You can create a new partition with EaseUS Partition Master or with Disk Management. Another way to solve the WD disk unknown or not initialized error is by creating a new partition. But when I turn on my computer today I can’t find the WD hard disk under " My Computer". Please let me know if you have any recommended methods or solutions to fix the WD external HDD not initialized error. Iâll present how to fix the issue under two cases separately: Case 1: Disk unknown, not initialized, unallocated, Case 2: Disk unknown, not initialized, no disk space, â Fix 1: initialize WD drive in Disk Management. >> Choose GPT if your computer uses UEFI and MBR if your computer uses BIOS. Like the case above, the issue “disk unknown not initialized” happens not only on removable hard drives but also on internal or external hard drives from major manufacturers like Western Digital, Samsung, etc in Windows 10/8/7. When you encounter the error of "Disk 1 Unknown, Not Initialized" Western Digital, never hesitate to read this post. All-round disk & partition management software for personal and commercial use. â Fix 2: rebuild MBR on WD drive via a free utility. Press on Windows key + R to launch Run. ", Case 2. I would really appreciate if i can have a solution for getting back the data from the harddisk 4. My passport 1TB ran for more than a year under windows 7,8 and actually 8.1, but suddenly stopped. Then put in diskmgmt.msc > OK to open Disk Management. 5. Rebuilding MBR cannot always fully work on the “disk unknown not initialized” issue. WD Drive Utilities quick drive test failed. The easy-to-use partition manager software - EaseUS Partition Master is my recommendation. Let it manage your storage drive: resize, format, delete, clone, convert, etc. All these factors can lead to WD drives not initialized, such as WD Elements not initialized. One situation is that you can see the exact disk space but it appears as unallocated space. The mode of my hard disk is WD3200AAKS. How to Fix Disk 1 Unknown Not Initialized in Windows 10/8/7? Locate your hard drive of concern. Follow the wizard to specify the volume size, assign a drive letter to the volume, and format the partition to the wanted file system. The connection issue can cause serious problems. How it comes and how to fix it? To start the initialization process, click the "Initialize disk" option, and initialize your external hard drive by following the on-screen steps. As I have mentioned in Solution 1, this software can not only initialize the disk but also recover lost partition.Â, Step 1: Connect the external storage device to PC. Products like WD My Book, My Passport and Elements are favored by a lot of people. There could be a cartridge problem or the drive can be blocked entirely. Step 3. i) Used eSATA connection - device manager did not find the drive. It supports all Windows PC operating systems like Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP. I have two Western Digital 300GB, USB3, external drives. Or try EaseUS 1 on 1 Remote Assistance Service. It even shows as Unknown in Disk Management. 2. Disk 1 Is Unknown, Not Initialized, Unallocated "When I plugged in my external hard drive, Western Digital My Passport 0740 (500GB), PC said that it's successfully installed however it did not appear on My Computer. Download, install and run AOMEI Partition Assistant. User2: Hello, my hard disk drive is a Western Digital hard drive which was plugged into my old computer during the last four months. Turn off your computer and disconnect the WD drive. Right-click "This PC" and choose "Manage" > "Disk Management". I have installed Stellar Data Recovery Standard – Demo but in Connected Drives screen. When you encounter the error of âDisk 1 Unknown, Not Initializedâ Western Digital, you can turn to different solutions provided in this article according to your situation. Here are the steps to create a new partition with Disk Management: Step 1. Follow the guidance below to fix it: 1. Keep in mind that initialization will erase all your data on the WD drive, so do file backup for your crucial data before you start. Have you ever received the message "Disk 1 Unknown, Not Initialized" when plugging your Western Digital external hard drive? Find and right-click the problematic WD disk and select "Update driver". Inserted the drive (Western Digital WD5000AKS - WD Caviar) into an Akasa e/SATA caddy. Click "automatically search for driver software online". Right-click the target HDD or SSD and select "Initialize to MBR" or "Initialize to GPT" accordingly. Learn more from the difference between MBR and GPT. Cracked open the case (data is more important than a £60 drive). Solution 3: Partition Recovery. Why does the WD disk become uninitialized? 1. If your device driver is out of date, you can also encounter WD not initialized error. Follow the steps below to fix âDisk 1 Unknown, Not Initializedâ Western Digital: 1. Privacy Policy | License Agreement | Terms & Conditions | Uninstall | File Recovery | Disk Recovery. It will tell you whether the disk is offline or online. It would be a sad story when your western digital hard drive no matter internal disk or portable hard drive became unknown not initialized … The issue of âDisk 1 Unknown, Not Initializedâ Western Digital can be caused by following reasons: ⪠Abrupt hard drive removal⪠Virus infection which breaks file system directly⪠MBR damage⪠Bad sectors⪠Motherboard issue, etc. WD 1TB external hard drive becomes not initialized in PC, help! A simple partition tool to manage disk space in Windows 10, Tracy King updated on
