AOMEI Partition Assistant
How to Fix Windows Hide Some Drive in This PC
Panicked because all your drives have disappeared in Windows? Learn the common causes and effective fixes. We cover everything from simple drive letter assignments to recovering lost partitions with AOMEI Partition Assistant to get your data back safely.
By Lucas / Updated on June 9, 2025
It’s a heart-stopping moment for any Windows user: you open "This PC," and you’re drive has disappeared. Or worse, it seems as if all your drives have disappeared. This common yet alarming issue can leave you wondering if your precious data is gone forever. The good news is that in many cases, your hard drive partition has simply disappeared from view, not from existence.
This article will delve into the various reasons why Windows might hide some drives in This PC and provide a comprehensive guide to resolving this problem. Whether it's a simple settings change or a more complex partition issue, we have the solutions to help you restore your missing drives and the data they hold.
Why Does Windows Hide Some Drive in This PC?
Understanding why a drive has vanished is the first step toward a solution. Several factors can contribute to Windows hiding a drive, ranging from accidental user actions to more serious system errors. Here are some of the most common culprits:
❌ Missing or Conflicting Drive Letter
One of the most frequent reasons for a disappearing drive is the loss of its assigned drive letter. This can happen during Windows updates, after installing new hardware, or due to conflicts with other connected storage devices. Without a drive letter, Windows Explorer doesn't know how to display the partition.
❌ Accidental Hiding
It's possible to inadvertently hide a drive through various system settings. This can be done via Disk Management, the Group Policy Editor, or the Windows Registry.
❌ Driver Issues
Outdated, corrupted, or incompatible disk drivers can prevent Windows from correctly recognizing and displaying a hard drive partition. This is especially common after a major Windows update.
❌ File System Errors
Corruption in the file system of a partition can render it inaccessible and cause it to disappear from File Explorer. Improper shutdowns, software conflicts, or malware can cause this.
❌ Unallocated Space
In some instances, a partition can become "unallocated." This means that the space on the hard drive is no longer formatted with a recognized file system, effectively making the partition and its data invisible to the operating system.
How to Fix a Hard Drive Partition That Disappeared
When you find that your D drive has disappeared or, in a more critical scenario, all your drives have disappeared, a systematic approach to troubleshooting can help you resolve the issue efficiently. Below are several methods to fix a hard drive partition that has disappeared, starting with the simplest solutions.
Method 1: Rescan for Disks in Disk Management
This is the quickest and easiest first step. It forces Windows to re-examine all connected storage devices.
Step 1. Press the Windows key + X and select Disk Management from the menu.
Step 2. In the Disk Management window, click on Action in the top menu bar.
Step 3. Select Rescan Disks.
Step 4. Wait for the process to complete and check if your missing drive has reappeared in "This PC."
Method 2: Assign or Change the Drive Letter
If the rescan doesn't work, the next step is to check if the drive has a letter assigned to it.
Step 1. Open Disk Management as described above.
Step 2. Look for your missing drive. It might be listed as "New Volume" or show the correct size but have no drive letter.
Step 3. Right-click on the partition and select Change Drive Letter and Paths.
Step 4. Click the Add button.
Step 5. Choose a drive letter from the dropdown menu that is not already in use.
Step 6. Click OK and then OK again. The drive should now be visible in File Explorer.
Method 3: Update or Reinstall Disk Drivers
Outdated drivers can be a significant cause of a hard drive partition that has disappeared.
Step 1. Press the Windows key + X and select Device Manager.
Step 2. Expand the Disk drives category.
Step 3. Right-click on the hard drive where the partition is missing and select Update driver.
Step 4. Choose Search automatically for drivers.
If Windows finds an update, follow the on-screen instructions. If not, you can try reinstalling the driver. Right-click the drive again, select Uninstall device, and then restart your computer. Windows will automatically reinstall the driver upon reboot.
Method 4: Recover a Lost Partition with AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional
If the above methods fail, your hard drive partition may have been deleted or lost. In this situation, a powerful partition recovery tool is your best bet. AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is a comprehensive Windows computer management software that offers a robust "Partition Recovery" feature designed for just this scenario.
AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional is a user-friendly and powerful tool that allows you to manage your hard drive storage space and partitions with ease. Its "Partition Recovery" function can scan your hard drive for lost or deleted partitions and restore them with just a few clicks. This is particularly useful when you're faced with a situation where a hard drive partition has disappeared and you need a reliable way to get it back without data loss.
100% SecureStep 1. Find the lost partition in Disk Management. Install and open AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional.
Step 2. Go to Recover > Partition Recovery on the main interface. When you enter the partition recovery wizard, select the disk you want to recover. Click Next.
Step 3. Select Fast Search. It is recommended that you select this option the first time as it is faster than Full Search. If you are unable to recover the lost partition using Fast Search then I recommend you try the Full Search option.
Step 4. Select the lost partition and click Proceed.
Step 5. Click Finish to exit this window after you see the congratulations message.
Then you can go to Windows File Explorer to check if the partition is restored. If you did not make any further operations on the partition since it was deleted and lost, the inside data will also be back and accessible now.
Further Tips: Recover Data from Disappeared Drives
In the unfortunate event that the partition itself cannot be recovered, all is not lost. You can still attempt to recover the data from the unallocated space using data recovery software: AOMEI Partition Assistant for Recovery. Many dedicated data recovery tools can scan a drive for remnants of lost files and allow you to save them to a different location.
When dealing with a disappeared drive, it's crucial to act quickly and avoid writing any new data to the affected hard drive. This will increase the chances of a successful data recovery.
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Ending
When you discover that your D drive has disappeared or, more alarmingly, that all your drives have disappeared, it's natural to feel a sense of dread. However, the issue of a hard drive partition that has disappeared is often resolvable. By systematically working through the troubleshooting steps outlined in this article, from simple solutions like rescanning disks and assigning drive letters to more advanced methods like using the "Partition Recovery" feature of AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional, you stand a very good chance of restoring your missing drive and its valuable contents.
