Solved File explorer doesn't see an SSD

A collection of small issues initiated me doing: 1. Installed a new, larger SSD as C: , and 2. Reverted to an early Macrium image of C: .
This resulted in a few challenges which I am sorting.

There is one issue that I can't fix without your help. An extra data 2TB SSD disk is recognised by Windows 'Disk management', but it doesn't show at all in File Explorer. This SSD (G:) was displayed all OK before this rebuild. (File explorer is set to "show hidden files, folders and drives")

It does have some data on it which I prefer to keep if possible.


Can anyone help me?

Doug4901 said:

An extra data 2TB SSD disk is recognised by Windows 'Disk management', but it doesn't show at all in File Explorer.

Click to expand...

There is no Drive Letter assigned to it.
Right click on the Disk and assign a Drive Letter to it...

As long as you have an EFI partition on C:

I would make a Macrium image of the G: drive.
Then you can if you chose to:

• Download the free version of Minitools partition wizard
• Right click on the EFI partition on the G: drive, select delete.
• Click apply. - When finished It will become unallocated space
• When done, right click on the G: Drive, select resize
• In the resize popup, drag the left arrow across to the left to encompass the unallocated space
• Click apply.

Because G: has files on it, it may take a little while.

Or you could use diskpart instead if you wanted to. I’ll let someone else talk you through that one.

Edited above, I stated resizing C: where I meant G:

Hi Edwin & antspants,
Edwin
It seems that I am confused by the label I see in 'Disk Management'. ie 'G: 2TB'. I had thought that it was assigned to drive letter G: ? Following your advice I allowed it to be assigned to (I:), and I now see it differently in Disk Management ie 'G: 2TB (I:) .

With this change it now shows in File Explorer. I need to digest this more to overcome my confusion. For example when I open File Explorer, I see as in the attachment disks C, D, E, F and G, and I had always thought these were the drive letters. In the attachment is the drive I couldn't see labelled 'G: 2TB'. I guess this means I have had a complete misunderstanding of drive letter.

antspants
I forget the origin of each drive, but because it has an EFI partition, you are probably correct that it was once a boot drive. And no, the screenshots are all from my new build. Perhaps you share my confusion with the drive letters. Because of my confusion I tried assigning G to the drive, but Windows wouldn't allow that and suggested I use I.

Total confusion here ...! But I can now access the drive via File Explorer. It's time this geriatric shuts down for the night ...

Thanks Edwin and antspants

Doug
Australia

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Doug4901 said:

With this change it now shows in File Explorer. I need to digest this more to overcome my confusion.

Click to expand...

Sometimes drives that can’t be seen need a kick, changing the drive letter can do exactly that.

That efi partition on what now has a new drive letter, can be removed with my post above. You’re doing fine.

Fresh eyes tomorrow.

And just to clarify, in File Explorer, you should only see C: & G: (or I: as you changed it). Those other partitions don’t have drive letters attached, by design.

Doug4901 said:

It seems that I am confused by the label I see in 'Disk Management'. ie 'G: 2TB

Click to expand...

IN... Disk Management the drive letters should be in parenthesis.
Without parenthesis, it's just a volume label, not a drive letter...


Like so...





You need to go into Disk Management, and right click that 2TB drive and choose: "Change drive letter and paths..."
Then in the drop down list choose a letter.



I also gave you ten cookies... just for filling out your computer specs.

Ghot said:

You need to go into Disk Management, and right click that 2TB drive and choose: "Change drive letter and paths..."
Then in the drop down list choose a letter.

Click to expand...

Well ordinarily they would have to but not now… because they already fixed it.

Glad you got it sorted.
On a side note, According to the pic in post #1 C: 2TB (C:) named drive is actually 4TB in capacity.
You can right click any drive in File Explorer or Disk Management and choose Properties and name it whatever you want.
To avoid confusion you should not put the Drive letter of the drive in the Name of the drive.

Spunk said:

Glad you got it sorted.
On a side note, According to the pic in post #1 C: 2TB (C:) named drive is actually 4TB in capacity.
You can right click any drive in File Explorer or Disk Management and choose Properties and name it whatever you want.
To avoid confusion you should not put the Drive letter of the drive in the Name of the drive.

Click to expand...

Nice.

I was going to post about that today. After this young gentleman woke.
Edwin was quick to catch the missing drive letter. I missed it due to my drive letters come before my drive names as per my setup. I also missed the missing :

Doug, you can also right click on the drive in the left of File Explorer and rename a drive.
Change the name from G: 2TB to Kingston 2TB or something else.
You could also go back into Drive Management and change the drive letter back to G: if you wanted.

Spunk said:

On a side note, According to the pic in post #1 C: 2TB (C:) named drive is actually 4TB in capacity.

Click to expand...

Where are you seeing that?

antspants said:

Where are you seeing that?

Click to expand...

Edwin said:

View attachment 114326

Click to expand...

OH hahaha. Im jinxed in this thread.

Drive letters used by explorer are enclosed in parentheses, both in disk management and file explorer.. You made it confusing in your naming convention of your drives which repeats the drive letter as part of the drive name.

So you'd better name the drives / partitions after it's function. Mostly the drive C: will be named "Windows".
The drive/partition you named G:, you better name it "Data" or "Documents"or "Extra" or whatever functional name you can think of.
Gives a much better overview and it will make no difference if you change the drive letter itself (e.g. from G: to E:).

I have learned a lot from all you great contributors, and in particular about not confusing volume labels with drive letters. With the above help, that is all fixed. Thank you all.

My C: drive inherited the label C: 2T when I upgraded it from 2TB to 4TB. That will be fixed. To enable this SSD upgrade, I started from an early Macrium image of the old 2TB. I have always been careful to to keep that early drive image of Windows that includes all my basic programs such as Microsoft Office, my passwords (1Password), and Microsoft Flight Simulator (which occupies a massive 1.2TB of C: ). The Flight Simulator is the only game/simulator I use.

I have preferred to refuse all the iCloud, one Drive, etc offerings. I also avoid using "my Documents, my Music' etc. etc. I store locally all my music, films, etc on a massive mechanical D: drive, and hence no data is stored on C: . This has made my backups easy, all I need is a couple of Macrium images, with the rest of my data being on D: (on a HDD drive). I have automated backups onto local mechanical HDDs via the excellent free Cobian Reflector, as well as one automated encrypted differential backup offsite.

All iPhone, films, photos, slides, bills, manuals, warranties, medical, iPhone, (ie all paperwork) is scanned and OCRd, and then stored locally on D: . This has been fully indexed using 'Agent Ransack', which makes retrieval a breeze. To nail all this down did take me a huge initial effort 14 years, made possible after I was made totally physically disabled by a botched spinal surgery. My world is now nothing more than my PC, with its two 34" 4K screens. Hence I had plenty of time to devise and implement my paperless archival system.

Any suggestions for better backup and archival will be gratefully received. Anything to bullet proof this system is always being sought. So far it works, but I'm not such how much will survive the next Carrington event!

Much appreciated that you kind people sorted my confusion. Until now I had thought that the notation shown in File Explorer was the drive letter, when in fact it is the volume name.

Thanks everyone,
Doug,
Australia