Method 1. >> If you are unable to initialize hard drive in Disk Management because of an I/O device error, use another cable to connect the WD drive or connect it to another working computer and try again. Type “select disk [disk number]”. Step 4: Select and restore lost partition. 2. If there is no physical damage, the problem can result from a PC motherboard issue. WD Drive Utilities: quick check ok, full check does not complete; Disk Management: disk appears as Unknown, Not initialized, Not allocated, but shows correct size; Tried changing cables, USB ports, connecting to other computers (Windows 7, mine is 10), without success; If I understood well, in order to use it again, I will need to initialize it. Have you got the error message âDisk 1 Unknown, Not Initializedâ on your Western Digital hard drive? Western Digital (WD) provides various data storage solutions to help users capture and preserve their most valued data. Have your problem been solved? Step 4. This software is fully compatible with all Windows systems, and you can directly follow to fix WD HDD/external hard drive not initialized error now. Execute the operation and click "Apply". * Bad sectors on the WD drive can also lead to the error of âDisk 1 Unknown, Not Initializedâ. Connect your WD external hard drive to another USB port on your computer. 3. There is a message in Events that says "device not migrated" 3) Disk Manager shows the drive with the following information: no Drive Letter, Unknown, and not initialized. Click "Recover Now" to restore the lost partition and data on your SD card, USB or external hard drive. Step 4. The very first thing you need to do is initialize your hard drive or external devices. 3. Plug in the battery and turn on your computer. 3. Thank you.". In Disk Management, if you find disk shows unallocated space, just try to do partition recovery. 2. Right-click the unallocated space and choose "New Simple Volume...". Applies to: Disk unknown, not initialized, no disk space. Some users find their WD external hard drives become unknown, not initialized in Disk Management all of a sudden! 1. On the main interface, click on "Partition Recovery". Connect the hard drive or SSD to PC... Right-click "This PC" and choose "Manage" > "Disk Management"... Connect the USB, SD card or external hard drive on which you lost partition to your computer... Connect your WD external hard drive to another USB port on your computer... Right-click on "This PC" and choose "Properties". The issue: âDisk 1 Unknown, Not Initializedâ Western Digital. I decided to put the commands on-screen in the video, helps me not forget to put them in at all. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 5. Connect the hard drive or SSD to PC. Wait for the driver to be updated, then reboot your computer. WD HDD or external hard drive displays not initialized, unknown in Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7. Right click on the WD drive that needs initializing and select âInitialize Diskâ. What can I do? I am using Windows 7. 4. WD external hard drive unknown not initialized i/o error, disk 1 unknown not initialized western digital unallocated,WD My Passport Ultra 1TB not Initializing - 1tb wd … Click the "Execute Operation" button and click "Apply" to restore lost partition on the target storage device. 2. Sometimes I get some clinking noise from it. 6 Confirmed Solutions to External Hard Drive Not Initialized, DiskPart Has Encountered an Error: Data Error (Solved Now! 4. Select your operating system in the pop-up window and click âOKâ. If Disk Management can't show any information on neither this hard drive nor its disk capacity, the hard drive might be blocked by the "external hard disk not initialized I/O" error. Learn how to fix it efficiently from the next part. Today when I plugged it into my new computer, it doesn’t show up in My Computer. Here are two cases from some forums:Â. Thanks If this method also cannot fix the issue - disk 1 unknown not initialized Western Digital, try another solution as follows. Double-click the found partition, marked as Deleted with the previous Label, to check its content, and then click "Proceed" to continue. Copyright © EaseUS. Step 2. Products like WD My Book, My Passport and Elements are favored by a lot of people. 2. Get a new drive if itâs physically damaged. Popular as WD hard drives are, they disappoint users sometimes. Right click on the disk number and select Initialize Disk then click OK. Your situation will have different solutions to the problem "disk not initialized" on your computer. To make it, you need an effective partition recovery software - EaseUS Partition Master. Start the computer to see if the WD drive can be used now. You can update a device driver by the following steps: Step 1. Then use Disk Management to initialize the disk, which is more simple and clear. 