What Causes Windows Detected a Hard Disk Problem?
As soon as you see the pop-up error message on your screen, you should first check whether your PC is infected by a similarly known “Windows detected a hard disk problem virus.” Malware authors often use legitimate Windows processes to name their viruses. If Windows Defender or your antivirus can’t help, it means there is something wrong with the hard disk. Open Windows File Explorer to verify whether its contents are accessible. A quick shutdown and restart should temporarily solve the problem. If the error is just due to corrupt files or system issues, you needn’t worry. Running a Chkdsk or System File Checker (SFC) command will quickly resolve the problem in these cases. For most serious hard drive failures, such as the failure to detect a hard disk error, you won’t initially know what has caused the problem. There are two possibilities, and the solutions for them will vary slightly.
Scenario 1 – Hard Drive Not Working
If your computer hard drive is showing up, but its contents are inaccessible and displaying a “hard drive not working” message, it means something is wrong with the drivers. In the worst case, the hard drive could have been damaged.
Scenario 2 – Hard Drive Not Showing Up in Disk Management
It’s bad enough when the hard drive does not seem to work properly. But what if it vanishes entirely from your system, not leaving behind any trace. This strange error is caused by user actions or a faulty device update, which can bring your hard disk to a halt. If you’re facing this issue, then you need to opt for a “System Restore” or “Factory Reset” of your device.
Removing Windows Detected a Hard Disk Problem
There are different solutions to the problem of Windows failing to detect a hard disk, depending on the probable cause. Each one of these methods below will help remove the source of the error.
1. Doing a System Restore
If you feel you did something silly to cause the Windows hard disk failures so that even the hard drive can’t be recognized, it’s helpful to opt for a “System Restore” of your computer. This setting creates an exact snapshot of your previous PC state, allowing you to go back to how it was before.
2. Check Your Hard Disk for Errors in Windows
Close on the heels of “System Restore,” you can self-diagnose whether the main cause of the Windows hard disk failure issues are due to system errors, which can be corrected. This is done by using a tool called “Error checking” which is accessible from the right-click Properties of any drive letter. Once you start error-checking the drive, you may see a message that “you don’t need to scan this drive,” as there weren’t any errors on it. On the other hand, if there are errors, they can be fixed using the Program Compatibility Troubleshooter or similar tools.
3. Chkdsk and System File Checker
As discussed earlier, if the hard disk failure error vanished after a subsequent restart, it means you have corrupt system files, registry errors, and bad sectors in the hard drive. Fortunately, resolving them is very easy, as the techniques covered below are really one-step solutions that don’t require much user involvement.
4. Reset the PC
If all else fails, it’s always handy to restore the Windows PC to its factory condition and begin everything from a clean slate. In fact, it is very easy to reset the Windows PC.
5. Roll Back Drivers for Hard Disk
If the hard disk is visible but not working properly due to faulty drivers, you can roll back those drivers if that option is available.
6. Hard Disk Uninstallation and Reinstalling
Once you’re sure your hard disk has indeed gone bad (check the first cause as explained previously), the only way to resolve the problem is to uninstall the hard disk and reinstall a new one.
1. Should I use data recovery software for Windows hard drive crashes?
There are many data recovery products available online that can help you in the event of a Windows hard disk crashing suddenly. It’s safe to use some of the popular ones, like EaseUS, Recuva, and Disk Genius. However, most data recovery products come with bloat. They may also slow down your system by removing necessary drivers. Some of these products may not have kept pace with Windows iterations, such as the latest Windows 11. By comparison, it is always better to use the native methods for Windows that we discussed here.
2. How to disable Windows detected a hard disk problem message?
If you do not wish to see the Windows detected a hard disk problem message at all, you can disable it from Task Scheduler. Some websites incorrectly advise disabling SMART settings from the BIOS menu. It’s highly recommended not to do anything like that. If your hard disk is failing, you can’t afford to ignore the BIOS warnings. In fact, that outdated option is entirely missing/disabled on many Windows 11 laptops.
3. How do I fix BIOS not detecting the Windows hard drive?
Sometimes you may notice an error that the BIOS was not able to detect the Windows hard drive properly. To resolve this error, go back to the factory settings of the BIOS, just as they were shipped on your computer.
4. How can I check my Windows hard drive’s health?
You can do a self-assessment test for your Windows hard drive’s health using Optimize and Defrag, the HDD/SSD manufacturer’s tools, among other methods.
