How to Fix Disk Unknown Not Initialized on Windows

Disk unknown not initialized is a problem often experienced by Windows users when they try to access or format a newly installed or existing disk. A variety of factors can cause this issue, such as physical damage, loose SATA cables, inappropriate drivers, or partition issues. If you are facing this problem, don’t worry, as there are several solutions that you can try to fix.

In this article, Bardimin will explain what disk unknown not initialized is, what causes it, and how to fix it easily and safely. Bardimin will also provide some tips to prevent this problem from happening again in the future. Let’s get started!

What is Disk Unknown Not Initialized?

Disk unknown not initialized is a condition in which the disk cannot be recognized by the Windows operating system and cannot be used to store data. They typically show this disk as disk 1, disk 2, or other disks in Disk Management, with states of “Unknown” and “Not Initialized”. This means that the disk has not been initialized, the process that sets the partition style (MBR or GPT) and creates a partition table on the disk.

Uninitialized disks can’t be read or written by Windows, so you can’t access the data that’s on them or format them for use. If you try to initialize a disk, you might get an error message like “The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error”, “The system cannot find the file specified”, or “The device is not ready”.

What Causes Disk Unknown Not Initialized?

Many factors can cause an unknown disk to not initialize, among which are:

• Physical damage. If the disk has physical damage, such as scratches, bumps, or wear and tear, it may not function properly and cannot be recognized by Windows. Physical damage usually occurs to external disks that are frequently moved or dropped.
• Loose SATA cables. If the SATA cable connecting the disk to the motherboard is improperly attached or damaged, then the disk may not get enough power or signal to operate. Loose SATA cables usually occur on internal disks that are rarely checked or cleaned.
• Inappropriate drivers. If the driver that controls the disk is incompatible with the version of Windows you are using, or it is not updated regularly, then the disk may not communicate with Windows properly. Incompatible drivers usually occur on new disks that have not installed the proper drivers or old disks that are outdated.
• Partition issues. If the disk has damaged, missing, or invalid partitions, then the disk may not be initialized by Windows. Partitioning problems usually occur because of viruses, human error, or system failure.

How do I fix Disk Unknown Not Initialized?

To fix a disk unknown not initialized, you need to know the cause of the problem first. You can use the method of elimination to test for causes and then try the solution. Here are some solutions you can try, ranging from easiest to hardest.

Solution 1: Check SATA Cable

The first step you can do is to check the SATA cable that connects the disk to the motherboard. Make sure the cable is properly plugged in and that no damage or dirt is interfering with the contact. If necessary, you can try to replace the SATA cable with a new one or one that has already proven to work. After that, restart your computer and see if the disk is detected by Windows.

Solution 2: Update Disk Driver

The second step you can do is update your disk drivers. A driver is software that controls the functioning of a disk and allows the disk to communicate with Windows. If your disk driver does not match your version of Windows or is outdated, then the disk may not be initializable by Windows. To update your disk driver, you can follow these steps:

1. Open Device Manager by pressing the Windows + R key, then type devmgmt.msc and press Enter.
2. Find your disk under the Disk drives category, right-click on it, and select Update driver.
3. Select the Search automatically for updated driver software option and wait for Windows to search and install the latest driver for your disk.
4. Once the driver is installed, restart your computer and see if the disk is detected by Windows.

Solution 3: Initialize Disk

The third step you can do is to initialize your disk. Initialization is the process that sets the partition style (MBR or GPT) and creates a partition table on the disk. Uninitialized disks can’t be used by Windows, so you need to initialize them first before you can format them or access the data on them. To initialize your disk, you can follow these steps:

1. Open Disk Management by pressing the Windows + R key, then type diskmgmt.msc and press Enter.
2. Find your disk below the list of disks, right-click on it, and select Initialize Disk.
3. Select the partition style you want, which is MBR (Master Boot Record) or GPT (GUID Partition Table). In general, MBR is suitable for disks that are less than 2 TB in size and have four partitions or less, while GPT is suitable for disks that are more than 2 TB in size and have more than four partitions.
4. Click OK and wait for your disk to be initialized by Windows.

Solution 4: Recover Data and Format Disk

The fourth step you can do is to recover the data and format your disk. If your disk contains important data that you don’t want to lose, you need to recover that data first before you format your disk. Formatting the disk will erase all the data that is on it, so you need to back up the data first. To recover data and format your disk, you can follow these steps:

1. Download and install data recovery software you can trust, such as EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, AOMEI Backupper, or Wondershare Recoverit.
2. Run the data recovery software and select your disk as the data recovery source.
3. Scan your disk and wait for the software to find all recoverable data.
4. Select the data you want to recover and save it in a safe location, such as another disk or external storage media.
5. Once the data is successfully restored, open Disk Management and right-click on your disk, then select Format.
6. Select the file system you want, which is NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT. In general, NTFS is suitable for disks that are large and have security and compression features, while FAT32 and exFAT are suitable for disks that are small in size and compatible with other devices.
7. Click OK and wait for your disk to be formatted by Windows.

How To Prevent Disk Unknown Not Initialized?

To prevent unknown not initialized disks from happening again in the future, you can do as follows:

• Periodically check and clean the disk. You can use disk cleaning software, such as CCleaner, Disk Cleanup, or Glary Utilities, to delete files

• Use reliable antivirus software. You can use antivirus software, such as Avast, Norton, or Kaspersky, to protect your disk from viruses, malware, or ransomware attacks, which can damage your partitions or data.
• Perform regular data backups. You can use backup software, such as AOMEI Backupper, EaseUS Todo Backup, or Wondershare Recoverit, to make a copy of your data in a secure location, such as another disk or external storage media. It can help you restore your data if your disk encounters problems or data loss.
• Avoid electric shocks or temperature extremes. You should guard your disc from electric shocks or extreme temperatures, which can cause physical or electronic damage to your disk. You can use a surge protector, stabilizer, or UPS to protect your disk from voltage surges or power outages. You should also store your disks in a dry, clean, and cool place, and avoid exposure to direct sunlight or high humidity.

Conclusion

Disk unknown not initialized is an issue that can interfere with your disk usage on Windows. This issue can be caused by a variety of factors, such as physical damage, loose SATA cables, inappropriate drivers, or partition issues. To fix this problem, you can try some of the solutions that I have described above, namely:

• Check SATA cable
• Update disk drivers
• Disk initialization
• Restore data and format disks

You can also do a few things to prevent this problem from happening again in the future, namely:

• Check and clean the disk periodically
• Use reliable antivirus software
• Backup data regularly
• Avoid electric shocks or temperature extremes

I hope this article was useful to you and can help you fix disk unknown not initialized on Windows. Thank you for reading this article. See you soon!