtual Disk Service (VDS) or if yous cannot constitute a connection to the remote computer considering information technology is blocked by Windows Firewall, you may receive this error.

Solution:

  1. If the remote estimator supports VDS, y'all can configure Windows Defender Firewall to let VDS connections. If the remote computer does not back up VDS, you can apply Remote Desktop Connection to connect to it and then run Deejay Management directly on the remote computer.
  2. To manage disks on remote computers that do support VDS, you lot must configure the Windows Defender Firewall on both the local computer (on which you are running Deejay Management) and the remote computer.
  3. On the local reckoner, configure Windows Defender Firewall to enable the Remote Volume Direction Exception.

Note

The Remote Volume Direction Exception includes exceptions for Vds.exe, Vdsldr.exe, and TCP port 135.

Note

Remote connections in workgroups are not supported. Both the local calculator and the remote computer must be members of a domain.

See likewise

  • Complimentary up drive space in Windows 10