Kingston SSD not Detected: 5 Noteworthy Methods to Fix it

The Kingston SSD is one of the most used drives, but some users complain that it is not detected on their PCs. The issue comes in different variations, with the drive not showing in Disk Management for some people.

Others complain that the Kingston SSD is not detected in BIOS on HP laptops and other products. Irrespective of the variation of the issue, we will show you how to fix it in this guide, just as we did with Windows 11 not recognizing SSD issue.

Why is my SSD not being detected?

• Wrong BIOS settings: If your Kingston M.2 SSD is not detected in BIOS, it might be because of the wrong SATA setting. To fix this, you must set the SATA to AHCI in BIOS.
• Faulty drive: At times, the Kingston A400 SSD not detected on Windows 10 issue might be down to a defective drive. You need to test the SSD on another computer to confirm if it is still working.
• Outdated driver: This issue can be down to an obsolete disk driver. Updating your driver should fix the problem.
• Missing drive letter: Another potential cause of this problem is if the drive is not assigned a letter. You can correct this in the Disk Management window.

How do I get BIOS to recognize SSD?

• Make sure that the drive is properly enabled in BIOS.
• Ensure that Serial ATA motherboard drivers are properly loaded. However, this affects only older versions of Windows.
• Check if your data cables are not damaged and ensure they are working properly.
• Test your SSD on a different computer and make sure it works.

How can I fix the Kingston SSD not detected?

Before proceeding to the solutions in this section:

• Test the Kingston SSD drive that is not showing up on another computer. The problem might be with the drive if it does not work.
• You can also test with another cable on different ports. If it passes these hardware tests, you can explore the solutions below:

1. Change onboard SATA mode

1. Press the Windows key, click the Power icon, and select the Restart option.
   
2. Power on your PC and press the appropriate key (F1, F2, F10, or F12, depending on your PC) to enter BIOS.
3. Select the System or Hardware Configuration option.
4. Then, navigate to the AHCI or SATA Mode.
5. Choose Enable AHCI if you find it there. If not, set the SATA Mode to AHCI.

If your Kingston SSD is not detected on BIOS, it might be because your PC’s SATA mode is still set to the old IDE configuration. You must change the settings to the modern AHCI mode to fix it.

Note that some steps and parameters might defer depending on your BIOS. However, the general concept should be the same.

2. Initialize the drive

1. Press the Windows key + R, type diskmgmt.msc, and press Enter.
   
2. Right-click your SSD drive and select Initialize Disk.
    
3. Select all the partition style and click OK.
   
4. Right-click the newly allocated space and choose New Simple Volume.
   
5. Select the proper size and drive letter and that’s it.

3. Set disk drive letter

1. Press the Windows key + R, type diskmgmt.msc, and hit Enter.
   
2. Right-click on the SSD drive and choose Change drive letter and path…
   
3. If it does not have a drive letter, click the Add… button. If it has, choose the Change… button instead.
   
4. Choose the drive letter you want and click the OK button to save the changes.
   
5. Finally, restart your PC.

The drive letter is essential for your PC to access the SSD. So, if your Kingston SSD is not detected, changing or adding a drive letter might help fix the issue.

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4. Update drivers

1. Press the Windows key + X and select Device Manager.
   
2. Click the arrow next to the Disk drives option to expand it and right-click the driver there.
3. Choose the Update driver option.
   
4. Now, select Search automatically for drivers and install any available update.
   
5. Go back to the Device Manager window and expand the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers option.
6. Right-click the driver there and select Update driver.
   
7. Choose Browse my computer for drivers.
   
8. Now, select Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
   
9. Finally, select the Standard SATA AHCI Controller option and click the Next button.
   

To avoid these kinds of errors and performance issues as much as possible, try keeping your device drivers up to date.

Specialized driver updating tools are designed to update all your drivers by scanning your device and providing you with the latest updates from its vast database.

5. Run the Memory Diagnostic tool

1. Press the Windows key + R, type mdshed.exe, and hit Enter.
   
2. Select Restart now and check for problems (recommended) option.
   
3. Now, wait for the diagnosis to be complete and follow the recommendations.

If your Kingston SSD is not showing up in Disk Management on Windows 10, it might be due to some issues with the drive. The Memory Diagnostic tool should help detect these issues and recommend possible solutions.

Another option is to download and install the Kingston SSD Manager. This app will show you if there is a problem with your drive.

Are you facing other issues like slow SSD on Windows 10? Then, check our detailed guide to solve the problem effortlessly.

Feel free to let us know if the solutions in this guide helped you get past the issue in the comments below.