Why it happens

A new SSD is uninitialized — it has no partition table. Windows File Explorer only shows formatted, lettered drives.

Fix via Disk Management

  1. Press Win+X → Disk Management.
  2. The new SSD appears at the bottom as "Unknown / Not Initialized".
  3. Right-click the disk icon (left side) → Initialize Disk → Select GPT → OK.
  4. Right-click the unallocated space → New Simple Volume → follow the wizard.
  5. Assign a drive letter and format as NTFS.

If it does not appear in Disk Management

  • Check SATA/power cables are fully seated.
  • For M.2 NVMe: ensure it is fully inserted and the retention screw is in.
  • Check Device Manager for any unknown devices with yellow marks.
  • Some BIOS versions need NVMe support enabled — check under Storage configuration.