If your Samsung 980 Pro SSD not detected, don’t panic. This step-by-step guide will help you identify the root cause and walk you through the solutions to restore full functionality and get your drive working properly again.
“I bought a Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB. I aslo installed Samsung Data Migration tool. My Samsung 980 Pro is not listed in target SSD. Could you help me solve this issue? My Samsung 980 Pro is connected to the computer via Icy Box IB-183M2. This box is plugged-in a USB 3 port.”
The Samsung 980 Pro SSD may not be detected due to several common reasons. One possibility is that the SSD is not properly connected to the motherboard or installed in an unsupported M.2 slot. Some motherboards only support specific NVMe drives on certain slots. BIOS settings may also prevent detection if NVMe support is disabled or if outdated firmware is in place.
Additionally, if the SSD is brand new, it might be uninitialized or lack a partition, making it invisible to the operating system. Driver or chipset issues, especially on older systems, can also interfere with proper SSD recognition. In some cases, the SSD itself may be defective or suffer from a firmware corruption that prevents it from being recognized.
Thermal throttling or power delivery problems may also cause intermittent detection failures, particularly on laptops or systems with insufficient power management. Lastly, compatibility issues between the SSD and the motherboard’s PCIe version or storage mode (AHCI vs. RAID) can lead to detection problems.
Here’s a complete guide on how to fix Samsung 980 Pro SSD not detected without losing data, with step-by-step methods to help you troubleshoot the issue safely:
If your Samsung 980 Pro SSD isn’t being recognized, it may be time to bring in professional support. That’s where AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery steps in, offering advanced data recovery services with a strong track record of success.
AOMEI Partition Assistant specializes in handling complex recovery situations such as accidental formatting, lost partitions, startup failures, and corrupted virtual drives.
Their skilled engineers deliver personalized recovery assistance, ensuring your SSD data is retrieved safely and efficiently.
Best of all, these services are available remotely, letting you recover critical files without leaving your home or office.
Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your data lost and click Scan.
Step 2. Then, the recovery tool starts to scan and search. It will execute the “Quickly Scan" first for finding your deleted data fast, and then execute the “Deep Scan" for searching for other lost data.
Step 3. Once the scan is completed, all deleted files, recycle bins, and other missing files will be displayed. Please select the file you would like to recover and then click "Recover".
Step 4. Then, select a folder path to save your recovered files.
Step 5. Wait patiently for this process of recovery to end.
At times, an SSD may not show up simply because it lacks a drive letter or is conflicting with another device, which can cause Windows to overlook it.
To fix this, assigning or changing the drive letter through Disk Management can often solve the issue. Alternatively, you can mount the drive to an empty folder, allowing it to function as part of your directory structure.
Step 1. Launch Disk Management with administrator rights.
Step 2. Locate the volume, right-click on it, and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths".
Step 3. Click "Change" or "Add", then choose an available drive letter from the list.
Step 4. Select "OK" and confirm any system prompts that appear, especially those mentioning software dependencies.
If your Samsung 980 Pro SSD is detected but not appearing in “My Computer”, a faulty or incomplete driver installation may be the cause.
Reinstalling or updating the SSD driver often resolves the issue. Follow these steps:
Step 1. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager.
Step 2. Expand the Disk drives section to view all connected storage devices.
Step 3. Right-click on the Samsung 980 Pro SSD and choose Update driver.
Step 4. Once updated, disconnect the SSD, restart your PC, then reconnect the drive to check if Windows now recognizes it.
If your brand-new Samsung 980 Pro SSD isn't showing up in Windows Explorer, it's likely because the drive hasn't been initialized yet. The same issue can occur with older SSDs displaying “Disk Unknown – Not Initialized” in Disk Management.
To fix this, try connecting the SSD to another computer. If the issue persists, follow these steps to initialize the drive in Windows:
Step 1. Press Windows + R, type diskmgmt.msc, and hit Enter.
Step 2. In the Disk Management window, right-click on the uninitialized SSD and choose "Initialize Disk".
Step 3. Select a partition style—MBR (Master Boot Record) or GPT (GUID Partition Table)—based on your system requirements.
Step 1. Press Windows + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
Step 2. Run the following commands one by one:
diskpart
list disk
select disk 1
convert gpt (or type convert mbr if you prefer MBR)
For a safer and more user-friendly option, consider using AOMEI Partition Assistant, which allows disk initialization without risking data loss.
If your NVMe SSD isn’t appearing in the BIOS, the issue may stem from incorrect BIOS configurations. Tweaking a few settings can often help your system properly detect the drive.
Follow these steps:
Step 1. Restart your computer.
Step 2. As it boots, press the appropriate key—usually F2, F10, or Del—to enter the BIOS setup.
Step 3. Inside the BIOS menu, find the Storage Configuration or similar section.
Step 4. Set the SATA controller mode to IDE.
Switching the controller mode can sometimes resolve detection problems, allowing the BIOS to recognize the SSD correctly.
If your Samsung 980 Pro SSD still isn’t being detected, the issue could be a damaged or unsupported file system. Signs of this problem include the drive appearing as RAW, Free space, or Unallocated in Disk Management.
Reformatting the SSD can restore proper functionality. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1. In the Windows search bar, type "Create and format hard disk partitions" and open Disk Management.
Step 2. Locate your SSD, right-click it, and choose "Format".
Step 3. Enter a volume label, choose the file system (NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT), and set the allocation unit size.
Step 4. Make sure "Perform a quick format" is selected to preserve the drive’s lifespan.
Step 5. Click "OK" to begin formatting.
Be aware that this process will erase all existing data on the SSD. If important files were lost during formatting, use professional SSD data recovery software to retrieve them.
Fixing the Samsung 980 Pro SSD not readable error requires a targeted troubleshooting strategy. Identifying the underlying cause is the first step toward resolving the issue effectively. This guide has outlined a range of tailored solutions, addressing everything from BIOS misconfigurations to unsupported file systems and formatting errors.
For users who need professional help, AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery provides reliable options. These services are ideal whether you're facing a complex recovery scenario or simply looking to protect essential files.
