How to format an HD not visible in Windows 10’s File Explorer

Sometime it may happens that you want to use an HD recovered from some other PC, possibly a not Windows one (e.g. Linux). When you connect it via USB port using a Hard Disk Docking Station, it may happens that that HD is not visible in the file Explorer of Windows 10 because corrupted or because the existing partitions are not the ones expected by Windows 10 and therefore you need to delete them all and then recreate a new NTFS volume.

Hard Disk connected to a PC, via USB port, using an Hard Disk Docking Station

This video tutorial is very esaustive, even thought it is an old one (2012) and it refers to a previous Windows O.S. version: in fact the procedure to follow is still nearly the same!

You need to right click on the Start menu and choose the Computer Management menu item. Going to the Computer Management (Local) -> Storage -> Disk Management section, you will be able to see from here the attached new HD, even if it is not visible from the File Explorer.
You have to delete all its partitions (be careful to be sure it is the new attached HD, possibly disconnecting and then reconnecting it from the PC USB port in order to identifying it for sure 😉 and then create a new volume: choose NTFS in the option related to the file system setting and possibly give a label to that new volume.

Computer Management

Storage -> Disk Management

The HD is visible from the Disk Management section

Delete all Volumes (1)

Delete all Volumes (2)

Delete all available Partitions

After deleting all available volumes and partitions and then having only a single unallocated one, create a new Simple Volume

New Simple Volume allocation (1)

New Simple Volume allocation (2)

The new Volume is now available in the File Explorer and it can be used to save your data!

Informazioni su Enzo Contini

Electronic engineer
Questa voce è stata pubblicata in Review e test, Windows. Contrassegna il permalink.

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