When Windows 10 thinks hard drive is removable, it could also show your external USB flash drive in the Disk Drive section. But what is happening there? This behavior is known to be found in systems where the installed SATA AHCI driver is in conflict with the computer’s motherboard and/or BIOS. By default, Windows will install a generic SATA AHCI driver when you install the operating system so that it gives basic functionality across different products. In this case, the best thing is to install the most current drivers, such as SATA related drivers. For Intel systems, this would be the Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver that handles AHCI functionalities, as AMD has its own AHCI driver. The problem at hand is manifested when your internal SATA HDDs or SSDs are displayed as removable media in your taskbar. Here are solutions you can use when Windows 10 thinks hard drive is removable.
What to do if Windows 10 thinks hard drive is removable?
1. General troubleshooting
2. Update BIOS from device manufacturer
Check and install available BIOS updates, but if none exist, use the steps below to override how the inbox driver surfaces devices on specific ports: Windows doesn’t detect your hard drive? Read this helpful guide SPONSORED
3. Use Registry Editor
Disclaimer: Before changing anything in the Registry Editor, back up your registry first.
4. Modify in Device Manager
5. Check BIOS
Go into your BIOS and check if the SATA port to which your hard drive is connected to has the Hot Plug enabled. It could mean that your motherboard supports hot-swapping of hard drives, which you can disable the AHCI feature on your motherboard and it will disappear. Here’s how to enter BIOS settings on your Windows 10 computer: Here’s what do to if you can’t hear your hard-drive powering up
6. User suggested solutions
Here are some additional solutions suggested by users on Microsoft’s forum:
Install or update SATA AHCI driver as you could be running on the generic Windows driver. Check your motherboard manufacturer’s website for a current Windows 10 driver. (Or laptop manufacturer’s website if this is a different rig than that in your specs). If there’s no Windows10 driver, then use the most recent one. If there’s no SATA/AHCI driver there, you can get one if you install the most current version of Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver Try using a different SATA port and also try plugging it with a different SATA cable. Go to your motherboard manufacturer’s website and make sure you have the latest SATA controller and chipset drivers for your model. Giving the BIOS reset a try might also be a good idea, it would get your BIOS settings back to factory defaults which could help with the proper detection of the HDD. This is generic problem of windows 64 bit versions. Microsoft has yet to find and fix the issue. It is related to performance. 64 bit operations cannot cope up so 64bit operating system is patched to treat internal drive as portable removable drive. Install 32bit version of windows, as this issue is not there. Tip for Windows 10 users: create a ‘Storage Pool’ through ‘Storage Spaces’. A Pool can exist of just 1 storage medium. That will integrate the removable storage to be seen as an internal drive. It’s not a solution for your system drive. For that the best bet is to find the most recent driver. If that does not work for you might want to change your 3rd party AHCI/RAID controller driver to the ‘Generic SATA AHCI controller’ that was shipped with Windows 10. In my case I had disks attached to a Marvell adapter show up as removable. After changing them to create an MS storage space instead of a Marvell mirrored drive, they appeared in the normal spot thus making them available to disk optimization too.
Did any of these solutions help? Let us know in the comments section below.
Name *
Email *
Commenting as . Not you?
Save information for future comments
Comment
Δ
