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CompTIA A+ Core 1: Why Doesn't a New Hard Drive Appear in Windows Explorer, and What Should Be Done First?

By: Author Alex Lim

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Learn why a newly installed hard drive may not show up in Windows Explorer and how initializing the drive in Disk Management resolves the issue. Follow step-by-step instructions to make your new drive accessible in Windows 10 or 11.

Table of Contents

Question

A technician installs a new hard drive in a computer, but it does not appear in Windows Explorer. What is the best next step?

A. Replace the SATA cable
B. Reinstall Windows
C. Initialize the drive in Disk Management
D. Flash the BIOS
E. Check the monitor connection

Answer

C. Initialize the drive in Disk Management

Explanation

A new drive needs to be initialized and formatted before it appears in Windows.

When a new hard drive is installed in a computer but does not appear in Windows Explorer, the most common reason is that the drive has not been initialized or formatted. Windows requires new drives to be initialized, partitioned, and formatted before they are accessible through File Explorer.

Steps to Initialize and Format the Drive:

  1. Open Disk Management by right-clicking the Start button and selecting "Disk Management" (or search for "Create and format hard disk partitions").
  2. In Disk Management, locate the new drive, which will typically be labeled as "Unknown" and "Not Initialized."
  3. Right-click on the disk and select "Initialize Disk". Choose either GPT (recommended for modern systems) or MBR as the partition style, then click OK.
  4. Right-click the unallocated space on the drive and select "New Simple Volume".
  5. Follow the wizard to assign a drive letter and format the partition (usually NTFS).
  6. Once complete, the drive will appear in Windows Explorer and be ready for use.

Initializing and formatting the new drive in Disk Management is the essential first step to make it accessible in Windows. Physical issues or driver problems are less likely if the drive is detected in Disk Management but not in Explorer.

CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1101 certification exam practice question and answer (Q&A) dump with detail explanation and reference available free, helpful to pass the CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1101 exam and earn CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1101 certification.