Download D Drive Suddenly Missing in Windows 11/10

Have you ever faced the “D Drive Missing” error on your Windows computer? Wondering why your D drive isn’t showing up? If so, you’ve come to the right place. It can be a frustrating experience when you cannot access important files stored on D drive. Sometimes it’s not just the D station – even the E or F station can decide to play hide and seek without warning. In this article, we will delve into the reasons behind this problem, explore effective solutions and guide you on how to recover data from the missing D drive.

Part 1: Why is my D drive not showing up?

When the D drive does not appear in File Explorer or Disk Management, there is no need to worry. First of all, you need to confirm whether the D drive is another hard drive on your computer or a partition of your current hard drive.

If the D drive is just a partition of your current hard drive, it’s probably because the drive letter D is being used by another device (such as a USB drive). However, if the D drive is a separate hard drive in the computer, the “D drive is missing” error can be due to various reasons. Here are some common ones:

• Outdated or corrupted disk driver.

• Damaged file system.

• Hardware failure.

• Disconnected or loose connection.

• The D drive is hidden.

• You accidentally delete or format the D drive.

Part 2: Recover data from the missing D drive

There are various methods to fix the D drive not showing problem. However, the bad news is that you may risk losing some important files stored on it. Although there are many data recovery software options available in the market,

Step 1: First, download and install Tenorshare 4DDiG from the official website. Then launch the program and select the D drive to scan.

Step 2: 4DDiG offers two scanning options – Quick Scan and Deep Scan. While Deep Scan takes more time, it can detect a larger number of lost files in the D drive.

Step 3: After the scan is complete, 4DDiG will automatically display the lost or deleted files on the D drive. Select the files you want to recover and click the “Recover” button. Remember not to save the recovered files again on the D drive.

Part 3: How to fix the missing D drive error easily?

Option A: Restart your computer

What should you do if your D drive keeps disappearing and reappearing? Sometimes you don’t have to overthink the problem. Just give your computer another reboot and check if the “D drive is missing” issue is resolved. If it doesn’t work, keep calm and move on to other advanced solutions.

Option B: Check physical connections

If your D drive keeps disappearing and reappearing, it’s better to thoroughly check the physical connections of both internal and external drives. Sometimes cables can be faulty. In such cases, use a new USB cable and try connecting the drive to a different USB port on the computer.

Option C: Rescan disks

Another useful way to solve the “D drive does not appear” problem is to manually rescan the disk. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Press Win + X to open the Power User menu and select “Disk Management.”

Step 2: Then click on the “Action” option on the top menu bar and select “Rescan Disk.”

Option D: Update or reinstall the driver

If you find that the D drive is missing, outdated disk drivers may be the cause. All you need to do is update or reinstall them. Follow these instructions:

Step 1: Press Win + X and select “Device Manager” from the menu.

Step 2: Perform a double-click on the “Disk Drives” tab. Then right-click on the problematic disk drive and select “Update Driver.”

Step 3: Select the option to check for updated driver software automatically.

Step 4: If it still doesn’t work, consider reinstalling the affected driver.

Option E: Assign a new drive letter to the D drive

As mentioned earlier, a common reason for the D drive not appearing is a drive letter conflict. You must ensure that no other device is currently using the same drive letter (D). To change your drive letter in Disk Management:

Step 1: Perform a right-click on the Start button and select “Disk Management.”

Step 2: Find and right-click the drive you want to change the letter for (in this case, the D drive). Select the “Change Drive Letter and Paths…” option from the menu.

Step 3: Click the “Change” button to continue.

Step 4: From the drop-down menu, select a new drive letter for the D drive. Finally, save the change by clicking “OK”.

Option F: Repair disk errors

If the ‘D drive is missing’ error persists, file system corruption on the drive may be the cause. Command Prompt, a built-in Windows feature, can help you scan and repair disk errors. How to use it:

Step 1: Press Windows + S, type “CMD” in the search box, and click “Run as administrator” to open the command prompt.

Step 2: Type “chkdsk d: /f /r” commend and press Enter to run it.

Step 3: If the volume is in use, schedule the scan for the next system reboot. Type “Y” and press Enter to confirm.

Step 4: Restart your computer and wait for the scan to complete.

Option G: Go back to an earlier point

You can easily solve the D drive not showing up problem by performing a system restore. However, this method is only useful if you have previously created a restore point for your Windows PC. Follow these instructions:

Step 1: Press Win + S to open the search bar. Then type “Create a restore point” and press Enter.

Step 2: Then click on the “System Recovery” button.

Step 3: Choose a restore point from the list (make sure it’s before the D drive is missing) and press “Next.”

Step 5: Click “Finish” and then confirm your choice.

Option H: Show D Drive

To fix the D drive missing issue, you also need to confirm if it was accidentally hidden. If so, follow these steps to reveal it:

Step 1: Press Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog. Type gpedit.msc and press the Enter key.

Step 2: Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer.

Step 3: Scroll down and find the option that says “Hide these specified drives in My Computer.” Then right-click on it and select “Edit”.

Step 4: Tick “Not Configured” and click “Apply” to save the change.

Option I: Send the drive for manual repair

If your hard drive is physically damaged, the above methods are basically unable to solve the problem of D drive not showing up. The only thing you can do is send the damaged drive for manual repair. Attempting to fix it at home without the proper tools and skills is not recommended. If the hard drive becomes more damaged, you may lose your data permanently.

Part 3: Tips for the missing drive D problem

Creating system restore points regularly is a good practice as it helps in solving various Windows system problems. However, many Windows users do not know how to configure it or understand what this powerful tool is. Here we will share how to use the system recovery tool on Windows 11/10:

Step 1: Right-click the Start button and select “System” from the menu.

Step 2: Click “About” in the left sidebar, scroll down and click “System Protection.”

Step 3: Select the drive for which you want to create a restore point. Then click the “Create” button.

Step 4: Let the process complete.

The bottom line

Now you should no longer be confused by the question “why is my D drive not showing up?” By following the 8 solutions discussed in this article, you can easily troubleshoot and resolve the issue. If you lost some important files due to D drive missing problem, give Tenorshare 4DDiG a try. This tool can recover a wide range of file types, including photos, videos, emails, documents and more.