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This topic lists a few common issues you may encounter when using Disk Management and troubleshooting steps to try.
Tip If you get an error or something doesn't work when following these procedures - don't panic! This topic is just the first thing to try; there's also a ton of info on the Microsoft community site in the Files, folders, and storage section about the wide variety of hardware and software configurations you might be dealing with. If you still need help, post a question there, or Contact Microsoft Support or the manufacturer of your hardware. How to open Disk ManagementBefore we launch into the tricky stuff, here's an easy way to get to Disk Management in case you're not there already:
Disks that are missing or not initialized, plus general troubleshooting stepsCause: If you have a disk that doesn't appear in File Explorer and is listed in Disk Management as Not Initialized, it could be because the disk doesn't have a valid disk signature. Basically this means that the disk has never been initialized and formatted, or the drive formatting has become corrupted somehow. It's also possible that the disk is having hardware problems or issues plugging in, but we'll get to that in a few paragraphs. Solution: If the drive is brand new and just needs to be initialized, erasing any data on it, the solution is easy - see Initialize New Disks. However, there's a good chance you've already tried this, and it didn't work. Or maybe you have a disk full of important files, and you don't want to erase the disk by initializing it. There are a bunch of reasons a disk or memory card might be missing or fail to initialize, with a common reason being because the disk is failing. There's only so much you can do to fix a failing disk, but here are some steps to try to see if we can get it working again. If the disk works after one of these steps, don't bother with the next steps, just kick back, celebrate, and maybe update your backups.
Important Disks fail pretty often, so it's important to regularly backup any files you care about. If you have a disk that sometimes doesn't appear or gives errors, consider this a reminder to double-check your backup methods. It's OK if you're a little behind - we've all been there. The best backup solution is one you use, so we encourage you to find one that works for you and stick with it.
Tip For info on how to use apps built into Windows to backup files to an external drive such as a USB drive, see Back up and restore your files. You can also save files in Microsoft OneDrive, which syncs files from your PC to the cloud. If your hard disk fails, you'll still be able to get any files you store in OneDrive from OneDrive.com. For more info, see OneDrive on your PC. A basic or dynamic disk's status is UnreadableCause: The basic or dynamic disk is not accessible and might have experienced hardware failure, corruption, or I/O errors. The disk's copy of the system's disk configuration database might be corrupted. An error icon appears on disks that display the Unreadable status. Disks might also display the Unreadable status while they are spinning up or when Disk Management is rescanning all of the disks on the system. In some cases, an unreadable disk has failed and is not recoverable. For dynamic disks, the Unreadable status usually results from corruption or I/O errors on part of the disk, rather than failure of the entire disk. Solution: Rescan the disks or restart the computer to see if the disk status changes. Also try the troubleshooting steps described in A disk's status is Not Initialized or the disk is missing entirely. A dynamic disk's status is ForeignCause: The Foreign status occurs when you move a dynamic disk to the local computer from another computer PC. A warning icon appears on disks that display the Foreign status. In some cases, a disk that was previously connected to the system can display the Foreign status. Configuration data for dynamic disks is stored on all dynamic disks, so the information about which disks are owned by the system is lost when all dynamic disks fail. Solution: Add the disk to your computer's system configuration so that you can access data on the disk. To add a disk to your computer's system configuration, import the foreign disk (select and hold (or right-click) the disk and then click Import Foreign Disks). Any existing volumes on the foreign disk become visible and accessible when you import the disk. A dynamic disk's status is Online (Errors)Cause: The dynamic disk has I/O errors on a region of the disk. A warning icon appears on the dynamic disk with errors. Solution: If the I/O errors are temporary, reactivate the disk to return it to Online status. A dynamic disk's status is Offline or MissingCause: An Offline dynamic disk might be corrupted or intermittently unavailable. An error icon appears on the offline dynamic disk. If the disk status is Offline and the disk's name changes to Missing, the disk was recently available on the system but can no longer be located or identified. The missing disk may be corrupted, powered down, or disconnected. Solution: To bring a disk that is Offline and Missing back online:
To bring a disk that is Offline and is still named Disk # (not Missing) back online, try one or more of the following procedures:
A basic or dynamic volume's status is FailedCause: The basic or dynamic volume cannot be started automatically, the disk is damaged, or the file system is corrupt. Unless the disk or file system can be repaired, the Failed status indicates data loss. Solution: If the volume is a basic volume with Failed status: If the volume is a dynamic volume with Failed status:
A basic or dynamic volume's status is UnknownCause: The Unknown status occurs when the boot sector for the volume is corrupted (possibly due to a virus) and you can no longer access data on the volume. The Unknown status also occurs when you install a new disk but do not successfully complete the wizard to create a disk signature. Solution Initialize the disk. For instructions, see Initialize New Disks. A dynamic volume's status is Data IncompleteCause: You moved some, but not all of the disks in a multi-disk volume. Data on this volume will be destroyed unless you move and import the remaining disks that contain this volume. Solution:
If you no longer require the multi-disk volume, you can import the disk and create new volumes on it. To do so:
A dynamic volume's status is Healthy (At Risk)Cause: Indicates that the dynamic volume is currently accessible, but I/O errors have been detected on the underlying dynamic disk. If an I/O error is detected on any part of a dynamic disk, all volumes on the disk display the Healthy (At Risk) status and a warning icon appears on the volume. When the volume status is Healthy (At Risk), an underlying disk's status is usually Online (Errors). Solution:
Cannot manage striped volumes using Disk Management or DiskPartCause: Some non-Microsoft disk management products replace Microsoft Logical Disk Manager (LDM) for advanced disk management, which can disable the LDM. Solution: If you are using non-Microsoft disk management software that has disabled LDM, you must contact the vendor on the non-Microsoft disk management software for support or assistance in troubleshooting problems with the disk configuration. Disk Management cannot start the Virtual Disk ServiceCause: If a remote computer does not support the Virtual Disk Service (VDS) or if you cannot establish a connection to the remote computer because it is blocked by Windows Firewall, you may receive this error. Solution:
Note The Remote Volume Management Exception includes exceptions for Vds.exe, Vdsldr.exe, and TCP port 135.
Note Remote connections in workgroups are not supported. Both the local computer and the remote computer must be members of a domain. See also
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