What to do if Windows 11 doesn't recognize the disk in UEFI mode

What to do if Windows 11 doesn't recognize the disk in UEFI mode? If you're installing Windows 11 and encountering the issue of the system not recognizing the drive in UEFI mode, don't worry. There are several solutions you can try to resolve it. This issue could be related to your BIOS/UEFI settings, drivers, drive connection, or even a hardware failure.

In this article, we offer a complete guide with all the methods you can use to resolve this issue. From adjusting BIOS settings to checking hardware status, updating drivers, and repairing the operating system, we'll get started with this article on what to do if Windows 11 doesn't recognize your drive in UEFI mode.

Check BIOS/UEFI settings

One of the first steps you should take is to verify that your BIOS/UEFI correctly detects the hard drive or SSD. To do this:

• Restart your computer and access the BIOS/UEFI. The most common keys for this are Del, F2, F10 or F12, although they may vary depending on the manufacturer.
• Look for the option of SATA configuration and check that the disk is listed.
• Make sure the boot mode It is configured as UEFI and not Legacy.
• Check the status of the secure bootDepending on your computer, you may need to temporarily disable it to install Windows.

We're sharing this solution as the first one in the article on what to do if Windows 11 doesn't recognize the drive in UEFI mode because we believe it best solves the problem. If not, we'll continue with more.

Update drivers and check connections

If the BIOS recognizes the drive but Windows 11 doesn't detect it, a driver outdated or corrupt may be the cause. We recommend that you review the information on how repair hard drive errors.

• Accesses Device administrator and check the section Disk drivesIf the disk appears with a warning icon, update the drivers.
• You can check for new drivers on the disk or motherboard manufacturer's website.
• If the problem persists, try disconnecting and reconnecting the drive using a different SATA cable and another port on the motherboard.

Check disk format

Windows 11 requires the disk to be formatted GPT to install in UEFI mode. If your disk is in MBR format, the system will not recognize it correctly. Make sure to check the disk situation in the file explorer.

• Opens Disk management (Win + R and type diskmgmt.msc).
• If the disk appears as MBR, convert it to GPTThis will delete all your data, so make a backup first.
• To convert it without losing data, you can use the tool MBR2GPT of Windows.

Repair Windows if necessary

If your disk is recognized in the BIOS and is in GPT format, but Windows still doesn't detect it, the problem may be with the operating system. You can use Windows diagnostics to repair it and check if there is a disk boot error.

• Open the system terminal with administrator permissions and run the command: sfc / scannowThis will check and repair corrupted files.
• You can also use DISM / Online / Cleanup Image / RestoreHealth to check the integrity of the system.
• If this doesn't fix the problem, consider reinstalling Windows using an installation image created with the official Microsoft tool.

These are all the solutions for what to do if Windows 11 doesn't recognize your drive in UEFI mode. But don't worry, we'll give you more information about UEFI in the next section. It might help.

What to do if Windows 11 doesn't recognize the drive in UEFI mode: Other solutions

By following these steps, you should be able to fix the issue of Windows 11 not detecting disk in boot mode. UEFI. Be sure to check each one to find the solution that best suits your case. If nothing in this article about what to do if Windows 11 doesn't recognize the drive in UEFI mode works, we recommend checking out these other options, as they may complement the information and help you: How to install Windows 11 in UEFI mode from USB, How to convert MBR to UEFI in Windows 11, and How to disable UEFI Secure Boot in Windows 10.