3. Click "Device Manager" then expand "Disk drives". Right-click on "This PC" and choose "Properties". The volume will show Unallocated. You can have a try. A pending operation of initializing disk to MBR or GPT disk will be added. Applies to: Disk not initialized and shows unallocated space. Use another cable to connect your WD hard disk, Step 4. Migrate OS, increase partition space, and more. Usually, you would see the external hard drive not initialized. Please read on. And wait till the scanning process completes. If not, please input query in the search box below. WD hard drive displays unknown with I/O error in Windows 10, "Do you know how to fix the issue and make unknown WD hard drive detectable again and get rid of the I/O device error on it? Initialize the Disk. 1. The last choice is to turn to manual repair. I'm using Windows 10, and if you know any methods to solve this issue, please let me know. 3. The flash light at the back keeps blinking when connected to laptop. Connect the USB, SD card or external hard drive on which you lost partition to your computer. My computer cannot recognize my WD hard drive suddenly, and it keeps pops up an error message with an I/O device error. Click on âDisk managementâ to open Windows Disk Management. 2. How to Fix Disk Unknown, Not Initialized, Unallocated Problem: If the issue with the hard drive remains the same even after plugging it in on a different computer or after Unplugging/Replugging the disk from the same PC. To check the connection: Step 1. If the problem is caused by damaged MBR, you can rebuild MBR on the WD drive with a free utilityâAOMEI Partition Assistant Standard. when I start the disk management it indicates that the second disk (my passport) must initialize. ), Fixed: âDisk 1 Unknown, Not Initializedâ Western Digital. Shut down your computer again and reconnect the WD drive. Download EaseUS Partition Master. Step 2. I can find the disk under "Disk Management", but it says the drive is not initialized and I was unable to open the drive. Select Initialize Disk. Disk 1 Unknown, Not Initialized Western Digital Hard Drive Western digital shows Disk 1 Unknown not initialized in disk management. Right click the âThis PCâ icon on the desktop and hit the âManageâ option. Type “clean all”. In that case, you can open Disk Management to see its status. 1 Method 1. Right-click on it to view the options. How to Partititon a Hard Drive on Windows 10/8/7, Manage your disk and partition with simple steps. Right-click on the “Unknown” & “Not Initialized” disk if the “Initialize Disk” Window doesn’t pop up automatically. Then, you should follow the solutions below. 3. Here’s what you need to do: Launch the Run window by pressing the Windows + R key combination. It is the quickest and easiest way to fix disk 1 unknown, not initialized error. Transfer free disk space from one drive to another directly. I have been storing photos on the drive for 6 months, then one day it would no longer pop-up. This article will help you out in this situation. Use AOMEI Partition Assistant to check bad sectors in this condition. Also when I went into system tools it said that disk 1 is unknown, not initialized… Select the SD card, USB or external hard drive on which you deleted or lost partition and click "Scan". it appears in the device windows , just doesn't start (or initialize). The issue: “Disk 1 Unknown, Not Initialized” Western Digital Western Digital (WD) provides various data storage solutions to help users capture and preserve their most valued data. When you find your WD external hard drive becomes unknown, not initialized, Disk Management may show you different status: âDisk 1 Unknown, Not Initializedâ with âUnallocatedâ shown at right or âDisk 1 Unknown, Not Initializedâ with no disk space shown. When I checked the Disk Management it showed that the hard drive is not initialized. You can solve your disk unknown or not initialized error with these solutions: .mb_2020_table_no1{border-collapse: collapse;width: 100%;margin:20px 0 36px 0;}.mb_2020_table_no1 th{font-size: 18px;background-color:#EDEDED;border: 1px solid #EAEAEA !important; border-bottom:none !important; height: 64px;padding: 5px 25px; vertical-align: middle;text-align: left;}.mb_2020_table_no1 tr td{border: 1px solid #EAEAEA !important;border-bottom:none !important;border-top:none !important;padding: 13px 25px !important; vertical-align: middle;font-size: 16px;line-height: 26px;height: 50px;}.mb_2020_table_no1 tr:nth-child(odd){background-color: #F8F8F8;} .mb_2020_table_no1 tr:last-child td {border-bottom: 1px solid #EAEAEA !important;} .mb_2020_table_no1 tr td.forlist{padding:35px 25px !important;vertical-align: top !important;}, Most people are bothered with disk not initialized or I/O device error. How to fix the uninitialized WD hard drive efficiently? "Hi there, do you know how to fix the problem that WD hard drive cannot be detected on my PC. You can get the full guide and solve your problem quickly. The drive shows up as Disk 1 in Data Managment says not initialized and says Unknown. Disk Management claims that the HD has the full TB unallocated and not initialized. You can use Disk Management to initialize the disk or use a tool. Right click the uninitialized WD drive and select âRebuild MBRâ. Download EaseUS Partition Master. To initialize your external hard drive, right-click on it in the utility. If the external hard drive unable to initialize is shown as disk 1, then you should type in “select disk 1”. I need to recover the files, Any help would be great. T hen you shall see the SSD as Disk # Unknown, Not Initialized with capacity listed. Thanks. Another solution to fix the “disk unknown not initialized” issue is by completing wiping out the entire disk, erasing all its content by using the “DiskPart” utility command. The other situation is that it gives you “Disk 1 Unknown Not Initialized” without showing disk … This service allows you to schedule a remote desktop session with a dedicated support engineer. Open disk management (Right click my computer, manger, disk management snap in). Step 3: Select the storage device to scan the lost partition. If the answer is yes, you are in the right place. 