Hard drive or SSD not detected

he computer says "No bootable device"

The computer can't find the drive Windows is on. See Blue screens and boot errors to check the boot order. If the drive doesn't appear in the BIOS at all, contact us within 30 days of delivery, or after that under warranty.

A new or second drive doesn't show in File Explorer

New drives must be set up in Windows before they appear.

1. Right-click Start and select Disk Management.
2. Find the drive, matched by its size.
3. If it says Not Initialized, right-click the disk name and select Initialize Disk, then choose GPT.
4. If it shows Unallocated space, right-click it, select New Simple Volume, and follow the prompts.
5. If it has a volume but no drive letter, right-click the volume, select Change Drive Letter and Paths > Add, and choose a letter.

Only initialise or format a drive you know is blank. These steps erase anything on it.

External drive not showing

• Try another USB port and cable, and plug straight into the computer.
• Larger drives may need their own power adapter.
• Drives formatted for a Mac don't show in Windows. To use a drive on both, format it as exFAT.
• Check Disk Management as above.

Reinstalling Windows and the installer shows no drives? The drive needs a storage driver (Intel RST or VMD). Download it from your maker's website onto the USB, then select Load driver in Windows Setup.

Buying a drive on its own? Check it's the right type for your computer. SAS server drives won't work in a standard desktop, which needs SATA or NVMe.

Check drive health: right-click Start, select Terminal, and run Get-PhysicalDisk | Select FriendlyName, HealthStatus. Anything other than Healthy, or clicking or grinding noises, means you should back up straight away and contact us.