Unallocated Disk on Windows 10: 6 Ways to Access it

Easy expert solutions to resolve the problem

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Key notes

  • If you have unallocated disk space on your Windows 10 computer, you can create new partitions, extend existing ones, or install a new operating system.
  • Before you make any changes to your disk partitions, it's essential to back up your important data in case anything goes wrong.

If you are a Windows 10 user and have recently encountered the issue of an unallocated disk, you’re not alone. Unallocated disk space can be frustrating and prevent you from accessing your files and data.

This guide will explore the causes of unallocated disk space in Windows 10 and provide solutions to help you recover your lost data and fix the problem. So, if you are facing this issue, keep reading to learn how to resolve it and get back to using your computer usually.

Why is my disk 2 unallocated?

The issue of an unallocated disk 2 can occur due to various reasons, including:

  • Damaged or corrupted partition table – The partition table contains information about the partition on your disk, including the location and size of each partition. If the partition table is corrupted or damaged, the system may be unable to locate or access the partitions on the disk.
  • Disk errors or bad sectors – If there are errors or bad sectors on the disk, the system may be unable to read or write data to the affected areas, causing the disk to appear unallocated.
  • Incorrect disk initialization or formatting – It may appear unallocated if the disk is not initialized or formatted correctly. This can occur if the disk was not initialized or formatted during the initial setup or if there was a problem during the initialization or formatting process.
  • Malware or virus infection – Malware or virus infections can cause data corruption and damage to the partition table, causing the disk to appear unallocated.

What are other disk allocation issues?

If your second hard drive is unallocated, you might be unable to access it properly. But, of course, this isn’t the only problem with unallocated space, and speaking of issues, here are some similar problems that users reported:

  • Unallocated disk cannot format – This issue can sometimes appear with a new hard drive. If this happens, try using diskpart tool to format and set up your new hard drive.
  • Disk Management unallocated space greyed out – If this problem appears in Disk Management, you can always use third-party tools such as MiniTool Partition Wizard to set up the new hard drive.
  • Unallocated hard drive Windows 10 – This issue can appear for various reasons, and if you encounter it, be sure to try some of our solutions.
  • Second hard drive unallocated not initialized, showing, visible, detected – This problem can occur due to your drivers, so you might want to try reinstalling the hard drive drivers or updating them to the latest version and check if that solves the problem.

How can I fix the unallocated disk on Windows 10?

  1. Use a professional partition assistant software
  2. Use Disk Management
  3. Update your drivers
  4. Use Command Prompt and diskpart command
  5. Reinstall the hard drive driver
  6. Change the drive letter

1. Use a professional partition manager software

Allocating drives manually can make you lose files. So, if you want to fix the problem with the unallocated hard drive, we advise you to use dedicated software.

True, Windows has tools for creating, deleting, and resizing partitions. However, to find an unallocated hard disk, you may need to go the extra mile and use partition manager software specializing in this task.

For a good reason, many users believe that third-party tools like AOMEI Partition Assistant make such tasks easier since they do not have constraints as a native partition manager.

This software contains over 30 great-worth features to help you enhance your hard disk partition’s performance.

AOMEI Partition Assistant

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Users claim that this method won’t delete any files from the unallocated drive, but we advise you to back them up to be safe. However, many users reported that these tools helped them with this problem, so we strongly suggest you try them.

2. Use Disk Management

  1. Press Windows Key + X to open Win + X menu.
  2. Now choose Disk Management from the list.
    unallocated disk windows 10
  3. When the Disk Management tool opens, locate the unallocated space, right-click it, and choose New Sample Volume.
    unallocated disk windows 10
  4. Set the size of the new partition and choose its letter.
  5. Now you can choose to format your drive. If you have a new hard drive, make sure that you format it. Also, if your drive already has some files, choose Do not format this volume option.
    format unallocated hard drive

If you just installed a second hard drive and get a message that your hard drive is unallocated, you need to create a new volume using the Disk Management tool. This built-in tool in Windows allows you to manage your hard drives and partitions.

Remember that this method will cause file loss, especially if you already have files on your hard drive, so use it at your own risk. However, if you purchased a new hard drive, then feel free to use this method to format it and set it up.

3. Update your drivers

According to users, if the second hard drive is unallocated, perhaps the issue is related to your drivers. Missing drivers can sometimes cause this problem to appear, and to fix the issue; it’s advised to download and install these drivers.

Many users reported that this problem appeared because Virtual Disk Driver wasn’t installed. To fix this problem, visit your hard drive manufacturer’s website and download the latest drivers for your hard drive.

After you install Virtual Disk Driver, you should be able to assign the drive letter to the partition and access your files. Remember that this solution worked for Seagate hard drives but might also work for other brands.

If you don’t want to download the drivers manually, you can use a third-party tool to update all your drivers with just a few clicks automatically.

Get Outbyte Driver Updater

4. Use Command Prompt and diskpart command

  1. Press Windows Key + X and choose Command Prompt (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).
    command prompt unallocated hard drive
  2. Now you need to input the following commands, hitting Enter after each one:
    • diskpart
    • list volume
  3. Replace X with a volume number in the following command and hit Enter.
    • select volume X
  4. Finally, run these last 3 commands. Note that the second should be used only if Disk Management can’t create a new volume.
    • delete volume
    • delete volume override
    • list volume

According to users, if your second hard drive is unallocated, you might be able to fix the problem by using the diskpart command. However, remember that diskpart is a powerful tool, so it might cause you to delete all your files if you’re not careful.

Pay attention to the size of the volumes, and be sure to select the volume with unallocated space. If you choose the wrong volume, you might cause unexpected file loss.

After doing that, start Disk Management and try to create a new volume. If Disk Management can’t make a new volume, start diskpart again and repeat the same commands. However, this time be sure to run delete volume override after delete volume command.

5. Reinstall the hard drive driver

  1. Right-click on Start and select Device Manager.
  2. Locate your new hard drive, right-click it, and choose Uninstall device from the menu.
    unallocated disk windows 10
  3. When the confirmation dialog appears, click Uninstall.
    confirm uninstall unallocated space hard drive
  4. Once you remove the driver, click Scan for hardware changes icon.
    scan for hardware changes unallocated hard drive

Doing so will install the default driver, and the problem should be resolved.

Sometimes, your hard drive can become unallocated due to a bad driver. Your driver can get corrupted, causing this problem to appear. However, you can fix the issue by reinstalling the hard drive driver.

6. Change the drive letter

  1. Open Disk Management tool.
  2. Locate the drive that’s not showing, right-click it, and choose Change Drive Letter and Paths.
    unallocated disk windows 10
  3. Click the Change button.
  4. Set the desired drive letter and click OK to save changes.
    unallocated hard drive new letter

If you’re having problems with an unallocated disk on Windows 10, perhaps you can fix the issue simply by assigning a letter to that drive. This is incredibly simple, and you can do it right from the Disk Management tool. To do that, follow these steps:

After doing that, the problem should be resolved, and you can access your drive.

Problems with an unallocated hard drive can cause various issues, such as the inability to access your files, and if you’re having this issue, you should be able to fix it with one of our solutions.

More about the topics: Fix Hard Drive issues, windows 10 fix