FIX: Second hard drive not detected in Windows 10

Most of us probably use only one hard disk drive in the computer, but some people who need more space tend to use two, as well.

Some of the users who are using a second hard drive have reported that their computer isn’t able to detect the second one after Windows 10 upgrade. Therefore, we came up with a couple of solutions that will solve the problem.

First thing first, you should open your computer once again and check if your hard disk is properly connected. If you’re not sure what to do, check out this article for additional info.

If everything is connected right, but you’re still facing the issue with detecting your second hard disk drive, try one of the following solutions. The hard drive disappeared after a Windows update? Then you can check out this article for additional info.

What do I do if Windows 10 doesn’t detect the second hard drive?

1.  Check for the driver updates

1.1 Update drivers manually

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

If your computer was able to recognize the second hard disk before the Windows 10 upgrade, there’s a possibility that your current hard disk drivers are not compatible with Windows 10.

1.2 Update drivers automatically (suggested)

1. Download and install TweakBit Driver Updater
   1. Once installed, the program will start scanning your PC for outdated drivers automatically.
   2. Driver Updater will check your installed driver versions against its cloud database of the latest versions and recommend proper updates.
   3. All you need to do is wait for the scan to complete.
   4. Upon scan completion, you get a report on all problem drivers found on your PC.
      • Review the list and see if you want to update each driver individually or all at once.
      • To update one driver at a time, click the ‘Update driver’ link next to the driver’s name.
      • Or simply click the ‘Update all’ button at the bottom to automatically install all recommended updates.
        

Note: Some drivers need to be installed in multiple steps so you will have to hit the ‘Update’ button several times until all of its components are installed.

If you want to fix this type of issues, it’s crucial to keep your drivers up to date, but downloading drivers manually can be long and tedious process that might affect your PC (if you hit the wrong button).

Therefore you might want to use this Driver Update software that automatically downloads and installs the necessary drivers. This tool is approved by Microsoft and Norton Antivirus.

After several tests, our team concluded that this is the best-automatized solution.

Disclaimer: some functions of this tool are not free.

Windows didn’t find your driver automatically? Don’t worry, we have the solution.

2. Change driver letter and path

1. Right-click on This PC
   • It’s probably on your desktop, but you can access it from the File Manager, as well.
2. Click on Manage and Management window will show up.
3. Go to Disk Management.
4. Find your second hard disk drive, right-click on it and go to Change Drive Letter and Paths.
5. Go to Change and choose the letter for your partition from Assign the following drive letter:.
6. Click OK, close all windows and restart your computer.

Maybe your hard disk is properly connected and works well, but if it doesn’t have a letter by its name, you won’t be able to access it from This PC. So, we’re going to change the drive letter and hopefully, the hard disk will show up again.

Do you want to see the drive letter before the drive name? These easy steps will help you achieve that.

3. Recover damaged Windows hard drive

In many cases, users need their second hard drive in order to recover their data from it. If it is not detected, we recommend you to use a data recovery software.

Paragon Backup & Recovery is an advanced backup and recovery software that allows users to perform complex recovery tasks with ease.

• Check now Paragon Backup&Recovery

Recuva Professional version offers virtual hard drive support, automatic updates and premium support as well. This is a recommended solution to quickly fix your issue.

• Download Recuva from the official website

If you have some important data on your external HDD, be sure to try one of these tools. If you’re not happy with them, you can find additional ones in the link below.

Are you looking for some more external HDD recovery software? Here are the best options right now!

FAQ: Learn more about  adding secondary hard drives

• How many hard drives can I have connected to my PC at a time?

Each hard drive requires one drive letter per partition, and there are 24 drive letters. As such, you can have up to 24 hard drives,  presuming each one has only one partition.

• Why should I use a secondary hard drive?

The main advantage of secondary hard drives is that while one that is faster, such as an SSD, can be used for computing purposes (games, resource-intensive apps, etc), the slow ones can be used purely for storing personal data.

• What do I need in order to connect multiple hard drives to my PC?

Setting aside the 24 hard drive limit, you will also need a power supply of sufficient capacity in order to handle the extra load and ocassional power surges.

That would be all, if you have any comments or suggestions, reach for the comment section, below. Also, If you have any other Windows 10-related issues you can check for the solution in our Windows 10 Fix section.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in October 2018 and has been since revamped and updated in April 2020 for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.