Disk Unknown not initialized, can’t initialize disk in Windows 11
If you have installed a new internal or external hard drive or SSD, and its status on the left side of the Disk Management Tool displays Disk 1, Unknown Not Initialized then it means that Windows can’t the initialize disk and you, therefore, are not able to use the hard drive or SSD. This can happen randomly even with existing drives and if you face this error, here is what you can do about it.
Many a time your partition or drive does not appear in File Explorer. To check if it’s physically there, open the Disk Management. Check if you see it as Not Initialized. If yes, then it simply means that the disk doesn’t have a valid signature, i.e., it’s not properly registered with the system. A disk is registered when you format it at least once. If the disk was available before, then its probably corrupted somehow.
To fix this Unknown Not Initialized error follow these suggestions:
- Initialize disk manually
- Bring it Online & Add Drive Letter
- Check Device Manager for issues
- Check the cable physically.