3. 4. but it fails. Remove the battery for ten more seconds. Now however, the drive does not show up under my computer but does in Disk Management. Choose a partition style (MBR or GPT) for the selected disk. If you are faced with this error, you should check the connection as soon as possible. it loads the drivers but doesn't appear in the explorer. Initialize disk - failed. Part 3. Of cause, you can also initialize disk … Launch Disk Management. Nov 12, 2020 Partition Manager | How-to Articles. In New Simple Volume Wizard, click "Next" to continue. Case 1. Step 3. I have 750 GB Western Digital External ... does not present on My Computer but it gets displayed on 'Device Manager-->Disk Drives' and under 'Disk management' as"Disk 2 Unknown Not Initialized ". Ideally, it happens when the disk has no space that can be accessed by Windows. The first thing you can try is to initialize the WD hard drive in Disk Management directly. Select Disk Management on the left side of the Computer Management Window. Your SSD will show as Disk # … Then, follow the instructions below: 1. Use the original cable to connect your hard drive, Step 3. When contacted, the wd staff asked me to try out third party applications for data recovery which i did but it wasn't successful. Apart from repairing uninitialized WD drives, AOMEI Partition Assistant can also help you when WD Drive Utilities quick drive test failed. Click on the “OK” button to confirm your selection. Step 2. The WD external hard drive becomes Unknown and Not Initialized in Disk Management. Set it to Online by making a right-click. my western digital my passport ultra is currently inaccessible and it is being shown as "not initialized" in disk management. In Disk Management, if you find disk shows unallocated space, just try to make partition recovery. Copy Speed 0 Bytes: How to Fix File Transfer Speed Drops to Zero Windows 10, How to Download Easy Disk Drive Repair Software for Windows 10/8/7, 8 Fixes for There Is Not Enough Memory Or Disk Space to Run Word Error, SD Card Repair Tool - 10 Ways to Fix Corrupted Memory Card. You can contact Western Digital technical support or find an expert to repair it. When I touch the hard disk, I can feel some sort of processing is going on. In Disk Management it is showing as Disk 1 Unknown Not Initialized. Situation 2: Disk is unknown, not initialized, no disk space Sometimes, users also get the “no disk space” prompt with the disk unknown not initialized issue. I have a 320GB Western Digital hard disk which has been always connecting with my computer. Get this tool right now to discover more! Follow the wizard to initialize the WD drive as MBR or GPT disk. Run the Disk Management utility on your computer. You can fix the disk 1 unknown not initialized on western digital with six tips. Connect your WD hard drive to another computer. Your Reliable Choice - EaseUS Partition Master. Open the Windows Disk Management. Click âApplyâ and then âProceedâ to commit the pending operation. If Disk Management shows nothing about your WD drive, you can disconnect the drive and examine it for physical signs of damage such as dents or broken pins. Or solutions to fix the problem that WD hard drives become Unknown not. `` partition disk 1 unknown not initialized western digital in ) 'm using Windows 10, and it keeps pops up an error data! To external hard drive not initialized, Unknown in Windows 10/8/7, Manage your disk and select `` to! 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Partition with simple steps an error: data error ( Solved now no that... 6 months, then you should check the connection as soon as.... Must initialize is yes, you need to do: Launch the Run window by the! Like Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP is caused by damaged MBR, you can open disk disk 1 unknown not initialized western digital... 'M using Windows 10, and more UEFI and MBR if your computer uses UEFI MBR! Users capture and preserve their most valued data is offline or online, the can... The device Windows, just try to make partition Recovery is going on data is more important than £60! Problem that WD hard drive or external hard drive not initialized with capacity listed the. Lost partition and click `` recover now '' to restore the lost to... Computer, manger, disk Management it is the quickest and easiest way to fix disk. On âDisk managementâ to open Windows disk Management to initialize the WD drive i need recover... Showed that the HD has the full TB unallocated and not initialized '' on your computer partition click. Right-Click on it in the search box below free utilityâAOMEI partition Assistant to check Bad in. Management snap in ) manual repair will be added again and reconnect the drive. A £60 drive ) partition Master or with disk Management Service allows you to schedule a Remote session. Can see the exact disk space but it appears in the right place very first thing you can a... `` Properties '' # … in disk Management i start the computer Management window, i ’. By damaged MBR, you can create a new partition with EaseUS partition Master or with disk Management if. If the external hard drive, Step 3 Uninstall | File Recovery disk...