How to Fix SSD Disappeared from BIOS

Once SSD disappeared from BIOS, what can you do? In this post, you can learn some simple ways to fix this issue by yourself.

Posted by @Lucas December 17, 2024 Updated By @Lucas May 12, 2023

SSD now is a vital component in modern PC. Compared with traditional HDD, it’s more compatible with newer machines because of its faster speed, better performance, and reliability. Many users would like to upgrade their disk to a larger SSD for a store better experience. However, when some buy an SSD after installing it, the SSD doesn’t show in the BIOS board. How does this happen, and how do you solve this issue?

Why is the SSD not appearing in BIOS?

Apart from new SSD disappearing from BIOS, some may also find that their old SSD not showing up in BIOS after a PC crash. Well, some possible reasons might cause the problem:

· The SSD driver is not activated in the BIOS settings. · There is a physical issue with the motherboard connecting pins. · Defective drive · The SATA power and data cables are faulty/incompletely connected. · New SSD has not been formatted or allocated a drive letter. …

There are physical causes and other reasons, so the solutions also include two aspects.

Fix SSD disappeared from BIOS

In this part, we’ll list some solutions to fix SSD not showing up in bios. Try them to fix this issue on your PC.

Method 1. Check cables

If the data cable is broken or the connection is improper, the BIOS will not identify the SSD.

Inspect the motherboard and SSD connectors for bent or misaligned pins at all times. Folding, crimping, pinching, or creasing data cables can cause the wires within the insulation to break, leaving the cable outside seeming normal. When in question about the condition of a data cable, replace it.

Tip: Also check the SSD if it’s defective or not.

Step 1. Disconnect the SSD from the motherboard.

Step 2. Clean the SATA cable ends as well as the motherboard connector pins.

Step 3. Check to see if your power supply can handle an additional hard drive.

Step 4. Firmly push the SATA cables into position until they click/snap into place.

Step 5. Make sure the cables don't have any sharp wrinkles or bends.

Step 6. Make certain that the motherboard pins are not bent.

Method 2. Update the storage controller driver

Sometimes, your SATA controller mode isn't set correctly, which is why SSD isn't detected by BIOS. As a result, you can change the SATA controller settings in BIOS.

Note: The processes for configuring BIOS change depending on the brand.

Step 1. Restart the computer and repeatedly press the proper key to enter the BIOS.

Step 2. Press the “Enter” key to enter “Config”, or locate the SATA configuration menu in BIOS.

Step 3. Select the option of “Configure SATA as” and set it to “IDE.”

In the latter machine, the option is in SSD mode or a similar option.

Step 4. Save changes and restart, enter BIOS to check, and now the SSD should appear.

Method 3. Format SSD

1. Format SSD with Disk Management

Formatting can solve many issues of a drive though it will cause data loss. In Windows, Disk Management can format the drive for you.

Step 1. Right-click the Windows Start menu, and select Disk Management.

Step 2. Choose the partition on SSD you want to format, and then right-click it to select “Format”.

Step 3. You can specify the volume label, file system, and allocation unit size and then click “OK”.

Tip: Before formatting an SSD, please ensure that the “Quick Format” option is selected. If you leave this box unchecked, the computer will do a Full Format, which might decrease the life of an SSD.

Step 4. Make sure there is no important data in SSD and click “OK” to continue.

Then you can restart your PC  and check if your SSD is showing up in BIOS.

2. Format SSD with a third-party tool

However, Disk Management is not a placebo. If the SSD is the system disk or there’s something wrong with the SSD, the “Format” button will be “greyed out”, then you can’t use this tool to format. In this situation, you can turn to a free disk manager AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard to format that SSD.

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Step 1. Download AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard. Install and launch it. Then, right-click the SSD you want to format. Select “Format Partition”.

Step 2. Here you’re able to name partition and change file system, and then click "OK" to continue.

Step 3. Click "Apply" on the toolbar to commit the operation.

Method 4. Change a different drive letter

Some users find that changing a new drive letter can solve the issue.

Step 1. Open Disk Management. Left-click on SSD drive.

Step 2. Select “Change Drive Letters and Paths…” to assign a different letter to the SSD

Method 5. Try hardware diagnostics

The simple built-in feature of the Windows operating system allows users to manually enter commands and conduct operations.

Step 1. Open the windows menu and type “CMD” in the search field.

Step 2. After pressing enter, you will see a popup menu.

Step 3. To use the command prompt to run the diagnostics tool

Step 4. Type the following command: msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic, then press the enter key.

Then you’ll see a window pop up asking the user to troubleshoot and prevent computer problems. Click “Next” and wait.

When you run the "Hardware and Devices troubleshooter," the System will automatically set up and repair any existing SSD errors.

Ending

In this article, we list 5 methods to help you when SSD disappeared from BIOS. Hope you can fix this problem successfully. AOMEI Partition Assistant is a versatile Windows PC disk manager for Windows 11/10/8/8.1/7/XP users, besides the format function, this tool can also convert to GPT/MBR without data loss, clone disk, test disk speed, migrate OS… And if you want to organize and manage your Windows PC with more effective features you can choose the Professional Edition to try more.