Windows 10: I deleted my hard disk while reinstalling, now it's gone

Hi everyone.As stated in the title, while reinstalling my I wanted to delete all my partitions, and do a completely new windows 10 pro installation, but in doing so I deleted my hard disk which was my biggest storage component in my setup. I only have my little SSD now and I've now tried for several days to reactivate my hard disk, but no luck. Also on the internet I can't find a solution.My system restore points was also turned off, to make more space for my partitions.I've scanned my devices in device manager, unplugged and plugged it in again, but nothing works. Is there a way to find my "h

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Hard disk partition not showing up.

Hi Muhammad,



Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.



This can happen if the Hard-disk drivers are not up-to date. I would suggest you to update the hard disk drivers first. To update the drivers, please follow the steps mentioned below:

1. Open Device manager.
   
2. Then Expand “Disk drives”.
   
3. Then Right click on the Hard-disk listed under this category.
   
4. Then click on Update drivers.
   
5. Alternatively you can also try to update the drivers from manufacturer’s website.
   

Once the hard-disk drivers are updated, you will need to allocate the last partition (it is not allocated according to the screenshot) and you will be able to view the partition.



Also note that sometimes the hard disk partitions/drives might be hidden in This PC or My Computer window due to a Registry key. If a DWORD with the name NoViewOnDrive or NoDrives is present under following key in Registry Editor:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Policies\Explorer

Delete the DWORD and your drives will become visible in My Computer window.



Hope this helps.

 

External Hard disk contents are not visible.

Hi Pranoti,

For us to narrow down your concern with your external hard disk, we would like to know the following:

• Were there any changes made on your computer prior to the issue (e.g., updates, software installation)?
• To make sure that we have not missed on anything, what troubleshooting steps have you done so far?
• Do you hear any clicking sound when connecting your hard disk?

In the meantime, we suggest that you update all your device driver.

We look forward to your response.

 

20GB Missing from drive after Virtual Hard Disk Deleted

If you have deleted a 20GB virtual hard disk but cannot see the 20GB space freed up on your physical drive, it is possible that the virtual hard disk was not actually stored on your physical drive but rather on another storage device or partition. It could also be possible that the virtual hard disk was located in a hidden or system folder that you may not be able to see by default.

Here are some steps you can take to try to locate the missing 20GB of storage:

1. Check if the virtual hard disk was stored in a different location: If you created the virtual hard disk in a location other than your default drive, it may be stored in a different folder or drive. Try searching your other drives or partitions to see if the virtual hard disk was stored there.
   
2. Check for hidden or system folders: Some virtual hard disks may be stored in hidden or system folders that are not visible by default. Make sure that you have enabled the option to view hidden files and folders in Windows Explorer, and also check for system files and folders.
   
3. Run a disk cleanup: It is possible that the deleted virtual hard disk is still occupying space in your Recycle Bin. Empty your Recycle Bin and also run a disk cleanup to remove any temporary or unnecessary files.
   
4. Use a disk space analyzer tool: You mentioned that you have already used WizTree, but it is worth trying other disk space analyzer tools like TreeSize or WinDirStat to see if they can identify any hidden or unallocated space on your drive.
   

If none of these steps work, it is possible that the virtual hard disk was not properly deleted or was not deleted at all. You may need to use a data recovery tool to attempt to recover the virtual hard disk or to recover any lost or hidden storage space on your drive. However, data recovery can be a complex and risky process, and there is no guarantee that it will be successful.